Bobbi Humphrey – Blacks and Blues
Bip Redon, Dominique Lentin, his sister Isabelle Lentin (of Virgule IV), and a few other unknown musicians make up the mysterious L’Empire des Sons. Not much is known about the band besides the fact that the group recorded in Saint-Étienne in the mid 80s. Their sound focuses heavily on percussion instruments including marimbas, xylophones, kalimbas, and congas while also incorporating traditional French lounge instruments like cello, flute, guitar, and voice. The result is a dreamy set of ethno-infused avant-chamber pop that sounds quite unlike anything else. A true gem from the French underground – we picked this one up from our good friends at Séance Centre from Toronto!
– Phil Cho
Recommended – A1 Venise, A3 Antilope, B1 Voyage Autour De Ma Tete
Tags: Avant-Garde / Instrumental / Lounge / Obscure / Percussion / Private Press
Tracklist:
A1 Venise
A2 Mais Ou Est Donc Ornicar ?
A3 Antilope
A4 Celles De La Haute Mer
A5 Opium
B1 Voyage Autour De Ma Tete
B2 Le Trapeziste
B3 Moitie Panthere
B4 L’Année De La Comete
B5 Quand Nos Peres Etaient Des Poissons
Credits:
Bandoneon, Piano, Xylophone – Isabelle Lentin
Cello – Francoise Basset
Drums, Flute, Vocals, Kalimba – Dominique Lentin
Drums, Percussion, Marimba – Francois Bleton
Guitar – Pascal Brechet
Piano – Nadine Leroy, Valérie Gonzalez
Vocals [Guest] – Bip Redon
