Roger Melt ‎– Pleine Lune

Like a lot of great music we enjoy, Roger Melt’s Pleine Lune is completely unique and difficult to place, and also the only solo release from the Geneva-based musician. Swiss by way of Martinique (French West Indies), Melt also founded the much jazzier / funkier and even more sought after Madras Express group. Although the album was recorded at the famed Taurus studio in Geneva, the music is clearly more influenced by Melt’s tropical homeland, with its use of jungle bird field recordings and layers of exotic French West Indies ambience. The record is sonically loose featuring moments of experimental blues sung in creole, traditional acoustic percussion with nonlinear grooves that sounds almost like some kind of Caribbean krautrock, and wistful contemplative post-rock guitar layered over gentle synth sounds. The highlight for us is the beautiful closer, “L’amou Dans Bois,” a spiritual gem with longing vocals, lush atmospheric guitar, and the comforting sounds of the surrounding Caribbean habitat blend to create an oasis of beautiful islander melancholy.

– DM

Recommended – B2 L’amou Dans Bois