InFiné announces the release of the ‘Adrienne EP’, an original soundtrack work by experimental cellist Gaspar Claus for the French Canal + TV series ‘Hobbies.’ The video for the single ‘L’envol’ is directed by Colin Solal Cardo (Christine and The Queens, Robyn), using unseen footage from the documentary shoot. Gaspar Claus has previously collaborated with such luminaries as Bryce Dessner and Jim O’Rourke. The ‘Adrienne EP’ shows great promise for his upcoming solo album ‘Tancade’, due for release in September this year.
Gaspar Claus is a people person — that much is obvious to those who have followed his career. Where other artists lock themselves in the studio with only machines for company, Claus travels, meets people and collaborates with them. After a collaborative album with Casper Clausen, he began to perform with his father, the renowned guitarist Pedro Soler. Together they would, in 2011, release the critically acclaimed album ‘Barlande’, which featured collaborations with Bryce Dessner and Suffjan Stevens, with a follow up album ‘Al Viento’ released in 2016. He also runs his own experimental label ‘Les Disques du Festival Permanent.’
The “Adrienne EP” is a soundtrack work to a short film by the acclaimed director Colin Solal Cardo. ‘Adrienne’ was broadcast on the French TV station Canal+ as part of the series ‘Hobbies’, a collection of sixteen short documentary films. Each one of them proposes to discover the portrait of a hobbyist through the eyes of different authors, coming from short film, music video or photography.
The film’s protagonist, Adrienne, discovers that she is pregnant whilst learning to pole dance, using this discipline to rebuild her corporeal strength after the birth of her son. Working with additional material, Solal Cardo later directed the music video for “L’Envol”, which features the dance instructor, Camille, performing a choreographed piece.
Gaspar Claus proves here that his gift is not only musical, but also social. His joy in collaborating, his versatility in working with different ideas, people, goals, shows a strong sense of being able to feel himself into others. The music of ‘Adrienne’ connects the viewer with the protagonist in a way that words and images cannot. His mastery over his instrument combined with a positive “carelessness” in his approach sets Gaspar Claus’ work apart from contemporary modern classical music.