The collective, composed of the graphic designer and DJ Joan Costes and the producer/sound engineer Adrien de Maublanc, delivers a powerful and stimulating LP, dense of experimentation and intriguing sonic visions. The album, out both on vinyl and digital on Automatic Writing, is composed of eleven tracks, each and every one carefully designed to convey their message, a message that brings with it the concept of evolution and sound research. The record kicks off with the nine minutes long ‘Rêve’, a substantial straight 4/4 beat embellished with a vast array of sonic details and sound design elements that grows into a harmonic explosion towards the end, opening the doors to the darker, eerie ‘Cleopatra’ which features San Proper’s vocals. ‘UAP’ takes up the rhythmic baton and carries it forward to the quieter, yet very much introspective intensity of ‘Hollow’, with its repetitive, measured chords and its dreamy harmonic pads paving the way to the following ‘The Other’ which raises the pace with its minimal yet quite energetic and muscular rhythm section, balanced by the elegance of a recurring digital xylophone melody, while ‘Tournicoti’ maintains the essential, basic, minimal soul of its antecedent. ‘Are You Sure’ is probably my favorite, with its engaging bass-line, some evocative harmonics, the tight (slightly distorted) beat and the usual dose of sonic details enriching, diversifying and layering the listening on a multiple sensorial substratum. ‘Ainamor’ with its pitched vocals and ‘Mystery Unresolved’ with some violin samples, the overlapping sonic minutiae and a strong beat, which is the leitmotiv of the whole record, prepare the ground for the finale, with ‘Planet X’ and ‘Daffy’s Land’. ‘Planet X’ sees again the collaboration between the pair of producers with San Proper and epitomises the LP’s experimental aspect, very present from beginning to end. The counterintuitive choice of placing -probably- the faster beat at the end of the record is appreciable and demonstrates Maomenos’ confidence to just do what they like to do, another very perceptible feeling that I got listening to their album. ‘Daffy’s Land’, the closing track, is yet another bass bomb, combined with some nice ethereal pads. Thanks to them for making me trip into their hour-long journey, a very much needed break as starting the week with the wrong music can always be a hassle.