blog.Crónica

As the title implies Passeports by Matias Delplanque is concerned with geography, particularly locis of transport – train stations, harbours, parking lots – in the cities of Nantes, Lille and Dieppe, France. Delplanque works by processing field recordings from these locations, softening them into gauzy, cushioned blurs, identifiable traces peeking through the haze. Elements of Delplanque’s domestic environment intermingle with the outdoor material, so the clink of cutlery, stationary, and family footsteps cross paths with motor hum and wind.

It’s Delplanque’s way with processing, his ability to locate and extract a form of wispy wistfulness from his sources, that makes Passeports such a compelling album. Despite this intervention the integrity of his sources remains intact, and the impact is comparable to the editing of Francisco Lopez. In ‘Passeport 1 (Nantes)’ the abstract din of external sound slowly escalates in volume, like a slow fade in cinema, or the gradual opening of a theatrical curtain. This reveals a quiet rumble, possibly a plane taking off, amid the whispered rattle of close objects and oscillating waves of smoky drone. ‘Passeport 2 (Lille)’ employs the same technique to the sound of rain, as passing cars (possibly) speed by on an overhead bridge. ‘Passeport 5 (Lille)’ sounds somehow sadder, streaming waves of sand growling like Flying Saucer Attack. The final ‘Passeport 7 (Nantes)’ involves more staccato sounds, sparse droplets and indistinct chirrups, all popping like Pole on summer-camp, before dense streams of chattering voices intrude – sourced from a call centre in New Delhi. This reveals even greater depths to Delplanque’s compositional approach. Joshua Meggitt

via Cyclic Defrost

Ami lecteur, toi qui apprends par coeur les articles de RifRaf, tu n’as pas oublié qu’en juin dernier, nous nous étions enthousiasmes pour ‘Circonstances / Variations 1-4’ – les très belles relectures dub que Mathias Delplanque avait signée d’un de ses titres lorsqu’il se cache sous le pseudo de Lena. allons droit au but, le musicien français est tout autant formidable quand il signe ses oeuvres sous son propre blaze, dans un genre tout différent (pour faire simple, la musique concrète ambient).

Composé à partir de field recordings captés dans des gares, des ports, des parkings ou des aérodromes – en gros, tout ce qui a trait au transport, ‘Passeports’ sublime le quotidien par des appoints électroniques d’une sensationelle beauté – on songe à Phil Niblock ou Christian Fennesz. Sous la plume légère de Delplanque, la sirène d’une locomotive rend soixante and plus tard un écho à l’oeuvre de Pierre Schaeffer – elle tient davantage de l’extension talentueuse qu’à la simple génuflexion mortifère. Au bout des cinquante minutes, on n’a qu’une envie: boucler les valises et se replonger dans les atmosphères d’un disque admirable, muni au check-in de tous ses ‘Passeports’. Fabrice Vanoverberg

Composed from field recordings collected in transport-related zones around France – harbours, car parks and train stations – Mathias Delplanque’s album traffics in a dense ambience that tends towards the minatory, pointing up the uncertain, interstitial nature of transit. ‘Passeport 1 (Nantes)’ rolls out corrupted foghorn calls one over the other, with rattling train carriages picking their way between their dense sonic mass. The effect is powerful, but perhaps nothing particularly new. It’s amid the massed brassy rumbles of ‘Passeport 2 (Lille)’ and the dripping, organic bliss of ‘Passeport 6’ – a little reminiscent of Rosy Parlane’s Jessamine – that the real distinction of this work becomes apparent. Chris Power

via Drowned in Sound