As has come to be the norm for a Hylé Tapes release, we as an audience
are treated to a new and exciting direction in experimental electronic music,
this time from Paris-based musician Adrien Kanter. Not weird at all. This is to
be expected. The high standard of quality demanded by Richard Frances and his Hylé
crew is not one to lose sight of, as each and every cassette release from the
label is an exercise in supreme enjoyment. Kanter follows in the footsteps of
his labelmates, and as such is a fantastic addition to them. That’s not to say
one must or even should define
Kanter’s output in contrast to his peers, but it certainly is worth knowing
that he belongs among them, at least at this point in time. There was Adrien
Kanter before, and there will be Adrien Kanter after. With Infinites Réflexions, we have Adrien Kanter now.
The title of the cassette easily translates as “infinite reflections,”
and each track on the album plays like the soundtrack to a self-assessment. One
day you’re feeling good about yourself, another day you’ve just about had it up
to here with your lot in life. Each day, each second is a new moment to
consider, a philosophical crossroads where the choice you make about your inner
being points you on a specific path and strips any other possibility from
existence within this universe. Think of each moment as an internal
Schrödinger’s cat – you’re both satisfied and dissatisfied with an outcome
until you choose one.
The music tends to straddle that line, and as such it offers myriad
interpretations, each one dependent, again, upon the choice you impose on the
music. How are you listening? Does the strange guitar and sampling of “Iceberg
Dolores” make you feel tense, or does it instill in you a sense of wonder? Does
“Bagarre de Lions” upset you by recalling elements of your past better left
alone, or is it a nostalgia trip to lovely places? Is “Fleur de nuit” a
reminder of love or loss? Now can you see? There are … infinite possibilities.
All this is quite heady, and it’s important to remember that Adrien
Kanter’s music is, on a purely responsive level, excellent. It hits all the
right spots for the experimentalist and the electronic aficionado alike. It
even manages to invoke astral synth drone and kraut at times. It’s a lovely
concoction, meant to be listened to from start to finish. Infinites Réflexions belongs in its place as another in a long line
of superb releases from Hylé. Hop to it, music consumers!
--Ryan Masteller
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