EIC's 10Q's w/ Dale Cooper & Co.

"..like watching/slightly celebrating the beginning of the Industrial age evolving into the great depression, in slow-motion.."

Dale Cooper Quartet & The Dictaphones

Looming Attraction

Dale Cooper & Co. Bio:

Dale Cooper Quartet & The Dictaphones are the quartet made of musicians covering a wide variety of musical styles (they are former members of Tank, Osaka, TF and ex-groove combo Loupous) creates a music that mixes electronic (samples, cuts, sound treatments) and acoustic (guitars, saxophone, trumpet). They play moody ballads that sound as if they come out from one of David Lynch’s movies. Like in the Hollywood master of bizarre pieces, there is something like a dark and poisonous colour broken by red thunderlights and blue cigarette smoke. The music spawns some odd characters and landscapes while the listener makes out some more friendly faces that loom up out of this nowhere place: the voice of Zalie Bellaccico, Milanese streets sounds, a lazy flute, some distant breathing swim on the surface of this deep troubled waters. “Parole de Navarre” is an invitation for opening the red curtain of this Dark Jazz cabaret made of shimmering and whirling walls.

Hello, how are you?

Gael: Hi! I'm fine thanks!

Yannick: I'm OK.

Christophe: Fine, thanks and you?

EIC: I'm swell, thanks for asking;]

What are you currently listening to?

G: Right now I'm listening to Alva Noto & Ryuichi Sakamoto's "Reverso"

Y: I'm into Sacred Bones, an american label that releases very gloomy stuff.

C: Actually I'm into Arve Henriksen's world right now..

Whom or what inspired you to begin writing for this project (Dale Cooper Quartet)?

G: I think we were inspired at first by the Twin Peaks bizarre atmosphere and Bohren Und Der Club Of Gore, but that was almost 10 years ago.

Y: Yes, it was our first aim. But we are now less focused on this kind of music. That's why there are singers on the last 2 albums. We just wanted to play music together as we used to be connected but we played in our different projects. There is no direction but we sometimes wonder if our music fit in the DC4tet style or not. The regular Dark Jazz recipe sometimes change and we can write long moody and ambient stuff but also short noisy songs.

C: I think the landscapes, people or atmospheres are mainly more influent than any other artists. remembering the starting point, we referred yes to Twin Peaks, or Mulholland Drive diving introduction but the recordings were only made late at night or early morning, cold coffee and cigarettes ambiance… but it was as important as the Lynch prysm.

Care to shed some info on your latest LP; theme, favorite track(s), etc?

G: This is a whole thing, each track can't be easily extracted from the entire LP, nor you can't really understand one track if you don't listen to the other tracks. the last track was finished on while we were mixing, i find it to be a great closing sequence.

Y: We are discussing  a lot about the track listing to make an original record. We decided to start with a 21 mms track as we thought that it was a perfect starting point for "Quatorze Pieces…".

C: A funny and hard record both, as we optioned various tracks first and it's funny to see where we arrived from the first ideas.. but the hardest thing is that it's a 3rd record, make the good choices without being inspired by the two first records, going ahead..

Will you be touring extensively for said release?

G: Don't know yet but I'd like to!

Y: We all have regular jobs and don't want to get bored with long tours. Meeting nice people and discovering new towns and countries is 50% of a good gig.

C: It could be easy for us to tour more, as we play 2 or 3 gigs a year;-) Then if we happen to play 5 gigs a year, we'll say it was a tour de force tour!

If you could pick any 3 artists to remix your work whom would you choose?

G: Very difficult question, why remix? I would prefer collaborations:-)

Y: Maybe electronic artists that are not making the same music as ours; Fourtet, Fuck Buttons, Pan American.

C: A very bad mainstream Jazz band.. or someone like David Sylvian as opposite.. but collaborations yeah is best..

Got any other projects we should know about?

G: My ambient work in progress: www.moregeometrico.net (I invite some musicians to make an album in one night, and publish it free the day after)

C: I released a first record under the name of Pan & Me last year, also released on Denovali, a second one is on its way..

What movie would work best on mute while listening to you music?

G: A road trip across Romania shot in black & white by the window of a bus.

