A parched, sunburnt savannah; a sandy ocean floor illuminated by dancing shards of light… Such descriptions of Ghislain Poirier’s Sous le manguier might seem lavish, but ten seconds into the album’s opener, L’hiver neige, and it’s impossible not to be struggling to find appropriate descriptors. The Montréal-based musician and visual artist first caught the electronic music community’s attention last fall with his lush, but haunting record, Il n’y a pas de sud, for Taylor Deupree’s 12K label. In his second full-length release, Poirier returns to the same exotic landscapes that he explored a year ago, this time with even more assurance and sensitivity. If pressed for a comparison, talk of dub is inevitable. King Tubby’s there, as is Augustus Pablo. Maurizio and the Basic Channel crew are supervising the project, but at its lowest level, it’s raw, ‘primitive’, almost devotional. Muted waves of languid melodies tumble over unhurried beats. Koras and other instruments of possibly African, possibly imaginary origin offer up shimmering, dreamy melodies. Sous le manguier is a soundtrack for memories of exotic places we’ve never visited.

Track Listing

    • 1
      L’hiver neige (2001-02)
      4m34s
    • 2
      Se reprendre (2001-02)
      7m13s
    • 3
      Les défectuosités (2001-02)
      4m29s
    • 4
      Le soleil n’ignore pas (2001-02)
      4m38s
    • 5
      Il n’a plus d’après-midi (2001-02)
      5m12s
    • 6
      Ti (2001-02)
      3m32s
    • 7
      Torpinouche (2001-02)
      2m48s
    • 8
      Les défectuoziés (2001-02)
      4m09s
    • 9
      Ailleurs (2001-02)
      3m12s
    • 10
      Les autres s’envolent (2001-02)
      2m30s
    • 11
      Complémentaire de bleu (2001-02)
      4m04s
    • 12
      La cueillette des petits sons (2001-02)
      5m51s
Total duration: 51m58s

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