Philippe Petit‘s Closing Our Eyes, released on the consistently boundary-pushing Portuguese label Crónica, is a fun, light-hearted yet adventurous dive into the world of sonic abstraction. While it channels the spirit of early electronic pioneers—Raymond Scott, Karlheinz Stockhausen, Pierre Henry, and especially the often-overlooked Todd Dockstader (and that’s a high compliment)—this album is no dry academic exercise. It’s alive with playfulness, curiosity, and the thrill of discovery.
At its core, Closing Our Eyes is an acoustic transformation through electronics—organic sound is deconstructed, reshaped, and reanimated into something beautifully unclassifiable. Petit doesn’t just manipulate sounds; he creates and modifies them with intent, developing a new reflection of musical language that escapes conventional stylistic limitations. What emerges is an electroacoustic narrative that stimulates the imagination while tickling the ears.
Each track unfolds like a miniature sonic diorama, bustling with unexpected turns and mischievous textures. There are echoes of tape music’s golden era here, but Petit uses those tools not as relics, but as launchpads for something new. Think Dockstader with a smile, or a dreamier take on the Radiophonic Workshop—an exploration that’s at once cerebral and charming.
In short, Closing Our Eyes is musically stimulating without ever taking itself too seriously. It’s a captivating listen for seasoned fans of experimental music and curious newcomers alike—an artful reminder that the avant-garde can still be fun.
via Igloo