Eric Chenaux announces new album, Say Laura, and shares title track

Photo: Sylvestre Nonique-Desvergnes

Eric Chenaux‘s Slowly Paradise and Skullsplitter, released in 2018 and 2015 respectively, both made it to our Albums Picks of the Year and remain active favourites. Four years on from his last album release, we’re a little bit more than excited to learn that the hugely gifted experimental guitar virtuoso and singer-songwriter has a new album on the way. Entitled Say Laura, the album is packed with the singular and skilful guitar and honeyed voice that made his previous records so wonderful. Equal parts intuitive and learned, the album is a mesmerizing affair that “bring[s] Chenaux’s semi-improvised but keenly intentional songwriting to its fullest, clearest, warmest and coolest articulation; uncompromising and generous, hyper-specific and loose, spartan and luxurious, elemental and ornate”, as the press release describes.

Citing various influences such as Sun Ra, Jeanne Lee, Gang Starr, Charlie Parker, Betty Carter, EPMD and Thelonious Monk, on Say Laura Chenaux builds on a foot-pedal technique he’d has previously used. He explains:

“I wrote a lot of the beats to this record while listening to other musics.
Playing a beat along with the recordings on my Boss drum machine.
These rhythms were then used to gate (noise gate) or open the harmony of the chords rhythmically.
To find rhythmic lines to sing and play with.
Sun Ra: The Night Of The Purple Moon with its slow bass driven grooves.
And a lot of hip hop, a lot of Gangstarr and EPMD (the first hip hop I encountered in the late 80’s and early 90’s)
Then these rhythms were repurposed into other forms.
Ballads.
Slowed down, for the most part.
Beats taken out to create space.
To make inferred beats.”

Ahead of the album’s release on February 19th through Constellation and Murailles Music, Chenaux has shared the beguiling title track. Lend your ears to it now.

Eric Chenaux shares new track ‘3 Stars On Mountain of Doom’ for Richard Youngs

Photo: JB Deucher

Eric Chenaux and Richard Youngs have crossed paths many a time. And it’s no surprise that the latest marvellous track to emerge from Chenaux, ‘3 Stars On Mountain of Doom’, serves as a tribute to Youngs. Chenaux explains:

“‘3 Stars On Mountain of Doom’ was recorded for Richard Youngs’ 50th Birthday for a limited edition of 1 compilation CD entitled 50 Years Of Youngs, curated by Madeleine Hynes. This recording is a montage-set inspired by Richard’s 3 Stars CDR and his wonderful song ‘Mountain of Doom.'”

Take a listen now.

Eric Chenaux unveils new video for ‘Bird & Moon’

A marvellous video for ‘Bird & Moon’ is the latest surprise unveiled by the always wonderful Eric Chenaux, lifted from his recently released album Slowly Paradise. Filmed in Toronto and Paris, the video was produced by Chenaux’s longtime collaborator Eric Cazdyn. Watch it below.

In other related news, Eric Chenaux has announced a string of live dates in Europe. Take a look at all his stops below:

Nov 9th Milan (IT), Fondazione Feltrinelli
Nov 23rd Ravenna (IT), Transmissions Festival
Dec 2nd-3rd Madeira, Madeiradig Festival
Dec 5th London (UK), The Islington
Dec 6th Birmingham (UK), The Dark Horse
Dec 7th Bristol (UK), Unitarian Chapel

Slowly Paradise is out now through Constellation.

Eric Chenaux unveils new album Slowly Paradise and shares first single ‘Wild Moon’

If you have been following CTD for a bit, you will know by now that we are huge fans of experimental guitar virtuoso and singer-songwriter Eric Chenaux. So we’re thrilled to know he’s following his divine Skullsplitter, which was one of our Album Picks of 2015, with a new record called Slowly Paradise. Set for release on March 9th through Constellation, the album is described as “a lovely collection of songs guided by soothing, buttery singing and bent, fried fretwork”.

The album’s closing track ‘Wild Moon’ is the first enveloping and spellbinding single to emerge and it comes with a video directed by Eric Cazdyn. Wrap your ears around it.

To celebrate the album’s release, Eric Chenaux has announced several UK/European live dates in March and April, including a show at the Lexington in London on April 9th. Take a look at all his stops below and go experience his gorgeous and magical songcraft live.

12th March – Librairie Le Festin Nu, Biarritz FR
15th March – Temps Machine, Tours FR
30th March – Le Bal Des Fringants, Lyon FR
31st March – Médiathèque de Montbrison, Montbrison FR
5th April – Les Instants Chavirés avec Bass Clef, Paris FR
6th April – BRDCST, AB Salon, Brussels BE
8th April – Asylum Studios, Ipswich UK
9th April – The Lexington, London UK (with Jamie Stewart)
11th April – The Portico Library, Manchester UK
12th April – Tollbooth, Stirling UK
13th April – Henry’s Cellar Bar, Edinburgh UK
14th April – Glad Cafe, Glasgow UK
15th April – Fuse, Bradford UK
25th April – Alice, Copenhagen DK
26th April – Tape, Aarhus DK
23rd May – Kiezsalon, Berlin DE

Mixtape #85

Avec Le Soleil Sortant De Sa Bouche's 2014 glorious debut album wrapped together two mammoth-length jams into an exhilarating and infectious release. The Montreal based quartet's second outing, which came out earlier this year, is a dazzling experiment in kraut-funk goodness, packed with hypnotic and blistering grooves. And since we can't take our ears off both albums, we just had to ask the band to put together a mixtape for us!

 

  1. OOIOO – Shizuku Gunung Agung [Shock City / Thrill Jockey]
  2. White Noise – My game of loving [Polydor / Island Records]
  3. Kaitlin Aurelia Smith – Wetlands [Western Vinyl]
  4. Kara-Lis Coverdale – Touch Me Die [Sacred Phrases]
  5. Sarah Davachi – Wood Green [Students Of Decay]
  6. Eloïse Descazes, Eric Chenaux – La belle Endormie [three:four records]
  7. Karen Dalton – Katie Cruel [Paramount / Just Sunshine Records]
  8. M. I. A. – Come Walk with Me [N.E.E.T. / Interscope Records]
  9. Doris Norton – Norton Apple Software [Durium]
  10. Alice Coltrane – Keshava Murahara [Luaka Bop]
  11. Julie Byrne – Vertical Ray [Orindal Records]