Le Baron de Vincèse – Pectine & Grotonus

The Music

The Words

I’ve been attracted towards Le Baron de Vincèse‘s newest release, Pectine & Grotonus, because of the “math rock” tag that was attached to it. However, what I found is something much deeper and more complex than a single brief descriptor could convey. Innocently enough, I listened to the first minute or so of a song and thought to myself: “Yeah, that is some pretty good math rock alright!” However, things changed (for the better) soon after.

A more accurate, but less concise way of referring to their style of music would definitely include the “progressive” adjective, and, possibly, “experimental” and “fusion” would make an appearance somewhere. At times, it sounds a lot like some modern jazz fusion bands who play with polyrhythms and electronic music, or, at least, heavily-affected guitar signals (e.g. Schnellertollermeier). But they also incorporate a lot of barely altered musical genres into their music, almost as a collage of disparate parts. Examples come in the form of disco music in “Marcelus Badass” and classical music in “#schubert”. Those are only two of the most early and obvious examples, but you’ll find a lot more sprinkled on the album.

The rhythmic parts on Pectine & Grotonus are the most interesting, I believe. There’s a lot of counterpoint and interplay between the various instruments, which gives a really nice texture to the sound, and always keeps the listener on edge. Every track is compelling and interesting, and help build a compound image of what that band is, one little part at a time. The album is a blast from start to finish, no downturn or less interesting moments to be found. This is a gem.

The Links

Bandcamp
Facebook

The Recs

Schnellertollermeier
Yowie
Ça