Oh, the Places you’ll go with multi-instrumentalist Calcou and his latest EP. Despite only being released last Friday via MfDR+C, the EP is quickly gaining traction around the world with the previously released singles ‘Below’, ‘Above’ and ‘Beyond’ clearly paving the way for success, having been picked up by Spotify for their Fresh Finds, Late Night Vibes and Fresh Finds Dance playlists.
The EP opens with an intriguing intro, ‘pl_05°’ with gently rising shimmering tones greeting the listener. As we move on to ‘Above’, the tempo steadily increases with a rolling bassline that creates its own little vibrant world. ‘Beyond’ is light and mellow, like a warm Sunday afternoon with the dappled shade of a tree overhead. Another interlude appears, this time carrying with it an eerie tone, calling to mind the breath of a slumbering creature. ‘Below’ is the recently released single that earned Calcou one of our exclusive interview slots where we had a moment to learn more about his creative style.
Drawing the EP to a close is ‘Far’ with all of its percussive goodness. The track is like dangling your feet above a pool and watching the concentric ripples unfurl away from you. A flock of birds most likely turns above and life seems impossibly good in that moment – why wouldn’t it when you’ve got Calcou by your side?
Speaking of the EP, Calcou tells us: “This time I tried to explore space – musically, but also in a broader sense as a feeling of restriction. By leaving certain musical decisions to algorithms, I tried to overcome these restrictions with playfulness and randomness, acknowledging the fact that control seems like an illusion now more than ever. Most of the tracks feature field recordings from when I was travelling. I love to create music out of material that carries an emotional value to me, a memory that I can then modulate and turn into something new. That’s why “Places” also is about perspective – about how things look, feel and sound if you approach them from another angle.”
Follow Calcou:
Website – Instagram – Spotify – Facebook – Soundcloud – Youtube
By Sarah Britton
