Micro:Mega
Human
Noise Museum

Micro:Mega released an album in 1999 (Photosphere), and at the time, it was difficult to define a kind of music for this band; now post-rock, now electronica, now techno. In any case, we could define it by one word: 'smoothing'. After this first release, we've awaited the second album, especially to see if this first attempt would be repeated... We are not disappointed!

Sylvain Chauveau and Frédéric Luneau have not only confirmed with the album Human, but also their fame has increased over the French borders. The two remixes at the end of the album, respectively made by The Third Eye Foundation and Pan America, simply prove this 'recognition'. Even if this recognition is limited to the independent music, this preserves the precious - but not pompous - side of their compositions. In comparison with the first album, there is always the importance of the instrumental songs, but overall, the music is become more serene, and especially more mature. Thus, the possible influences are different, we could mention the third album of Labradford, Mi Media Naranja, in particular when we listen to the songs Ear, Ankle or Palm with their long atmospheric laps. Is it for this reason that the last track of Human is a remix of Palm, made by Pan America? Perhaps, when we know that Mark Nelson, the only member of Pan America, is one of the three musicians of Labradford.

Another reference is the band This Mortal Coil (the great musical concept of the label 4AD, at the middle of the eighties' years), with the fabulous album Filigree And Shadows composed around some floating instrumental songs. We could remember them with the listening of Nail and Lung, or even Spirit and Eye, with the Brian Eno-like electronic spirit as well. There is also the furtive apparition of the new-wave motion, resurrected in Human with the two interpretations of the song Heart, the first by Micro:Mega, and the other by the mix of Third Eye Foundation.

Finally, Micro:Mega has recorded a great mixing of acoustic and electronic tones, dominated by some beautiful instrumental laps, from time to time punctuated by a few muffled voices.

Copyright © 2001 Patrick Dubail