Y: Night shots mainly I guess.

C: The movie you'll choose..

You can only keep/listen to ONE album for the rest of your life ..which album would it be?

G: Brian Eno's 'Ambient 4: On Land'

Y: 'Hex' by Bark Psychosis.

C: 'Laughing Stock' by Talk Talk

Are you living your dream? 

G: it's like I'm having the most beautiful dream... and the most terrible nightmare, all at once.

Y: "Dreams Never End", New Order, 'Movement' 1981.

C: 'Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)', Eurythmics, 1983

Thanx DC&Co. and Isa!

Dale Cooper & Co. recently released THIS.. I strongly recommend you check that out;]

REVIEW: Dale Cooper Quartet & The Dictaphones - Quatorze Pieces De Menace

8.25 out of 10

Find it here.

Dale Cooper & Co. wanted to prove something on this release. They wanted to show you they're more than just another "Dark Jazz" ensemble.

Make no mistake, the Dark factor is still highly present on 'Quatorze Pieces De Menace'. Yes, there are those Jazz elements as well.. The major difference between this release and previous efforts is a stronger focus on menacing drones and white noises (reminiscent of The Caretaker, L. Pierre, and The Haxan Cloak) as well as a smaller focus on loud guitar rock (of some sort). Dale Cooper & Co. shift the sound direction from "just" menacing drones into rotting buildups that portray audial decay in a different light. Once past the 21 minute intro track you are thrown ear first into smoothing vocals followed by a lingering synth and.. saxaphone (did I tell you I love the saxaphone?). The tone then shifts again into something louder and more attentive; the fuzzy side of guitars if you will, this may be Dale Cooper & Co. at their most aggressive. Catch your breath, the mood loosens up again..back to bleakness, then back again to something heavenly and possibly derranged. This is what I love about these guys, listening to their music is like watching/slightly celebrating the beginning of the Industrial age evolving into the great depression, in slow-motion. The visuals that come from this release are extremely intense under the proper settings. Am I saying this album is "dark & depressing", yeah..kind of, in a good way though of course;] I would say It's not quite cold enough for this release yet, but those weeks are just around the bend. No matter the season, much like everything Dale Cooper & Co. have had a hand in, this release is quite magical and mysterious. Seduction is only a pair of headphones + button click away.

Literal goosebumps when listening to this album at night with all the lights off. RECOMMENDED.

Standout Tracks: Brosme En Dos-Vert, Nourrain Quinqet, La Ventrée Rat De Cave, Il Bamboche Empereurs, Céladon Bafre, Lampyre Bonne Chère

Check into (x2) ḅoƞeṣiƒt and sink \ sink..

&

Although (only slightly) on the opposite ends of the euphonious spectrum, I find both ḅoƞeṣiƒt and sink \ sink create quite the alliance when it comes to scoring the impending season(s). ḅoƞeṣiƒt immediately reminds me (almost exactly) of HTRK and/or Puce Moment. There are also moments of early Projekt sounds there as well. sink \ sink sound like a Lo-Fi Bedroom Pop version of Sigur Ros as produced by someone from the Kranky alumni. You're not even reading this are you? You're too into the music..(I don't blame ya;)

REVIEW: Films - A Forbidden Garden

8.75 out of 10

Find it here.

One of the best choices I ever made was listening to RiLF. Ricco & Co. have been sending me audial treasures that always seem to earmaze me. Films' 'A Forbidden Garden' is the latest in this label's discography that I have been introduced to. Somewhere between the darker/softer sounds of Sigur Ros, the beautiful harmonies of Azure Ray, and the experimental "Post Rock" drum sampling of 65daysofstatic, Films is nothing less than 1000% headphone jubilation.

'A Forbidden Garden' is Films second official LP. I wish I could say that I've listened to their first LP so I could make comparisons, but I haven't (yet). No matter, if this is indeed the soundtrack for 'a forbidden garden' I think I would trust these tones and head it's warning. The piano is something I love in-particular on this release, it has the kind of rhythm that gives a listener a hand cramp just thinking about it. The next thing that draws me in are the vocals, really beautiful and haunting, the harmonizing is pitch-perfect. And then, there's the electronics (which were co-created with Kashiwa Daisuke), so complex and attention grabbing. All of these astonishing layers together create an audial experience that ebbs and flows between sublime beauty and ominous curiosities. If the listener isn't left with wanting more when the album ends, then the listener at-hand should question his/her status on sound.

