St Germain (aka Ludovic Navarre)'s new, self-titled album, out next Friday, October 9, is streaming in full till then in the US as an NPR First Listen. The record marries percussive grooves, which have always been central to his sound, with a new element: traditional Malian music. "Navarre remains a sly master of the textural mix; a producer whose sweeping effects and atmospheric auras become part of the structure of the tunes," says NPR's Tom Moon. Malian guitarist Guimba Kouyate "thrives within St. Germain's sonic schemes; his terse rejoinders between vocal phrases are as spellbinding as his full-on solos." Moon concludes: "[S]ome tracks sound like they could have happened live in the studio. In those moments, everyone involved is seeking not just the right notes, but also the most apt expression; those sounds that lift the music into the higher spirit realms."
St Germain's new, self-titled album is out next Friday, October 9, on Nonesuch Records in the United States. But you don't need to wait till then to hear it: the album is streaming in full till then in the United States as an NPR First Listen at npr.org/music.
The self-titled record marries percussive grooves, which have always been central to St Germain’s sound, with a new element: traditional Malian music. The album features various musicians and singers from the African diaspora including Malian kora players Mamadou Cherif Soumano and Cheikh Lo Ouza Diallo, violinist Zoumana Tereta, and Senegalese bass player Alioune Wade (Ismael Lô) amongst others. Notably, St Germain also includes contributions from revered Malian guitarist and n’goni player Guimba Kouyata whom Brian Eno recently heralded as “the greatest guitar player I’ve heard for years and years.”
While working with these artists, St Germain (aka Ludovic Navarre) "discovered a way to do something quintessentially St. Germain," says NPR's Tom Moon: "devising loops that serve as a backdrop for heated instrumental ad-libbing from not just Kouyate's electric guitar, but also traditional Malian instruments like balafon and kora."
Moon goes on to explain: "Navarre remains a sly master of the textural mix; a producer whose sweeping effects and atmospheric auras become part of the structure of the tunes ... [Kouyate] thrives within St. Germain's sonic schemes; his terse rejoinders between vocal phrases are as spellbinding as his full-on solos. He doesn't need to stand in the spotlight to shape the feeling of the entire track. Even his single sustained notes tell stories."
The review concludes: "Nothing here feels heavy or labored—in fact, some tracks sound like they could have happened live in the studio. In those moments, everyone involved is seeking not just the right notes, but also the most apt expression; those sounds that lift the music into the higher spirit realms. For years, a standing criticism of loop-based music has been that its repetitions rarely elevate, much less soar. That's not the case here."
Read the complete review and listen to St Germain in full at npr.org/music.
Pre-order St Germain on iTunes and the Nonesuch Store to download the opening track, "Real Blues," now.
- Log in to post comments
