Rotostyles is a vertiginous and exhilarating demonstration of sonic craftsmanship, draped in colossal, almost Dantean orchestration. Highly recommended—uneasy and captivating in equal measure.
A monolithic, lysergic drone sequence that progressively mutates
Lotophagus Records is a continuously surprising and highly productive French label with a broad vision of experimental and challenging music, ranging from modern chamber post-rock and semi-electronic works to fully immersive explorations of advanced compositional technologies.
This album is the result of a creative collaboration between two acclaimed French sound artists with solid backgrounds, whose work is highly appreciated by listeners devoted to sonic excursions and music that exists far beyond the mainstream and the ordinary. I first encountered the releases of Michel Madrange (alias M.Nomized) through his uncompromising, enigmatic, hypnotic, disembodied, and thrilling post-industrial recordings for Cold Spring and the now-defunct Europa Café. His musical signature reveals clear affinities with the singular, enduring, and alchemical sonic explorations of Mauro Teardo, Contraste, Nurse With Wound, and other iconoclastic names who have earned a lasting reputation within the understated musical underground.
I discovered the work of Julien Ash more recently, notably through Lotophagus, thanks to his collaborative effort with Philippe Neau, reviewed on Igloo Magazine. On Rotostyles, the two sound artists distill their distinctive vision and forward-thinking, singular approach to musical orchestration and textural sound design.
The album opens with a monolithic, lysergic drone sequence that progressively mutates into something more dynamic and animated. Throughout, it remains remarkably attentive to detail, movement, and unexpected microtonal events. The result is a brilliant, neuronal, and psychoactive sonic journey that opens the doors of perception. Its palette of sounds is in constant flux, driven by spacious motifs and the physicality of textures draped in a foreboding atmosphere.
The tense and mysteriously haunting impact occasionally erupts into a maelstrom of grandiose atonality, at times recalling the contemporary dramaturgy of Penderecki, Roland Kayn, Stephen Thrower, or Ligeti, as heard in the massive “Stories of Hapoti.” All in all, Rotostyles is a vertiginous and exhilarating demonstration of sonic craftsmanship, draped in colossal, almost Dantean orchestration. Highly recommended—uneasy and captivating in equal measure.
Rotostyles is available on Lotophagus. [Bandcamp]
