Back in stock: Modern Classical

Review: Tricatel presents a stunning gatefold vinyl release featuring Bertrand Burgalat’s lavish compositions for this series. Known for his sophisticated and genre-blurring approach to music, crafts a score that balances classic revue traditions with a fresh, contemporary sensibility. Marc Fitoussi, having worked with Burgalat on Les Apparences, recognised his ability to create authentic cabaret-style music reminiscent of legendary venues like Paradis Latin and Alcazar while also capturing the energy of modern nightlife. The result is a soundtrack that fluidly moves between vintage theatrical elegance and contemporary dancefloor charm, mirroring the series' exploration of performance and reinvention. The score's connection to the rich tradition of backstage musicals, from 42nd Street to Chorus Line is fully evident. Much like these classics, Ça, c'est Paris! follows a troupe striving to put on a show against all odds. Burgalat’s compositions encapsulate this spirit, infusing his signature harmonic complexity and inventive tonal shifts to bring Fitoussi’s vision to life. His music not only underscores the drama but also breathes new vitality into the time-honored genre.

Review: Grand River's (Aimee Portioli's) fifth studio album (her first after the brilliant In uno spazio immenso, her debut for Caterina Barbieri's label Light-years label) began as an installation in 2022. Having since evolved into multi-channel, 4DSOUND, and stereo formats, the record has bridged every hurdle to live performances it could possibly face. The 36-minute composition is divided into two parts: Portioli recorded various winds and transformed them via layering and pitch adjustments, fashioning the wind itself into an instrument. Going so far as to align the gusts to a 440hz reference and tuning particular instruments to windward passages, Portioli went with the wind, yet still wound up more alive than ever. Wind and synthesizers merge seamlessly, erasing the line between natural and human-made sound; silent until it meets an object, air currents produce an array of tones, from whispers, to roars, to melodies.

Review: Following fast on the scorched heels of his most recent record Kosmische Pitch, Jan Jelinek now releases a fresh one for Faitiche: a recorded issuance of his 2022 performance, The Carpenters. Held at Uferstudio 1 in Berlin on July 20, 2022, two pieces transform an irrecognisable Carpenters' sample (the original song name is asterisked for perhaps obvious reasons) into salivatory stretch-scape. The original source is slowly unveiled near the end of the first half, almost of a moment of awakening from hypnosis. Then in the second half, Jelinek re-blurs the material, as if to descend the trough of a sinusoid wave. The Faitiche edition series houses such captivations exclusively on cassette, whose deprecatory format matches the exclusivity of the performance (though tape deck owners can also request a free digital download code).

Review: One Million Eyes, previously known as Templehof, return with a new album of balearic ambient, previously heard on two excellent releases for A Strangely Isolated Place. This time appearing on legendary cassette label Constellation Tatsu as part of their fall combo, anyone familiar with their previous work will know what to expect. Dreamy, sun hazed analogue synth lines mix with deep fourth world soundscapes that wouldn't sound out of place on 90s labels such as Pete Namlook's Fax or Instinct Ambient. The first half of Signal begins slowly, eyes wide shut, with 'Nickel', a slow pulsating jam of chilled out psychedelia. 'Marea' blends organic instrumentation with distant, processed voices. 'Koala', the deepest cut on the album, leads to a mood shift in 'Opalescent' that will sound eerily familiar to any Gaussian Curve fans. 'Polaris', 'Solstice' and highlight 'Landscape' close out the album in style. For fans of anyone from Music From Memory, Jonathan Fitoussi & Ishq, there are few better ways to relive your memories of later summer.