A new world is sprouting: “Demi-Monde” and the organic music of Munjebel
Royer and Aurèle launch their experimental collaborative project with a new EP under Mesma Records.
Paris-based label Mesma Records specializes in the deeper and more evocative electronic beats, but their #008 is fittingly dedicated to a more atmospheric release by Munjebel. Its members Royer and Aurèle deliver in “Demi-Monde” an EP that manages to convey a precise atmosphere despite its shortness.
The three tracks of side A introduce us progressively to the “half world” Royer and Aurèle have grown. The organic texture of the pads together with the percussive melodies, make it sound like a world rife with vegetation, presumably untouched by the human hand. There is just one tiny moment, in “Handrum”, when among the bird calls of this forest we can hear a camera shutter clicking: it’s the only element that indicates the presence of the listener in this world.
“The space that is left between the sounds is there for you to cozy up in. This spatial relation between the sonic elements makes you feel safe, calm, and whole”
The warm ostinato bassline of “Cheve D (Trip Mix)” forms a terrain for its reverberating harmonics. Pads weave in and out like sun rays passing through the trees, touching your skin. There’s almost a material quality to these compositions, a density of the sounds: the main melody and the bass will often fill most of the space in your ears, percussions and synths will float playfully in the remaining gaps. You’ll be able to feel the space that’s left between the sounds: it’s there for you to cozy up in. It’s this spatial relation between the sonic elements that makes you feel safe, calm, and whole.
Photo by Fiora Lumbroso
And yet, it’s not a world immune to tension. You can find some in “Timpani”, in which the harmonies preannounce that something is going to happen. Slowly most sounds are taken away and for a few bars the piece is reduced to its bare bones. Then they all come back making you feel full again. It’s a simple trick that’s incredibly effective in showing that this world is not immune to change, but it can be confronted gently.
Side B is completely dedicated to a 2018 live performance of “She Always Wants More”. It was recorded at UVA Festival in Ronda, Spain. It’s an excerpt of a longer composition that is better experienced than described with words. I can simply say that I wish I had been there during the performance, looking at the sun set over the vineyards and the Spanish countryside.
Photo by Fiora Lumbroso
This last track is 20 minutes long, which is just enough time to find your place and feel comfortable in the “half-world”. At the end of the EP, my only regret is that I wish the album was longer. I look forward to future releases by Munjebel, hoping that I’ll be able to explore new worlds through their music.
Words by Alessandro Cebrian Cobos
