Accident Fantôme — Objets enchâssés dans des anneaux planétaires( Objects Embedded in a Planetary Ring )

Accident Fantôme is the portmanteau for the project of two otherwise autonomous, established musical duos, Accident du Travail and Fantôme Josepha. United by shared interests in historical instruments and long-form, ambient drone composition, the four gathered in an old church in a village just west of Metz (where some of the group are based) early last year to perform and record together.

The ecclesiastical setting was selected for its mid-19th-century pipe organ — the instrument par excellence of the dronies — along with its remoteness, outside of the hustle and bustle, though situated near the Front of the First World War and all its spectres. In addition to said organ, Objects Embedded in a Planetary Ring features guitar, harp, and the ondes Martenot, one of the earliest electric instruments, which, following in its use by Messiaen, Boulez, and others, has become something of a cult object among French classicists.

“Cosmos“: the opening track, is a swirl of harp and organ, pulling heavenward with little to no anchor, so that when an electric guitar struts its way into the mix, we get a bit more electronics and processing along with it. The whole thing is drowning in reverb, whether added through effects or culled from the church environs, it makes for an engrossing if familiar haze. “Euphorie”, the longest of the five compositions, leans pretty heavily into the organ, a single chord depressed, vibrating and blanketing the empty space into which it moans. Here, we get the clearest picture of the theremin-like whirling of the ondes Martenot, which takes us out of the house of worship and onto Mars. All of this ushers in some higher frequency squeaks before Brother Pipes takes control of the party. The last piece, “Brief Whistling” is just that, something straight out of a Morricone Western, Cinecittà suddenly rolling over the graves of unnamed soldiers.

Fans of lowkey drone and the cinematic side of ambient work should find plenty to scratch that itch. Others interested in the otherworldly beauty of the ondes Martenot should probably tune in too.