Laurent Perrier 2006 Downfall, Disperse torrent

Laurent Perrier ~ Downfall / Disperse ~ 2006
Sound On Probation cd sop 006.

CD1
1. Downfall 52:43

CD2
1. Disperse 53'02

Perrier works with simple electronic elements that he seams, loops and repeats according to what he calls “a method inspired by that elaborated by Steve Reich”, certainly not for the resulting music – which is at times nearer to the softer sides of Daniel Menche – but because he applies a series of out-of-phase layers which move everything gradually, until an apparent inertness reveals instead a repressed turbulence, culminating in growing distortion. Each disc of this double CD contains a whole composition; “Downfall” is more dusky, evolving from a darkish pulse which mutates with the passage of time. The immediacy of the basic drone is the key for a not-too-difficult interpretation of Perrier’s language, which remains discreetly surpriseless throughout the piece, with just a few alterations and modifications over a droning scattering of low-frequency discharges. “Disperse” is slightly more interesting, constructed as it is on harsher sounds that – in similar hypnotic structures – make their noisy timbral presence even more noticeable, capturing the attention with their lively, genuine “positive violence”. The scarcity of compositional seeking is balanced by the sonic intensity, which in both pieces is often noteworthy, raising the drama to the point of serious unquietness. - Massimo Ricci, Touching Extremes