‘Terre Promise’ is the debut album of the French electronic artist Blutch. Between nostalgia and melancholy in his native Brittany, a journey to the borders of electronica, breakbeat, house and IDM. Following in the footsteps of Rone, James Holden, Four Tet or Bicep, Blutch affirms with this manifesto his ability to draw meditative landscapes as well as dancefloor escapades, syntheses of multiple influences crossed over the course of a faultless career, from his first love, hip-hop andabstract beats, his house vinyls released on the Barbecue label remixed by the cream of the genre’s guardians, from the American legend Terrence Parker to the more confidential Red Rack’em andStrip Steve, or the adventurous new chapter he has begun to write on Astropolis Records since 2020with ‘La Cité des Étoiles’, remixed by the great Michael Mayer.
‘Terre Promise’ continues his unique trademark: smooth and inventive textures, vocals that caressand embrace you, percussive and contemporary rhythms with an immersive sound design and thosecatchy gimmicks he’s known for. By immersing us in his memories, Blutch opens the doors to thelandscapes of his childhood and dreamed views, through a plural sound palette: UK dance music heritage (‘Cobalan’, ‘River’), contemplative tracks (‘Les Bois’, ‘Terre Promise’), contemporary IDM with pop contours (‘Poplar’, ‘Rosko’, ‘Eussa’), or crossovers with other instrumentalists (MirabelleGillis’ violins on ‘Choices’ and ‘Cobalan’, guitar and drums on ‘Phoenix’ or the piano on ‘Poplar’)and danceable odes (‘Floatin’, ‘Les Sables Blancs’ or ‘Remparts’ with Maxime Dangles). A promising debut album, as atmospheric as it is frenetic. Driven by the desire to bring peopletogether and reconnect with the earth, Blutch invites you on a deep and spiritual introspective journey, where the listener can easily imagine the producer intention. And if not, just attend thea/v live accompanied by the sublime visuals of motion designer Romain Navier for an electrifying experience, between coloured or abstract 3D and images of landscapes captured in Blutch’s NorthBrittany. A live show that has already enchanted Panoramas in Morlaix, Clujotronic in Romania withother dates to come (Astropolis, Paris, …).
Full of emotions, this beautiful, sincere and intense album is enough to send Blutch to the top of the electronic music scene in France. The impressive list of collaborations and remixes around the album is proof of this, with major artists of the French electronic music scene such as Jennifer Cardini, Maxime Dangles, Lauer, Madben, Maud Geffray or Mézigue, emerging artists such as Malcolm (Global Warming Records), or from acoustic music such as violin player Mirabelle Gillis.
The track that has the most energy in my opinion and is built in a ‘pop’ way. I wanted something light, naive, almost childlike. It’s a nod to the town of Roscoff (in Breton: Rosko) where I had many wonderful moments with my maternal family. Between family reunions, summer walks with my grandfather and grandmother, picking up polished glass on the beaches, I learned to appreciate the simple pleasures and the priceless value of life. I can still smell the world’s best farina, made by my grandmother, on my way home from days of enjoying the sea…
