Extremely cinematic, ‘Reflet’ delivers a panoramic viewpoint: jazz, breakbeat, minimal techno and deep house, collide on neo classical grounds.
Courtesy of 9PR Co. ~ Album released by Sdban Ultra and now streaming
The ultimate modern marriage between pure traditional jazz, orchestral arrangements, and the mathematics of electronic music, critically acclaimed Belgian instrumentalists Glass Museum are set to perform two shows in the UK this October; 93 Feet East, London, 4th October and The Crofters Rights, Bristol, 5th October.
The two live shows come after the success of their critically acclaimed album ‘Reflet’, released at the end of April via the groove-obsessed Sdban Ultra label.
Extremely cinematographic, ‘Reflet’ delivers a panoramic view point: jazz, breakbeat, minimal techno and deep house, collide on neo classical grounds. The duo have found the perfect balance between piano and drums, where jazz and electronics collide, uniting the surgical precision of the best contemporary jazz, à la Gogo Penguin and Badbadnotgood, with the electronic influences of Jon Hopkins or Floating Points. In motion since 2016, the duo consisting of keyboardist Antoine Flipo and drummer Martin Grégoire, have a rich history written around a powerful connection to duality. From the initial impact of the ‘Deux’ EP in 2018, to the synthetic and organic textures of the critically acclaimed 2020 album ‘Reykjavik’ which received high praise from numerous ‘tastemaker’ media, Glass Museum has found its balance in symmetry.
‘Reflet’ was born out of a desire for freedom, a wish to innovate and travel differently. This new piece stands out as an artistic climax crafted at the crossroads of time and genres, an electronic proposition wrought by two brave hearts, tempered by the organic reflections delivered through computer free melodies. An album which places the human at the core of its compositions and in order to return to a more instinctive and instantaneous means of creation, the duo retreated to a secret location in one of the most remote parts of the Ardennes. It’s there, in the shade of spruces, that the album was first born.
From the dynamic instrumentation of album opener ‘Caillebotis’ to the absorbing oscillations of ‘Shiitake’ and grand gestures of the album title track, ‘Reflet’ is an odyssey running through troubled times, an ode to night time, to life, dreams and to all rhythms that convey emotions beyond words. Like its immersive creative process, the album offers a counterpoint and, above all, endless perspectives. Elsewhere, the pulsing, melodic ‘Auburn’ and entrancing electronic textures of ‘Opal Sequences’ continue the exploration before the strutting ‘Kendama’ showcases the electronic sensibilities that are buried within their productions.
“Fans of GoGo Penguin or Mouse on the Keys should enlist” Mojo****
“Effortlessly straddles jazz, modern classical and electronic” Electronic Sound
Shining as a true instrumental tour de force, ‘Reflet’ also takes inspiration from the progress of the Ohme Collective. At the crossroads of art disciplines, science, new technologies and societal challenges, this creative community draws the future of visual arts and created the album artwork for this resolutely futuristic album.
Having initially won the opportunity to perform at the Dour Festival, Tournai back in 2016, Glass Museum have picked up a series of awards and distinctions back home in their homeland and they now find themselves dining at the top table of Europe’s contemporary music scene. The international music scene opened itself to the band once again in 2019, with the duo performing at Elb Jazz in Hamburg, the legendary Ancienne Belgique in Brussels and the Iceland Airwaves Festival, Reykjavik.
In 2020, Glass Museum distinguished themselves by remixing a track for electronic artist, Rone. Having recently received a César Award for his soundtrack to the Jacques Audiard film, Les Olympiades, the French producer called on the Brussels duo’s know-how – a mark of confidence which once again underlines the international reach of Glass Museum. Germany, Iceland, Turkey, Romania, Greece, France or Czech Republic have already approved Glass Museum’s singular recipe.
Sdban Records is an independent record label, based in Ghent, Belgium. The label is home to such artists as Black Flower, De Beren Gieren, John Ghost, ECHT!, Azmari, Compro Oro and STUFF.
