What is the effect of sampling silence?
This question is asked and answered in the very opening moments of “outsiders,” the brand new track (premiering below!!!) from minimal emotionalist (and pianist) Jean-Michel Blais. In the recording, one can hear an interviewer ask fellow Jean-Michel (Basquiat, that is) about the source of the anger inside him. He responds with silence, and the sample continues as the music begins.
[Basquiat’s] pregnant silence speaks loudly. Substituting his voice, the piano simultaneously answers the interviewer and hypothesizes about musical potential to palliate where language fails. The piece speaks for the queers, the people with divergent voices, too often unheard. Purposely redundant and anticlimactic, only bowed piano strings at the end create an alternate voice, however remaining within the instrument restrictions.
Corrigan B was the first TMT-er to note Bais’s similarities to Phillip Glass on his review of last year’s impressive collaboration between Blais and synth-tinkerer CFCF. On “outsiders,” and those similarities continue to stand strong. But the voice inside Blais’s piano makes evident that the comparison is no reckless cliche; but rather, a poignant compliment —rightfully so.
Continuing the work ethic of Blais’s ironically-titled debut album, II, the forthcoming Dans ma main promises to paint with every broad, emotive brush in the ambient music toolkit. Look for that full album this May 11 from Arts & Crafts (and pre-order it here right now). Then, imagine 20 seconds of silence in your brain as the finale to this news story…
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Dans ma main tracklisting:
01. forteresse
02. roses
03. outsiders
04. dans ma main
05. blind
06. god(s)
07. igloo
08. sourdine
09. a heartbeat away
10. chanson
More about: Jean-Michel Blais
