Album Review: Nicolas Godin – Contrepoint

French musician Nicolas Godin may be best known for being one half of electronica duo Air, but now he has ventured out on his own. Godin has officially launched his solo career with his debut album Contrepoint, said to have been written with inspiration from pianist Glenn Gould’s renditions of Bach. Contrepoint is made entirely to Godin’s musical tastes, fusing pop together with atmospheres worthy of being on soundtracks, as well as soft rock/80’s Eurodance influences.

After a brief instrumental opening with Orca, the almost ‘Beatles-esque’ Widerstehe combines subtle synths and beats to create a dreamscape. The melody is quite intriguing and full of character with its soothing tones. From airy to sophisticated, there are many layers on this album that you can’t help but peel back to see what you get. Tracks like Clara really have you appreciating the classical arrangements included throughout the album.

Even the spoken word tracks are a highlight: Quie Due is recited entirely in Italian, but it’s the soundscape that takes you away with its breathy arrangement. You’ll appreciate Bach Off‘s titles, but you’ll also take in every sound and every note of this seven minute piece.

Contrepoint is a great piece to kick of Nicolas Godin’s solo career: you can definitely hear the influence of Bach’s work throughout the album. You are definitely taken to another realm when giving this album a spin. Just like his work with Air, Contrepoint is often hard to categorise, but it should be safe to file it under experimental/electronica with a unique spin on the genres.

Marcus Floyd