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Reviews

Saint Sadrill — Frater Crater
(Dur et Doux DD050, 2024, CD / LP / DL)

by Jon Davis, Published 2024-10-20

Frater Crater Cover art

An album like Frater Crater by Saint Sadrill provides convincing evidence that genres are artificial constructs with only limited application to the real world of music. These seven tracks are built of parts that appear in other music, like singing, percussion, guitar, vibraphone, and so on, but they are put together in ways that bear little relation to the typical ways of doing things. Composer Antoine Mermet sings melodies that sometimes have phrases that repeat, though they’re not really organized into what could be called verses and choruses, and they’re not accompanied by recognizable chord progressions or riffs for the most part. The vocal melodies are certainly the most prominent feature of the music, delivered in a dramatic but not overbearing way, somewhat reminiscent of Scott Walker, though with a less crooning tone. Mermet is also a member of Chromb! and The Very Big Experimental Toubifri Orchestra, and he’s backed by a number of musicians who are also involved in other Dur et Doux groups as well as outside entities. Melissa Acchiardi (vibraphone, percussion) is in Le Grand Sbam and Hidden People; Lionel Aubernon (drums, electronics) is in Toubifri; Lucas Hercberg (bass) is in Le Grand Sbam, Rien Faire, and Toubifri; Anne Quillier (keyboards, synthesizer) is in Le Grand Sbam and several other groups; and Vincent Redoux (guitar) is in Pierre Pierre’s band. I’m also reminded of Ex-Isles, though Saint Sadrill’s music is a bit more structured. Taken on a sonic level, Frater Crater is not really difficult — there’s not a lot of dissonance, and it is melodic, so if you were to sample almost any random ten second segment, you might think it’s a pop album of some kind. It’s the way things are put together that is so unusual. I suppose that’s the kind of thing that some people wouldn’t even notice, though the absence of recognizable choruses would likely lead to a sense that there’s something going on outside the mainstream. Saint Sadrill is another fascinating and unconventional artist from Lyon, and a distinctive addition to the highly varied music from that area.

Filed under: New releases, 2024 releases

Related artist(s): Saint Sadrill (Antoine Mermet)

More info
http://saintsadrill.bandcamp.com/album/frater-crater

 

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