As if Benoît Pioulard weren’t already hard enough to pronounce, Thomas Meluch has slipped another fancy French name into his musical moniker: Benoît Honoré Pioulard. But he’s still “just” some 27-year-old guy who lives in Portland. Meluch is set to release a new mini-album on November 1 on Desire Path Recordings (TMT News). Maybe the formality of Benoît’s new middle name, Honoré, implies a step toward seriousness. His new record, entitled Benoît Honoré Pioulard Plays Thelma, is a significant change from his clearly pop-oriented material, particularly his last few full-length albums on Kranky. The new sound is rooted in field recordings and ethereal, organic atmospheres as opposed to a guitar-centered, song-form style.
In the track “Calder” (streaming below), Meluch’s refined ability to conceive catchy, emotional melodies lives close beneath the surface of his new ambient endeavor, as a slow-motion loop dances along buzzing tones and pulsing bells.
• Benoît Honoré Pioulard: http://pioulard.com
• Desire Path: http://www.desirepathrecordings.com
