NICOLAS BERNIER & SIMON TROTTIER - Objet Abandonné en Mer [12rec.042] (12rec., 2007)
HERMELIN - Hermelin Lp [12rec. 049]
(12rec., 2008)
El período vacacional llega a su fin. Tras esta breve ausencia alejado por completo de todo tipo de música vuelvo a la rutina. Tampoco negaré que no está de más desconectar por un tiempo y dejar algunas cosas de lado. Pero ese paréntesis ya terminó y tras la vuelta he recuperado con normalidad el apetito musical, retomando algunos discos que había descubierto antes de marchar pero a los que no había podido hincarles el diente como es debido. En este caso se trata de un par de discos publicados por el netlabel alemán 12rec., que ya ha sido nombrado aquí en más de una ocasión, así que me limitaré a señalar ambas referencias. La primera de ellas no es una novedad puesto que es del año pasado, aunque ha sido ahora cuando la he escuchado. Se trata de 'Objet Abandonné en Mer', de los canadienses Nicolas Bernier y Simon Trottier, precioso disco elaborado usando únicamente un ordenador, guitarras eléctrica y acústica y un piano de juguete, arropados por delicadas grabaciones de objetos. El concepto del disco (signifique lo que signifique para los artistas) gira entorno a un objeto abandonado -objet abandonné-, y es desarrollado a lo largo de cuatro temas, consiguiendo un resultado notablemente brillante. Un álbum accesible, agradable y altamente recomendable:
"The 'Objet Abandonne en Mer Ep' consists of four tracks with the title track being sub-divided in parts one to three. Opener “Harmattan” starts with a loop of rhythmically ordered glitches. Two entangled layers of acoustic guitar burst in, the slide-guitar rises and invokes an intense feeling of being lost. Bow and synthesizer replace the slide until an acoustic guitar introduces a simple Folk-melody. “Objet Abandonne en Mer” is dominated by diverse field-recordings and crackling glitches. The feeling of being lost created in the first song is altered to a vague idea of rolling with the waves. The electro-acoustic cacophony of the introduction gives rise to a calm guitar melody. For the end, a thousand small Herzog-style guitars arise and consume the spectrum 'till single tones and chords begin to establish on top. The third track opens with a nice Blues-motive on electric guitar and Nicolas' trademark noises. The initial melody disappears in reverb while a diffuse second layer gains contour beneath the surface. Just before the "1.000 Hours Of Staring" similarity become too evident, a firm and catchy guitar emerges to make you hum along. Something like the album's dramaturgic peak. “Bourrasque” afterwards is the final tune. Mainly made of Simon's wonderful guitars, the songs starts with a lot of them piled up efficiently. After all, one singular Folk-melody survives just to drown in the sound of seagulls, oceanic hissing, noise and the distance echoes of Nicolas' and Simon's voices. More than just intriguing".
El otro álbum de 12rec. cambia completamente el registro. Hermelin es un grupo rock de Hanover y al parecer 'Hermelin Lp' es ya el segundo disco que sacan con este netlabel (el anterior es un split con otra banda alemana). Post-rock instrumental, desarrollos largos, melodías emotivas y atmósferas que se prolongan casi indefinidamente es lo que encontramos en este su segundo disco. Muy seguramente no será Hermelin el grupo que regenere un estilo del que no faltan practicantes, pero sus canciones están desarrolladas como para ser tenidas en cuenta y suenan bastante bien, y su trabajo de guitarras es bastante sólido. Una banda desconocida que probablemente sea de tu agrado si te gustan Explosions In The Sky y similares.
"Hermelin didn't change their style too much. The music on the actually self-titled LP is a dense mixture of Post-rock and Indie-rock, instrumental end to end, with shining melodies and a good amount of fuzz. Appropriate in production, 'Hermelin' enables you to enjoy the full range of the band's interplay, their dendritic guitar melodies over warm Post-punk bass-lines and straightforward drums. In direct comparison to the second truebred Post-rock act at 12rec. (Milhaven), Hermelin are less dreamy or ethereal. Hermelin rock harder. And their composition might need a second try to reveal all secrets. But if you check "Pliant Fur", "May 91313", the sonic re-make of "Nova Police" or the sluggish fuzz-monster "Mellow F.S.", you'll probably agree that Hermelin are worth every second of (repeated) listen".
Nicolas Bernier & Simon Trottier - Objet Abandonné en Mer (stream, download)"The 'Objet Abandonne en Mer Ep' consists of four tracks with the title track being sub-divided in parts one to three. Opener “Harmattan” starts with a loop of rhythmically ordered glitches. Two entangled layers of acoustic guitar burst in, the slide-guitar rises and invokes an intense feeling of being lost. Bow and synthesizer replace the slide until an acoustic guitar introduces a simple Folk-melody. “Objet Abandonne en Mer” is dominated by diverse field-recordings and crackling glitches. The feeling of being lost created in the first song is altered to a vague idea of rolling with the waves. The electro-acoustic cacophony of the introduction gives rise to a calm guitar melody. For the end, a thousand small Herzog-style guitars arise and consume the spectrum 'till single tones and chords begin to establish on top. The third track opens with a nice Blues-motive on electric guitar and Nicolas' trademark noises. The initial melody disappears in reverb while a diffuse second layer gains contour beneath the surface. Just before the "1.000 Hours Of Staring" similarity become too evident, a firm and catchy guitar emerges to make you hum along. Something like the album's dramaturgic peak. “Bourrasque” afterwards is the final tune. Mainly made of Simon's wonderful guitars, the songs starts with a lot of them piled up efficiently. After all, one singular Folk-melody survives just to drown in the sound of seagulls, oceanic hissing, noise and the distance echoes of Nicolas' and Simon's voices. More than just intriguing".
El otro álbum de 12rec. cambia completamente el registro. Hermelin es un grupo rock de Hanover y al parecer 'Hermelin Lp' es ya el segundo disco que sacan con este netlabel (el anterior es un split con otra banda alemana). Post-rock instrumental, desarrollos largos, melodías emotivas y atmósferas que se prolongan casi indefinidamente es lo que encontramos en este su segundo disco. Muy seguramente no será Hermelin el grupo que regenere un estilo del que no faltan practicantes, pero sus canciones están desarrolladas como para ser tenidas en cuenta y suenan bastante bien, y su trabajo de guitarras es bastante sólido. Una banda desconocida que probablemente sea de tu agrado si te gustan Explosions In The Sky y similares."Hermelin didn't change their style too much. The music on the actually self-titled LP is a dense mixture of Post-rock and Indie-rock, instrumental end to end, with shining melodies and a good amount of fuzz. Appropriate in production, 'Hermelin' enables you to enjoy the full range of the band's interplay, their dendritic guitar melodies over warm Post-punk bass-lines and straightforward drums. In direct comparison to the second truebred Post-rock act at 12rec. (Milhaven), Hermelin are less dreamy or ethereal. Hermelin rock harder. And their composition might need a second try to reveal all secrets. But if you check "Pliant Fur", "May 91313", the sonic re-make of "Nova Police" or the sluggish fuzz-monster "Mellow F.S.", you'll probably agree that Hermelin are worth every second of (repeated) listen".
Hermelin - Hermelin Lp (stream, download)
Nicolas Bernier -web-
Nicolas Bernier -myspace-
Simon Trottier -myspace-
Hermelin -web-
Hermelin -myspace-
12rec.
.
