Vox Populi!

Emotional Rescue are doing a fine job of sifting through the considerable Vox Populi! archives to present the finest sounds from this most adventurous of French collectives. The specific period focused on here is the post-1989 sound of the band exploring more explicit world influences with stunning results. At times delicate and folky, occasionally funky and elsewhere more experimental and heavy in its atmosphere. The band’s development saw original members Axel Kyrou (electronics), Mitra (vocals) and Arash Khalatbari (percussion) augmented by a number of guest musicians, bringing an energy to their spontaneous recordings sessions at their studio.  The additional vocals of Dierdre Dubous is indicative of this change. Her onomatopoeia singing features heavily, invoking songs Letsam La, Chaque Jour Est un Bon Jour and the ethereal She Walks So Easily Across the Sky.

With this, Mitra’s vocals lift Chaque Jour Est un Bon Jour, Razaye Axel Jube Hast and closing paean Chirine, showing their best. Surrounding instrumentals – often built out of long improvisational jamming – underpin. Soleymani Dub, with its Laswell dub groove is a clear stand out, while the melodics of Vapanda's Electric Garden come like a wonderful Woo outtake.

Largely unreleased, the recordings were a step outside of the changing shift towards a more digital sound. The album captures Vox Populi!, mixing their atmospheric mastery with heartfelt arias, that have familiarity but are completely unique