BEN BERTRAND - NGC 1999 (Les Albums Claus)

BEN BERTRAND - NGC 1999 (Les Albums Claus) Ben Bertrand is armed with a bass clarinet and backed with sound effects, aiming in the direction of the contemporary classical section of your record collection. Dreamlike compositions that take you to his warm and minimal world. In the musical sauna, Ben Bertrand sits in between Gavin Bryars and Jon Hassell. For ‘Les Albums Claus’, Ben Bertrand made 5 compositions overflowing in a musical crescendo, unfolding it’s character and talent in an unified primitive/futuristic sound combining features of world ethnic styles with advanced electronic techniques. 

Ben Bertrand was influenced by fellow minimalists such as Steve Reich and Terry Riley, and in his work, he combines simple musical patterns, offset in time, to create a slowly shifting, cohesive whole. He makes use of his clarinet - effects and loop pedals - to construct modal, hypnotic grooves, over which he plays microtonally-inflected clarinet phrases. The use of loops permits to phase patterns on which simple and audible processes let him explore musical concepts. Rich harmonies are built, always increasing in density, before the whole thing gradually fades out leading the auditor back on earth. 

This debut album comes out on vinyl and cd in a limited edition of 300 copies each. All compositions are made and played by Ben Bertrand solo. 

The design has been made by Dutch graphic designer Zeloot (New Yorker, DeMorgen, VrijNederland) and has been silkscreened. Recommended!