This album is abounding with interesting sounds and composition. But, as I was soaking everything in, I found myself asking: Is this all just intended to create a certain mood or feel for the listener? Possibly. But I’m also wondering if there is a much bigger picture that is guiding this project. This album and its song titles hint at the earth’s relationships to the universe – maybe the formation of our planet from the big bang? Whatever intentions or themes (if any) may be being presented, I come back to the listening experience. This is music/sound that keeps drawing me back in, and the unfolding of the many elements present keep it absorbing every time.
There are components of dark ambient, like on opener “Libration” with its hints of tension and somberness. Maybe you’d like something industrial; check out the grinding metallic drones on several tracks, including on “Régolite.” On “Précession” you’ll hear some undecipherable spoken/whispered word, sounding like it is being vocalized under duress, leaving an unsettled feeling. And there are some wonderful (what I believe to be) violin or other orchestral string sounds (treated and otherwise) throughout.
I was also hearing a lot of what sounded like nature sounds that were distorted in different ways. And while there are many moments that seem to be expressing tension or unease, overall this is not gloomy sound experience. On closing track “Périgée” you’ll even hear some little hints of melodies, or at least little musical patterns, that somewhat lighten the mood.
And if you enjoy this record like I do, there’s more to come. This is presented as the first part of a trilogy. The second part “Les allées tourbillonnaires” has already been released on Mahorka. To me, “tourbillonnaires” seems a bit more earthbound, suggesting the slow development of the “infrastructure” of our planet. Of course, maybe my imagination is just running away from me again. Soundwise, it’s certainly of a piece with “Astrale”
The final installment is to be released later this year on taâlem.
Interestingly, “Conjonction Astrale” is available in three places. It’s on the Nouvelles Lectures Cosmopolites Bandcamp page; NLC is the ongoing musical project of Julien Ash. You can also find it on Philippe Neau’s site, or through the mighty Kalamine Records. So, no excuses…it’s out there.