Charles-Eric Charrier – Oldman
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“Oldman” by Charles-Eric Charrier is certainly something of a departure from the previous album released on Experimedia, “Silver”…
Whilst “Silver” was cerebral post-rock, the new approach sees the artist, seated with a bass, in the middle of a room surrounded by mikes, sans any accompaniment save some sparse bass overdubs, and what seems like some occasional strings or “colour” by partner Beatrice Templé. The approach is brutally honest – a strong characteristic of the record is the sound of the artist breathing in and out, and the sound of hands swiping across the strings, the chair creaking and seemingly the sound of the air moving around the room.
I’m a deep lover of solo bass as an instrument, and once I was past the seeming 180-degree turnaround in musical style I was completely sold on the absolute sincerity in sound. Absolutely no hiding anything with this approach, you’re actually in the room with the artist.
As nothing is hidden, when multiple tracks are being used there are overlapping room sounds – the aforementioned breathing and creaking multilayered over each other is almost like mixed texture/field recording, it’s that tactile. The mikes are hot, white hot, and they pick up every movement and sound Charrier makes. You can hear him whispering to himself.
Musically, the vibe is one of jazz, but as with “Silver” the punk aesthetic fairly seeps out of every pore. The multilayered bass meandering is articulate, emotive and daring, going everywhere and nowhere at once; Charrier displays an amazing ability to stay within melody without overtly demonstrating one. Joint Venture, who are releasing the album, describe the music as “somewhere between instrumental folk and popular tale, African blues and haïku, “chanson française” and contemporary music.” All of which does it justice, but it still fails to convey the singular sound and attitude of it all.
All tracks are presented with sparse vocal stanzas, a vocal hook to hold onto amongst the chaos of the music. The phraseology is haiku-esque, simple but evocative – for example –
“Mid September
The ocean
Up to the hips”
All of which are delivered in a one-take gravelly baritone. In French.
Very, very smooth.
There are two forms planned for the release, “including a booklet of 24 pages with drawings and the lyrics of Charles-Eric, printed by the Dutch company Extrapool on an a stencil machine. It also exists in a “low cost” version (CD and cover, without booklet) for those that need to pay attention to their expenditure. The release will coincide with a concert on April 22 at the Pannonica in Nantes, where Charles-Eric will be joined by Cyril Secq on guitar and Covalesky on percussion.”
Those impressed with the raw attitude of “Silver” will certainly be knocked out by the brash and grimy class of “Oldman”. I’m going out on a bit of a limb here, but I’m pretty certain this album is going to be a fixture on many year-end best-of lists. My understanding is that this is a very limited edition, and I would strongly suggest getting in VERY QUICKLY when it is released 22nd April. If you have time, the Joint Venture site has also made me an instant fan of the label. I’m slowly working my way through their catalogue as I write this.
“I am trying to be simple, but not simplistic. That bass is at the service of a musical creation, of a certain sound, of a whole, but it is, above all, the means to put forward music in which the musician is not on the forefront, like these Songhaï dancers of Holley who, once they have reached the state of trance, will become the “horses of the genies”, through them, despite of them, something bigger expresses itself over which they have no control. “Before, I made “intellectual music” - I twisted and bent it to express something psychological, emotional. Since “Two Heads Bis Bis”, I am at the service of something that surpasses me.
The challenge is to open oneself and to let the music come out.” – Charles Eric-Charrier.
Mission accomplished, sir.
From the press release –
“Oldman” is a work by Charles-Eric Charrier commissioned by the label Joint Venture Records – a commission made for our own pleasure, motivated by a deep desire to listen to Charles-Eric’s music presented in the most simple, and most profound manner. The idea took shape after having worked on different projects together: the CD “Gold & Wax” by Lokka which he produced, “Stay Gold” and “Two Head Bis Bis” in which some of us participated, and “Koïma” by Sidi Touré, where Charles-Eric accompanies the guitarist from Mali on the bass. The principle: to record an acoustic album with his favorite instrument, the bass, in basic conditions: a chair in the middle of a room, some mikes and one single day of recording; all this to aim at the purest sound, explaining as little as possible while plunging into one’s deepest self.
From this recording session evolved an album that is simple, intimate and sober, with Charles-Eric’s grating voice in evidence, somewhere between instrumental folk and popular tale, African blues and haïku, “chanson française” and contemporary music.
It does not matter what style, what label might be applied to define the music: Charles-Eric Charrier goes beyond the genres, does not recognize boundaries, mixes the metaphors and this time around, more than usual, brings his melodies to the fore. That’s also the comment of Covalesky, who produced the recording: “It was a pleasure to work on this melodic side which he rarely exposes – to aim for the essential, for the heart of his music, and to expose his talent as a composer, a songwriter.
The more so since the music, the words, sometimes spoken, sometimes murmured, follow this uncluttered path. No psychological introspection or holiday shots; Charles-Eric Charrier has looked back on his past and has assembled memories and sensations, those that have stayed inside through their intensity and their perfect state. Just perceptions, no intellect, just the present instant, without explanation, a voyage of the senses to his home town, Les Sables d’Olonnes, a fishing port in the Vendée region of France which has become a holiday resort. In the music as in the words you can hear the sea, the life at the port, the ocean winds, the boats that sway on the water, the wood cracking; you see the sun, the hot sand, the forms of a woman, you smell the freshly cut grass, the sea before the storm. Everything is in suspense.
While he composed and recorded the tracks, Charles-Eric has created drawings, some of which have been coloured by his wife, Béatrice Templé. Rather than being an illustration of the music, this is a second path, complementary to the album, another possibility, a digression, all in roundness, in curves, in simple lines.”
- Review by Alex Gibson for Fluid Radio
www.jointventurerecords.bandcamp.com
www.jointventurerecords.org
www.myspace.com/charlesoldman
