Ame de Boue is the solo project from Datz, a member of Dolina and the man behind Spielzeug Muzak. If you never heard of anything from Dolina yet, you must go listen to some of their material right now. This French project is still keeping me totally fascinated since I first discovered them in 2009.
To speak of Ame de Boue, this is the debut album and only 250 copies were released on Treue Um Treue, in February.
Soundwise, I was pleased to find back some elements from Dolina but the obscure madness was pushed a bit further. I got stunned by the diversity and the beauty of the sounds that seems to be mixed and arranged with real magic. As others often reuse the same type of classic analog sounds, there is much more originality to be found here.
Musically, most of the album has some sort of bizarre carnivalesque ambiance, making me dreaming of clowns dancing on barrel organ music. The spooky theme, from the beginning to the end, really stirred me deep inside.
Out of 15 songs, my favorite title is definitely L’Inconfort Néccésaire (live and very different version). The beat stays on a slow tempo but near the end, It’s Fun to be Dead also kicks in with a danceable song using a distorted rhythm over a killer bassline.
The intro and the first 2 songs are written in French, 5 are in English and the rest is instrumental. The vocals are sang or spoken in some kind of simple and modest way that really makes them shine. At other times, wicked effects are also used over vocals for more experimental passages.
Why only 250 copies were printed? Given the quality of the music, I think it is a big nonsense but to be selfish, I am very glad to own my copy of this limited edition. It seems that Ame de Boue and Dolina aren’t much into self-promotion. Just search online and you won’t find their page on any stupid social network. I found it relieving after wondering what’s the matter with so many artists and so-called marginals, using private mainstream medias without much consciousness.
Certainly, L’Inconfort Nécéssaire will pass the test of time as I have no doubt its intemporal originality will make it a priceless collector item.
Also worth mentioning, you should check out Illustrations Sonores, a new and very promising project from Datz and Froe Char.
L’Inconfort Néccésaire on Discogs
The story of Modern Witch began 6 years ago in Denver, Colorado, when graphic artist Mario Zoots, singer Kristy Fenton and house veteran Kamran Khan started recording experimental music together on an old VHS camera. In the space of a few years, a couple of very limited tape and CD/R releases on labels such as Disaro and Clan Destine Records, and a series of spooky performances both in Europe and on the American continent, the trio has become a true underground reference for creepy, ritualistic dance music, in the muddy but oh so fascinating waters between Witchhouse and Minimal Synth.