Highly Recommended (especially if you're the opposite of deaf).

Standout Tracks: Bubbles, Lost Field (I bet this would sound so amazing live), Golden Wind, Once Upon A Time (has a "This Mortal Coil-vibe"), They Pass In Front Of Me, Clone, Prayer, Shining

EIC's 10Q's w/ Films

"..ebbs and flows between sublime beauty and ominous curiosities.."

Films

Phonic Ataraxia

Films Bio:

The dark fantasy music unit, which is centered upon two female vocalists who sing in their own originally created languages. They are making creative and beautiful music by mixing the classical sounds of piano and stringed instruments, and electric destructive rhythms. They debuted by releasing their first album "Messenger" from Noble Label in 2010. The members of Films are some awesome musicians who are active at the forefront in Post-Rock, Classical music, Modern Classical music and Electronica music, though their names have not been made public yet. However, their works can be heard on TV, in movies and at events all over the world. Yuki Murata and Takahiro Kido who are the members of Anoice, and Daisuke Kashiwa, take charge of performing musical instruments, mixing and mastering. And RAKU-GAKI, famous for art director of website design and product design, also participates in Films' works. They all make Films' world more unique.

Hello, how are you?

Yuki: Hello! I'm good.

What are you currently listening to?

The Incredible Moses Leroy's 'Become The Soft Lightes' album.

What's with the band name and when did this project begin?

We started in 2011. When we formed this project, we wanted to make music which could make our listeners imagine diversified scenery and story, so we decided upon "Films" as this band name.


Care to shed some light on your latest release 'A Forbidden Garden'; theme, favorite track, etc?

I set "some kind of forbidden affairs" as the subject of this album, that is, it means an inhibition or ban resulting from social custom such as "a forbidden love". Like in The Little Mermaid, and other ethical taboos against "a forbidden technology" (such as cloning technology). But this album has not only a negative factor but also hope. My most favorite tune is "Lost Field," the second track of the album. It's neither Classical music nor Electronic music but a new kind of music to which most of music fans have never listened, though this can also be said about other tunes included on the album.

Do you plan on touring extensively for said release?

Yes, we have a plan for touring together with Anoice in Europe and Russia this October. But this plan is still uncertain at this stage.

Got any other weird/hidden talents besides being talented musicians?

I don't have any talents except for music, such as composing music and playing musical instruments, but my band mates have some splendid talents for taking pictures, designing for websites a& products, cooking, and making guitar effect pedals. A talent I particularly want to recommend are Fleursy candles which are beautiful hand made LED candles, of which we have the patent. If you are interested in them, please visit the following official website of Ricco Label, the Tokyo-based Modern-Classical/Post-Rock music label which we manage by ourselves.

Got any other projects we should know about?

Yes, we have many projects besides Films; such as Anoice, Takahiro Kido, Yuki Murata, RiLF, Mokyow, and Cru. To explain these projects briefly; Anoice is Tokyo-based Modern-Classical/Post-Rock music band, Takahiro Kido and Yuki Murata are solo projects of the members of Anoice, RiLF is the Alternative Rock band formed by the members of Anoice and the vocalist of Matryoshka, Mokyow is a Post-Rock band formed by the male members of Anoice, and Cru is the Modern Classical music unit formed by Takahiro Kido and Yuki Murata (who are the members of Anoice). All of which, can be found HERE.

What movie would work best on mute while listening to your music?

Nothing special. The best way to listen to our music is to close your eyes, I think. Or, please watch some music videos for the album which we've already uploaded or will upload via YouTube.

You can only keep/listen to ONE album for the rest of your life ..which album would it be?

Takahiro Kido's 'Fleursy Music' album. I really like it.

Are you living your dream?

Of course, YES!!

Thanx Takahiro, Yuki & Films!

Films second LP ('A Forbidden Garden') recently came out via the wonderful label Fleursy/Ricco. Do yourself a favor and get that now..