Die Form ÷ Musique Concrète – Cinema Obscura (CD Album – Bain Total)
Genre/Influences: Experimental, abstract-music, cinematographic.
Content: Philippe Fichot strikes back with a new project he called Die Form ÷ Musique Concrète. The Die Form sound genius started off as a pure experimentalist and it took years before Die Form evolved towards a more danceable electro sound driven by the heavenly vocals of Eliane P. The ‘older’ fans for sure remember this prolific experimental period when most of these productions got released by Fichot own label Bain Total.
“Cinema Obscura” sounds a bit like a move back to the experimental roots, but with a more modern sound. Philippe Fichot seems to have exorcised some of his most extreme sonic ideas, which he transposed into a rather spooky and somewhat cinematographic production. You’ll get a rather extreme and totally abstract sound creation, where the manipulation of sounds appears to be the main focus. A few piano passages are injecting an extra abstract and somewhat soundtrack touch to the work.
“Cinema Obscura” moves from experimental into industrial sound research. Some cuts are joined by a slow rhythm, which makes the work more accessible and especially diversified. This is the kind of work that would totally fit to an alternative live performance like ballet and/or theatre. It sounds like it has been made for a special show. I also imagine the fetish picture universe of Philippe Fichot, which is a deeply artistic style in black & white. The sound of this “Cinema Obscura” definitely needs to get accompanied by a strong visual exposure.
But Fichot seems to have been not inspired by his familiar fetish universe. The artwork of this digipak conceived by him looks more like a chaotic sci-fi city at night or is it just an eternal darkness that has fallen over this fantasy universe? The sound accentuated the dark imagery by the whispering vocals and rough industrial elements. A kind of rotor sound suddenly appears while other passages reveal a kind of warning signal. This is a strange universe, which sometimes reminds me of the work of the film director Jean-Luc Besson mixed with the darker cartoon universe of Enki Bilal.
Conclusion: This is not the most accessible work of Philippe Fichot, but it shows one of the artist’s main sources of inspiration and especially the sound where it all started. This is pure experimentalism.
Best songs: “Mental Room”, “Mnemodrame (Théâtre De La Mémoire)”, “Molecules”, “Immobilis”.
Rate: (DP:7)DP.
Band: www.dieform.net / www.facebook.com/DieFormMusic / www.facebook.com/dfmusiqueconcrete
Label: www.facebook.com/baintotal
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