Wonderfully rounded, sorrow strewn but without being downtrodden.
Lux Rec are once again messing up my record cataloging. Following the Swiss label’s foray into New Wave with Cold Colors, Cosmo and Faber are returning to synth centered sounds with Momentform. I first came across Ianis Lallemand a few years back with his excellent debut on Willie Burns’ W.T. Records. But that was back when I was brighter eyed and fresher faced. Since then the Paris based artist has been delivering his brand of Wave via cassette for labels like Modern Tapes and New Ideals. Grave sees Lallemand return to wax, this time with five pieces of goose-pimple producing synth.
“Monday” opens in grandiose fashion. A slow rhythm supports soaring chords, playful arpeggios shadow the background, in a work that builds into a climactic swell of emotion and fervor. Tempos are kept low and steady across the EP, instead it’s the lilting bars driving the record. Pieces like “Class” curve and grow as lush warm notes give rise to stunning harmonies. The bpm bumps up for “Same.” Arguably the Djs’ choice, there’s enough pitch to cut the mustard on any floor but it’s those swerving synths and strings that elevate this track into something else. An elegy ends. “Obsolete” turns vocals and synths through mild distortion, man and instrument being transformed into an amalgam of anxiety and pain.
It’s surprising that it’s taken so long for Momentform to return to vinyl but Grave is well worth the three year wait. The EP is wonderfully rounded, sorrow strewn but without being downtrodden. If you enjoyed that first self titled outing on W.T. you’re in for a post Christmas treat.
Grave is available on Lux Rec.
