Author: Kristijan Matjašič
Artist: Igorrr
Label: Metal Blade Records
Release: 2017
Length: 39:26
Rating: 4.5/5
French multi-instrumentalist Gautier Serre, better known as Igorrr (and no, that’s not a typo), is a guy with a slightly different vision of the music world. The producer/DJ and stage recluse has 4 albums under his belt. He’s also a member/founder of Corpo Mente and a tech for Öxxö Xööx and Hungary’s Thy Catafalque. In a world starved for originality and »difference«, that’s exactly what we need. Igorrr doesn’t just serve us something different, he almost overdoes it with absurd melodies, dissonant harmonies, and a mix of Balkan and French themes and rhythms, yet he stays within the bounds of good taste, which of course depends on each person’s taste buds. This year he decided to spread the wings of his creativity on stage too, and he brought into Igorrr the lead singer of Corpo Mente – Laure Le Prunenec, Öxxö XööX vocalist Laurent Lunoir, and drummer Sylvain Bouvier.
Savage Sinusoid is the fifth studio album of Serre’s project. Besides the two vocalists and the drummer, who’ve become fixtures of the project, we can also hear Serre’s hen, sadly no longer with us, named Patrick. Every instrument you hear on this album was played live in the studio. The head of the project wanted to avoid samples, which usually sound pretty digital, so he invited various masters of their instruments to record. From sitar guitars to saxophones and harpsichords. Everything was played live and recorded in the studio. And yes, Patrick was recorded and added to the album too. If you want to know more about how the album was made, you can check out the »making of« videos on their YouTube channel.
Tackling this review is no small feat, because the album is all over the place. From skull-smashing death metal blast beats, which Sylvain (who’s built accordingly, with one arm the size of both of mine put together) delivers to the tracks with excellent precision, to Laure’s aria-like operatic singing that leaves the impression of classical opera pieces. On top of all that we’ve got Laurent, who’s probably the champion of rapid-fire delivery of the phrase »la la la«. But this isn’t some mischievous kid’s »la la la«, it’s a dark, almost terrifying »la la la«, and I’d advise against doing drugs with it, since it could send you on a »bad trip«. Serre, meanwhile, takes care of the electronic backbone in the background, which at some points can turn the album into the most metal rave ever.
The album title alone tells us it’s going to be crazy and wild, though at times it’s also very beautiful. Opening track Viande only confirms that. The two-minute opener introduces the energy the album will carry and burn through all the way to the end, with screaming and monstrous pounding on the drums. And since that’s still not »over the top« enough, try finding the lyrics. Sadly, I have to disappoint you, because there aren’t any. The vocalists invented their own language to sing in, so there’s no need to bother trying to understand it or hunt for a deeper meaning, because there simply isn’t one. The whole album paints a bizarre circus freak show, where every single track presents its own »weirdo«.
In the middle, the song Houmous cuts through that energy, a blend of Balkan and French music. The accordion and saxophone set the mood. Imagine going out for Sarajevo-style, Macedonian, or Serbian čevapčiči, or whichever ones you like best, I’m not here for that, and being served a basket of baguettes and croissants with them. During the meal you’d drink a bit too much rakija and get thrown out of the restaurant. After that you’d find yourself in all sorts of scenes, from French music to a death metal gig.
It seems to me the project doesn’t take itself entirely seriously. You can tell from the titles of some songs, like Spaghetti Forever and Apopathodiaphulatophobie. But it takes itself seriously enough to be one of the most inventive and original releases of this year. The whole album is a mix of death metal, grindcore, trip hop, baroque, and electronic music. Even though it sounds like an impossible mix of genres, Serre somehow manages to blend it the right way and offer us something new and, above all, interesting, something that can’t possibly be copied.
Lineup
Drums – Sylvain Bouvier
Guitar – Morten Iversen, Antony Miranda
Classical guitar – Nils Cheville
Bass – Morten Iversen, Erlend Caspersen
Vocals – Laurent Lunoir, Laure Le Prunenec, Travis Ryan, Yasmina Barra
Harpsichord – Katerina Chrobokova
Saxophone – Yann Le Glaz
8-bit sound – Aymeric Thomas
Sitar – Antony Miranda
Strings – Benjamin Violet
Accordion – Pierre Mussi
Mandolin – Pedrou Lacasa
Production
Gautier Serre
Track list
1. Viande
2. Ieud
3. Houmous
4. Opus Brain
5. Problème D’émotion
6. Spaghetti Forever
7. Cheval
8. Apopathodiaphulatophobie
9. Va te foutre
10. Robert
11. Au Revoir
