Labyrinth by Frédéric D. Oberland

released October 26, 2018

Composed & edited by Frédéric D. Oberland
Performed, recorded & mixed with Jules Wysocki at Magnum Diva, le loft d'Aubervilliers & Labanque - Béthune between Winter & Summer 2017 // Frédéric D. Oberland: electric guitar, mellotron, dark energy doepfer, harmonic pipe, critter & guitari organelle and pocket piano, microkorg, hurdy-gurdy BAB V, koma field kit, pantophone, percussion, piano, alto saxophone, duduk, flute, field recordings // Jules Wysocki: augmented drums, feedbacks, percussion, field recordings // Featuring Inferno's Canto XXXIV from 'La Divina Commedia' by Dante Aliegheri narrated by Pamela Maddaleno and recorded by Romain Poirier & Jean-Charles Bastion at Mer Noir // Mastered by James Plotkin // Photographs by Frédéric D. Oberland www.fredericdoberland.com // Graphic design by Thibault Proux

Freely inspired by Georges B., Dante A., Friedrich N., the Minotaur & an A obstinate, this piece was originally created as a 90min loop installation for 8 speakers channels, 2 stroboscopic lights, 1 photographic lightbox and a few seats in the basement of Labanque art center in Béthune, France, during the exhibition "Intériorités" - second part of the trilogy "La Traversée des Inquiétudes" curated by Léa Bismuth.

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A CLOSER LISTEN (USA) - 'Where is the true terror found, within or without? Oberland leaves the question hanging, but we know the answer. We are all minotaurs, clutching our severed strings.'
HEADPHONE COMMUTE (UK) - 'Very fitting for these interesting times, the music is dark, scratchy, and dynamically intense. Combined with the drumming by Jules Wysocki, the record falls into the open gaps of space between ambient drone, acousmatic post-rock, and electronic experimentation. If you’re already a fan of Oberland and his past works as Oiseaux-Tempête, then you’re in for a treat…'
LES INROCKUPTIBLES (FR) - 'Une expérience sensorielle labyrinthique.'
METAL MAGAZINE (SP) - 'for those who appreciate the subtleties of sound, the literary (and age-old) references, and a beautiful vinyl in their hands, this album couldn’t be better.'
BAD TO THE BONE MAGAZINE (FR) : "L’album est une oeuvre spatiale, totale, d’une maitrise parfaite."
HEARFEEL (UK): 'Guitars thrum and pitch, synths weave and twinkle as though straining the fabric of reality, pushing out and stretching and tearing. Nature does what it can to resist and rebuff our efforts: a harsh drone wind blows, and as we push harder and faster towards deliverance it feels like the world itself is crumbling. Noise grinds and grates with such heady power, narrowly missed boulders evaded as the walls tumble down, a churning rockslide threatening at any instant to crash into us and send us pinwheeling back into nothing.'
NEW NOISE MAGAZINE (FR): "B.O infernale. Un ressac perpétuel de nappes sonores, parfois agressives, parfois caressantes, Labyrinth trimballe son auditoire de vague en vague, jouant sur les dynamiques, les grain, le silence."
ART PRESS 2 (FR) - 'Nous y sommes : au coeur du voyage, contraints à la perte de repères, sur le fleuve menant du connu à l’inconnu.'
STRAY LANDINGS (UK) - '...warbling resonances, haunting dulcet tones and fireside crackles...'
L'OMBRE SUR LA MESURE (FR) - 'D’une rare intensité, Labyrinth est un album qui m’évoque le cinéma opaque de Sharunas Bartas, et les films muets de Dreyer. Un peu comme regarder à travers un judas l’intimité d’une chimère. Le musicien se révèle en artificier de la lumière.'
FLUID RADIO (UK) - 'The mind moves in a strange world where anguish and ecstasy coexist…'
THE ATTIC (RO) - 'Highlight!'
JAZZ AROUND (BE) - 'Un peu à la manière d’un David Sylvian dont on se souvient d’un « Ember Glance » tout aussi introspectif, le multi-instrumentiste parisien nous emmène sur des chemins rêches et riches qui déclinent des paysages aux contours passionnants.'

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PR: dali@totalblamblampromo.com

LABEL: nahalrecordings@gmail.com