Album Reviews

Album Review: Murcof – The Versailles Sessions (The Leaf Label)

By Andy Malt | Published on Monday 1 December 2008

Murcof is best known for his dark, ambient electronica, built from samples of classical instruments and micro-edited to obsessive proportions. However, this collection of pieces composed for the annual festival of sound, light and water at Chateau de Versailles in France, Les Grandes Eaux Nocturnes, in the summer of 2007, takes him down a very different route. Although the recording process saw him once again manipulating classical recordings, for these sessions performed entirely on 17th century baroque instruments, these were samples the producer created in unison with the musicians themselves. This process means Murcof was able to be more experimental than his self-imposed restrictive and claustrophobic sound often allows. It’s also the first thing he’s written that live musicians could, and indeed have performed live. ‘A Lesson For The Future, Farewell To The Old Ways’ brings in vocals to the producer’s work for, I think, the first time and is very reminiscent of work by Zbigniew Preisner. There is a darkness that pervades all all six compositions, particularly ‘Louis XIV’s Demons’, which you could happily use to ward off trick or treaters at Halloween, and there are hints of avant-garde experimentalists such as Steve Reich and Nurse With Wound, as well as nods to the more recent work of Scott Walker, throughout. And like those artists, Murcof has here created music that often needs to be met headlong and endured, more than enjoyed. However, doing so can be a very enjoyable experience and forces you to involve yourself with what you’re listening to. Background music this ain’t. It’ll be interesting to see how, if at all, ‘The Versailles Sessions’ experience influences Murcof’s next album proper, which is due for release next year. AHM

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