Rimbaudian – Letters [Ten Thousand Yen]

Rimbaudian - Letters

Known for releases ranging from the wild anthems of Doc Daneeka to the new age experiments of Deadboy, seasoned label Ten Thousand Yen is kicking off their 2017 right with a rosy-minded EP from relative newcomer Rimbaudian (soundcloud).

Armand Jakobsson (who has also been releasing under the divisive moniker DJ SEINFELD) takes his namesake from the 19th century poet Arthur Rimbaud, and it’s not difficult to see the correlation between Rimbaud’s longing prose and Jakobsson’s pensive output. His most recent release, Illuminations—out on R&S’s Meda Fury imprint—dazzled with intricate percussion and absolute floor-movers (catch Holy Flesh out for a absolute showcase); however, Jakobsson takes an opportunity this time around to deliver tracks that are as moving in the home and heart as they are in the club.

Titled “Letters”, the dusty and wistful collection kicks off immediately with the stunner ‘She Taught Me How To Love‘. With it’s rigid polyrhythms and jazz-flecked synths, it almost feels like something straight out of Bradley Zero’s Peckham-based Rhythm Section stable. “Letters” only picks up from here; on ‘Drop It On Em‘, the surefire star of this release, kicks and snares tumble gracefully forward underneath obscured and chopped-up Janet Jackson vocals as well as doleful piano chords that would not sound foreign on a Drake single.

Rimbaudian
Letters’ B-side keeps the emotions riding high, starting with the cheekily-titled ‘I Would Do Everything I Did Again, And Again‘. We again find Rimbaudian immersing the listener in a wash of pulsing thuds and swinging hats, as decaying piano stabs and ghostly wails dramatically occupy the top-end. Closing out with ‘I Said Goodbye To Dreams Of You At The Shore‘, Rimbaudian lightens things up (albeit just a smidgeon), with a buoyant bassline and a counterintuitive combo of soothing and jacking shuffles adding to it’s already beguiling melodies.

On paper it may seem like Rimbaudian often deploys similar tricks to similar effect; and to an extent that is true. That being said, with the absolute level of quality of Jakobsson’s klavierwerke (James Blake don’t sue me) coupled with the dizzying and detailed low-ends, there’s not a bad note to be found on ‘Letters’. From the looks of it, 2017 is going to be a busy year for Rimbaudian, and we couldn’t be more elated to hear what comes next from the talented producer.

[soundcloud url=”https://soundcloud.com/tenthousandyen/rimbaudian-letters-clip”/]

Available from Ten Thousand Yen’s Bandcamp.


Danny