Belgium might be known for its chocolate, mussels and
chips and being as flat as a pancake, but electronic
music is not by far its main export. Despite having
spawned dark-electro outfit Front 242, the country is
often associated with second-rate artists. Lewis In
Heaven could well change this.
Ruben Nachtergaele, the mastermind behind Lewis In Heaven,
is already an active artist in his native country, known
for is activities as co-founder of the Starbot and Kapotski
collectives of artists.
He now releases he first eponymous album on newly formed
Our Records. With roots found in the vast ethereal soundscapes
of My Bloody Valentine (Rego), the vaporous
progressive electronica of early Autechre
(Foutu) or the melancholic neo-realism of Yann
Tiersen (Suite), the least that can be
said about this album is that it challenges preconceptions
of what an electronic record should be. In just under
forty minutes, Nachtergaele scans the realms of contemporary
culture with the innocence of a child discovering the
world, touching everything for the first time, and respecting
no convention. This album offers a rather disconcerting
and unsettling listening experience as, as it progresses,
it becomes obvious that anything could happen at any
moment. Although it has everything to sound disjointed
and patchy, Lewis In Heaven is actually extremely
consistent, as Nachtergaele really works a unique idea
all the way through, simply testing it on different
contexts. From the broken pop song which opens this
album to the piece of classic electronica that closes
it, Nachtergaele shows an incredibly diversity in sound
processing and musical treatment. Rego, perhaps
one of the most dense moments here, starts as a gentle
piece of electronica reminiscent of Boards
Of Canada, but rapidly builds up to its full glory,
complete with treated guitars and organic beats. This
also transpires, although in an entirely different way,
on the splendid Foutu. If the connection with
Autechre circa Incunabula
is unavoidable, Foutu, with its raw pulsating
beat and rumbling metallic sounds remains firmly in
LIH territory. Suite presents a darker, murkier
side to Nachtergaele’s music as a desolate accordion
paces back and forth between the same three notes, while
a beat-less melody slowly emerges in the background.
Play Repeat, which follows, is darker still.
The gloomy gothic mood of the background sounds serves
the metallic drums and dark vocals, contributing to
make this song a rather unsettling moment.
With this first offering, Ruben Nachtergaele impresses
a lot by the maturity of his sound and ability to warp
genres and atmospheres to make them suit his sonic realm.
Nachtergaele is definitely an artist who could be destined
to become a major contender on the music scene, and
Lewis In Heaven is an album that deserves not
to be ignored.
4.7/5 |
