Noémi Büchi draws inspiration from a wide range of music, as well as, according to background on this one, artists like Francis Bacon. Her new record, Exuvie, is bold, full of vibrant passages, and music which skirts the edges of new jazz and ambient. Sounding like a soundtrack to an Euro-horror in spots, the throwback synth-y charms of this album from the French/Swiss musician are legion.
Opener "I was almost there" is beat-heavy, an ominous walk forward, while "After the fold" is warm synth-lines and rippling effects. Throughout Exuvie, Büchi blends keyboards with a very Eighties feel with more modern percussion. The effect is both unsettling in spots, and lovely in others. And frequently, both those moods are achieved at the same moment. At her most accessible, like on "Structure undone", Noémi draws upon past pioneers like YMO, Suzanne Cianni, and others who flourished in spaces between New Wave and new age (before that was a loaded term).
The tunes on this Noémi Büchi album are more nimble than one might expect from something in this genre. While some of it is dark and a little heavy thanks to the percussive effects, lots of it is keyboard-centered. While not like an early O.M.D. album or anything, Exuvie is smartly realized, and full of precise electronic patterns with unsettling drums. It is, thankfully, the kind of record which inspires both a little unease and a lot of pleasure.
Exuvie by Noémi Büchi is out now via -OUS.
[Photo: Brigitte-Fässler]