For those unaware, Cédric Theys’ new album Légèreté de L’Être is a musical work of art where beautiful music invites us to travel somewhere outside our usual life and sound, constructed within an ambitious approach in the writing and choice of instruments, and all whilst offering a fresh and naïve approach to the compositional structures.

Indeed, the main sound tissue is woven mostly with mallet and glockenspiel, with inspiration taken from Steve Reich, Philip Glass, all gently with a pallet of pastel colors.

Some pieces are reminiscent of early eighties new wave/cold wave experiments such as Tuxedomoon, but with a more positive touch which is unique to Cédric’s approach.

1. Esprit Dans Une Broderie De Nuages (04:13)
2. Light Being (04:21)
3. Pensive Mind (05:54)
4. Envol (01:48)
5. Le Poids De L’Anima (04:15)
6. Planant Désir (06:18)
7. Heavy Light (06:44)
8. Gliding Through Clouds (03:56)
9. Vol (01:31)
10. Machine Pensante (06:12)
11. Forming Perception (04:53)

The sound is bright and lush and particular care has been given to the recording of all these acoustic instruments and there are beautiful melodic lines provided by oboe, bass clarinet and even a soprano voice on some pieces.

Opener Esprit Dans Une Broderie De Nuages is a crystalline work of pure gossamer and is backed seamlessly by the aptly-titled Light Being, the contemplative craftmanship within Pensive Mind, the veritably gleaming Envol, the profoundly determined Le Poids De L’Anima and then comes the twirling majesties of percussional sounds within the elegant Planant Désir.

Up next is the ruggedly cavernous Heavy Light and the translucent Gliding Through Clouds which are in turn followed by the delicate musings within Vol, the album rounding out on the Eastern exploration found within the cultured rhythms and melodies of Machine Pensante, coming to an all too soon close on the playfully ornate Forming Perception.

In spite of the diverse influences, the songs evolve in a very consistent tapestry and the album is a real concept materialized by its cover symbolizing lightness and freedom. A crystalline universe, and like crystal: tightly organized and reflecting light in all directions.

Says Cédric: “The pieces on Légèreté De L’Être (Lightness of Being) took a few years to write but all of them were finished during the Covid pandemic. I felt that if our being could feel light, we could get through pretty much anything. It doesn’t mean carelessness or meaninglessness but light like the egret taking flight on the cover of the album, free, for a moment, of worries and anxiety.”

“Some will think: Kundera. But the inspiration for the title really is the photography of the egret taking flight with just the grey sky as the background. It seems absolutely fantastic being this light. What stunning things can be done when we reach that state of mind, without having to question what being human means.”

Musicians:
Soprano & celesta: Cristin Colvin
Piano: Deborah Schmit-Lobis
Oboe: Ian Wisekal
Clarinet & bass clarinet: Mary Jungerman
Marimbas, vibraphones & glockenspiels: Peter Cooper, Carl Dixon, Mark Foster, Robert Jurkscheit, Don Roberts
Percussion overdubs: Thomas A. Blomster

Official Website

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