Sounds like…

A collection of cathartic slow drones

The review

‘Simple’ is the remastered, reissue and new vinyl release of Sylvain Chauveau’s 2012 release of the same name. It is a collection of classical drone-based pieces that were rare or unreleased between 1998-2010.

Firstly, if you have heard the original pieces before, this remaster rejigs a few of the more layered tracks to feel fuller, deeper and provide more bodily resonance. By that, I mean that if you are playing these drone tracks loudly, often they vibrate your ears in a way that reminds me of a singing bowl.

If you haven’t heard the album previously, Sylvain Chauveau has pulled together 18 tracks from over 12 years of work. The music flips between three states of music – all of which are classically based. The first style is a classical film score setting. Bustling string sections or meandering movements that are often over in under two minutes provide small contextual thoughts. The second is an ambient drone vibe. These are often empty industrial murmurs or hums that envelop out to sound so much louder than they should. The third is the lighter drone sections, often led with piano and then having strings and synths slide in to either take over the melody or back it up. The melody is rarely strong but the whole track goes for a mood piece instead to quiet your mind.

As always with rare and unleased collections, these fan-focused selections are not always the best places to start. That being said, those who enjoy classical drone music and film soundtracks will find something here. It may be best to start your Sylvain Chauveau introduction elsewhere. As all the tracks come from various film scores, if this sounds up your street it’ll be worthwhile taking ‘Simple’ onboard and finding what tracks suit your ears and style. Then you can find the full soundtracks afterwards.

Recommended track: Au Nombre Des Choses

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