Peter Digital Orchestra - Juicy Lady
Non, la musique électronique française ne se résume pas seulement aux vaines tentatives de Mirwaïs ou autres artistes que je ne préfère pas citer, quite à me faire traiter de puriste; tant pis... Pour apprivoiser le son en tant que matière première, il ne suffit pas de se contenter de mixer des sons de guitare à l'envers, créer des beats répétitifs et nus, mais sans âme; la musique électronique doit avant toute chose être une recherche du son lui-même, un creuset dans lequel chaque ingrédient doit apporter sa saveur, son âpreté, sa douceur. A la première écoute de cet EP de Peter Digital Orchestra, le trouble s'installe; comment une musique en apparence si simple, taillée pour le mix et la danse lascive, langoureuse et oserai-je dire, sexy, peut-elle être à ce point si élaborée dans cette force à approfondir le découverte de sonorités captivantes et entêtantes? On pense d'abord à ce que Mr. Oizo aurait pu créer s'il ne s'était pas contenté de se reposer sur les lauriers qu'une vidéo laissant apparaître une ridicule marionnette jaune lui a apporté (aux dernières nouvelles, le monsieur s'est reconverti dans la réalisation de longs-métrages; souhaitons-lui le meilleur, sincèrement). Mais au-delà de cette simple comparaison, l'auditeur découvre des grooves portés soit par des nappes synthétiques à la Boards of Canada, soit par des voix que Liam Howlett, dans un style totalement différent, n'aurait pas renié. Et c'est bien dans toutes ces audaces que le talent de l'artistes réside: soit en cassant le rythme, en le ralentissant, puis en l'accélérant, l'artiste crée un univers en constante évolution, sous de faux airs répétitifs. Aucune phrase musicale ne se répète et ne contient sa propre identité. On pourrait presque qualifier la musique de Peter Digital Orchestra d'electro-beat minimaliste et intelligent, grâce à ces expérimentations musicales surprenantes et intrigantes, pour peu que l'on se prête au jeu. Bien entendu, ce genre musical reste encore assez peu estimé par de nombreux musiciens issus de styles différents de ce dernier, mais dans le cas présent, il mérite réellement le détour. Ne serait-ce justement que pour découvrir ce que tout cet art cache vraiment: du travail, de l'exploration, de l'expérimentation, et une énorme dose de plaisir pour chacun. Insidieusement, rythmes et musiques s'immiscent dans les esprits, on se surprend à vouloir savoir quel rythme le corps pourra exprimer dans ces vagues d'énergie, de rythme, de funk et de groove; Juicy Lady est un disque curieux, sensé, entier, et intense; il suffit de s'ouvrir, de penser, de fouiller. Et, chose encore plus étrange, le virus s'insinue dans nos veines; tiens, si l'on essayait de faire de même, de découvrir les joies du mix, de créer une musique électronique qui pourrait revêtir une âme? A vos platines...
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For those who still have doubts about this, let's make things clear: French electronica is completely different from what Mirwaïs or other artists I won't talk about here try to show and express. In order to understand what a sound is really like, the only way is not mixing reversed guitar sounds, create senseless and repetitive beats, but being a research for what sound is really MEANS. In such a case, each sound is like an empty pint in which each liquid or solid substance has to taste sweet, rough, delicate or sugary. While listening to Peter Digital Orchestra's EP, one is in real trouble: how can such a simple and ready-to-sexy-and slow-dance music sound like an elaborated and intelligent work, thanks to captivating and hypnotizing tunes? First of all, one thinks of what French DJ Mr. Oizo could have created and composed if he didn't only make money out of a video which featured a ridiculous yellow puppet (latest news are that this particular DJ is now directing movies; let's hope the best for him, really...). But apart from only putting these 2 artists on the same line, each listener can discover slow synthetic and Boards of Canada-like soundwaves or human vocals which Liam Howlett would certainly be delightful of, and an impressive groovy style, in Peter Digital Orchestra's music. And this is where it all starts; while breaking rhythm, slowing down or accelerating music, the artist creates a perpetually evoluting musical universe. No musical tune sounds like another one, and appears to go on its own. Peter Digital Orchestra's music could then be qualified as minimalist and intelligent electro-beat music, thanks to all these amazing and strange music researches; but one has to focus on it, and accept to play this particular game. Of course, such a musical style still remains with no interest for many musicians; and I can easily understand why (I'm one of them, so...); but don't miss such a chance to discover this genre, in order to discover what electronica really means: hard working, sound experiments, space explorations, and so much fun for everyone. And, maliciously, rhythm and music will penetrate eveybody's soul, and one will certainly ask how bodies will be able to move on such a musical style which is full of energy, funk, and groove. And, the more one will listen to it, the more the virus will spread, and each musician will (well, I hope so...) feel curious and try to compose the same stuff. Juicy Lady is then a curious, intelligent, complete and intense recording, and one needs to think of and explore each side of it. So, everybody on the dance floor, and let's mix!
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For those who still have doubts about this, let's make things clear: French electronica is completely different from what Mirwaïs or other artists I won't talk about here try to show and express. In order to understand what a sound is really like, the only way is not mixing reversed guitar sounds, create senseless and repetitive beats, but being a research for what sound is really MEANS. In such a case, each sound is like an empty pint in which each liquid or solid substance has to taste sweet, rough, delicate or sugary. While listening to Peter Digital Orchestra's EP, one is in real trouble: how can such a simple and ready-to-sexy-and slow-dance music sound like an elaborated and intelligent work, thanks to captivating and hypnotizing tunes? First of all, one thinks of what French DJ Mr. Oizo could have created and composed if he didn't only make money out of a video which featured a ridiculous yellow puppet (latest news are that this particular DJ is now directing movies; let's hope the best for him, really...). But apart from only putting these 2 artists on the same line, each listener can discover slow synthetic and Boards of Canada-like soundwaves or human vocals which Liam Howlett would certainly be delightful of, and an impressive groovy style, in Peter Digital Orchestra's music. And this is where it all starts; while breaking rhythm, slowing down or accelerating music, the artist creates a perpetually evoluting musical universe. No musical tune sounds like another one, and appears to go on its own. Peter Digital Orchestra's music could then be qualified as minimalist and intelligent electro-beat music, thanks to all these amazing and strange music researches; but one has to focus on it, and accept to play this particular game. Of course, such a musical style still remains with no interest for many musicians; and I can easily understand why (I'm one of them, so...); but don't miss such a chance to discover this genre, in order to discover what electronica really means: hard working, sound experiments, space explorations, and so much fun for everyone. And, maliciously, rhythm and music will penetrate eveybody's soul, and one will certainly ask how bodies will be able to move on such a musical style which is full of energy, funk, and groove. And, the more one will listen to it, the more the virus will spread, and each musician will (well, I hope so...) feel curious and try to compose the same stuff. Juicy Lady is then a curious, intelligent, complete and intense recording, and one needs to think of and explore each side of it. So, everybody on the dance floor, and let's mix!
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