Melaine Dailbert — Eden, Fall

Eden, Fall is a new album from Melaine Dailbert. It finds the French pianist/ composer returning to his early more pattern-based work for two lengthier tracks and one shorter piece- with the album having a rather Yin & Yang that it's title suggests.

The CD album comes presented in a mini colour card gatefold- this features on its front and back cover pictures shot upwards through tangles of green vegetation with a blue sky showing in the picture's middle.  Inside we have a close-up picture of a dandelion with the seeds being blown out. A simple but beautiful bit of packaging.

We open with the track “Eden". This takes up the lion's share of the release with a runtime of thirty-seven minutes and twenty-two seconds. The track is built around a slowly played note pattern- which is in the mid/ higher range and has a decidedly bright & harmonic quality to it. The repeated series of notes are played over a lightly simmer ambient reverb, and from time to time the patterns themselves either lightly echo ‘n’ ebb, or are very subtle alter-  like watching warming/ peaceful light slowly split through a gently spinning prism.  As the track moves on you start to notice light/ non-intrusive field recordings of birds twitter, and general summer glade ambience. The cover artwork is extremely apt for this first track- as it really does feel like one is laying on a green and comfy expanse of grass/ moss,  staring up into a gentle cloud-shifting blue sky.  The track runtime seems to literally melt away, as one softly rests in the slowly repeating patterns and their golden sonic afterglow.

Next, we have “Jeu De Vagues” which runs at the three minutes and thirteen seconds mark. This is built around a selection of mid-ranged notes- which are in a constant cascade/fluttering- as the piece goes on this feeling seems to increase, giving one the sensation that the notes flowing in a mirrored room- that just seems to expand on and one as far as the eye/ ear can strain to see/ hear.

Next/ finally we have “Fall” which runs at the fourteen minutes and nine seconds mark. This is built around a series of constantly/rapidly tapped keys- these are both highish/ piecing and slightly clunky in their attack. The whole thing has a rather locked acoustic almost industrial feel to it unfolding- and there is no harmony present, just a feeling of constant tense/ tolling urgency, which at points hints at steady decline- though I don’t believe the patterns are altering their pace- I think it’s just a sonic illustration

It must be a good few years since I heard/ reviewed anything from Mr Dailbert- and I must say I’m very impressed with what he manages with Eden, Fall. The whole concept/  presentation works wonderfully with the compositions inside.