Choucri Bechir & Gautier RQ

"Talk Talk started their career with pop music that appealed to a broad audience, they hit commercial success (‘It’s My Life’ probably rings a bell), then kissed the mainstream music industry goodbye and adopted a more experimental approach.

Released in 1988, ‘Spirit of Eden’ marks a significant departure from that earlier synth-pop style, venturing into a more ambient and jazz-influenced sound. There is a lot to say about this album, but I’ll focus on two key aspects:

1/ Its innovative soundscape and minimalist approach. With sparse, atmospheric and fluid arrangements, the songs build slowly and the album unfolds gently, at an unhurried pace. The mood is contemplative, silence is as important as tone, stasis as important as movement.

2/ Its emotional depth. Mark Hollis' vocals are haunting and expressive, conveying a sense of introspection and melancholy. The lyrics often touch on themes of spirituality and existential reflection.

Spirit of Eden is an album that transcends conventional genres. It offers a profound and rewarding listening experience, one that gets better with every listen."

The Rainbow

"The album "Fantasias for Guitar and Banjo" is the result of the collaboration between Sandy Bull and Billy Higgins in 1963. You may be familiar with Billy Higgins due to his collaborations with John Coltrane, Ornette Coleman, and Herbie Hancock. Sandy Bull was an exceptional banjoist, oud player and guitarist who significantly impacted psychedelic music.

I know that Choucri appreciates songs longer than 10 minutes, and I agree with him. I listen to music while working, walking, or cooking daily, but I need to remember to pay special attention to it sometimes. Long songs invite me to take a moment, sit in a comfy spot, and let the musicians take me to their world. I bought this vinyl at my local record shop in Berlin. From the first listen at the shop, I was captivated by the first 22-minute track, "Blend," which takes the full side A. This mesmerizing guitar-driven meditation introduced me to Sandy's way of tuning his guitar to achieve a drone effect, which was quite surprising in the 1960s.
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Some years later, Sandy composed with his oud (a Middle Eastern acoustic instrument) a different version of Blend, "Electric Blend".
This song shows his love for raga music and artists such as Ravi Shankar or Ali Akbar Khan."

Blend

"With an enchanting voice full of life and tenderness, Letta Mbulu radiates warmth from deep within. Her spellbinding 1983 album In The Music… The Village Never Ends is one of those holy grail African records that cannot go unnoticed once you stumble across its artwork, or any its songs. It features the popular ‘Nomalizo’ but really, every song on this album is a pleasure to listen to. I remember stumbling upon her while digging for tracks to play at a house party back in 2015. I still recall the sheer joy and emotions that I felt when I listened to the record for the first time. To this day, the album remains one of my all-time favorites and it was a no brainer to kick off the record exchange with it."

Down By The River

"After a long walk through the streets of Sao Paulo, we stumbled across a beautiful record shop in a small house surrounded by gorgeous greenery. The owner kindly took an hour to explain the soul of Brazilian music. In particular, he loved the music from the Bahia region and the city of Salvador. This Afro-Brazilian music played a significant role in the early development of samba. I bought this Os Tincoas' album recorded 40 years ago in memory of this beautiful conversation and inspiration for my following compositions. We then spent a few weeks traveling in the Bahia region with the vinyl in our backpack. And we understood the beauty and intense spirituality attached to this music."

Miséricordia