Parisian composer Alexandre Bazin has given us Full Moon, a half-hour plus of meticulously structured, highly evocative instrumental work, and his first record for the reliably excellent Umor Rex.
Leaning strongly on synthesizers and electronics while incorporating occasional piano and guitar, the record feels modest while also keeping a panoramic, wide-open kind of emotion; comparable at times to both minimal wave and recent Cliff Martinez film scores, while also informed throughout by 20th century European classical tradition, Full Moon nevertheless feels like the product of a distinct musical imagination even when it draws from familiar textures. By turns high-gloss and beat oriented while allowing more dampened and saudade passages (the gorgeous solo piano track “The Glass Key” is an album highlight), this album is an especially worthy soundtrack to any forthcoming end-of-summer loneliness, future night drives, private subway trips, long pensive sunsets, etc.
Available now on cassette and digital via Umor Rex.