BnB Review: Agoria - Impermanence

Written by Youri Jozee

French producer Agoria is about to release his third album titled Impermanence on his own InFiné label. The big question is: can it live up to the expectations set by his genius Blossom and The Green Armchair albums? Read what we think after the jump...

 


Over the past ten years, Sebastian Devaud aka Agoria (fun fact: his alias is derived from the ancient Greek word for ‘meeting place’) has made a name for himself as a producer who never fails to attract the attention of demanding house and techno fanatics across the globe with every release he churns out. His music seems to breathe a purity of a very rare kind, relying on intelligently structured compositions with a highly emotive touch. His debut album Blosson (released in 2003 and including the chart topping La Onzième Marche) instantly put him on the radar as one of the most exciting youngsters out there, a title he has long since surpassed with the release of the critically acclaimed albums The Green Armchair (2006), and the Go Fast soundtrack (2008).

Impermanence, officially his third album, has become a product of collaborations and, as a result, a hugely diverse affair. “For the first time, I have complete freedom in creating my music,” says Agoria. “ I don’t have the feeling any longer of having to work within certain boundaries and the result sounds more like me.”

The album opens with a nicely put together semi-classical composition titled Kiss My Soul, on which 20-year old female singer Kid A lays down her Bjork-like vocals. Follow up track Soulless Dreamer, with Berlin based DJ/producer Seth Troxler on vocals, is a typical Agoria’s track with subtle, almost dreamy beats and repetitive patterns. Troxler’s vocals add a hypnotic flavor to the overall, with the stinging synthesizers in the middle part eventually taking the track to even higher levels. After the beautifully layered tech-house track  Panta Rei, Detroit veteran Carl Craig pops up for vocal duties (“I’m gonna drink whiskey out of your belly button”, oh yeah) on the mysterious Speechless, a Detroit track of epic proportions with an incredible vibe. Agoria’s signature flow of melodic layers, thumping kicks and mesmerizing rhythm structures is retained throughout the remainder of the album such as on the haunting Little Shaman, after which the album closes with another absolute album highlight: the warm, and minimally structured Libellules, a heart-warming tune filled with entrancing synthesizers and a likewise atmosphere. Utterly brilliant.

Our verdict:
I admit to have been looking forward to this album for quite some time and now that it’s there, I cannot say anything else than that Agoria has again managed to raise his own bars and that of the industry. Impermanence has become an extremely balanced and intriguing album with very little to no weak moments. Instead, its 10 tracks reflect Agoria’s incredible skills in creating intense, emotional electronic music, with the end result being no less than superb. Get this one as soon as it hits the streets.

Stand out tracks: Panta Rei, Speechless, Libellules… basically the others are well.
Weak moment: hardly any.

You can listen to album snippets on Infine's Soundcloud page. 

Rating: 8.8/10
Label: InFiné
Release date: February 2011

Agoria - Impermanence tracklist:
1. Kiss My Soul (ft. Kid A)
2. Souless Dreamer (ft. Seth Troxler)
3. Panta Rei
4. Simon
5. Speechless (ft. Carl Craig)
6. Grande Torino
7. Heart Beating (ft. Kid A)
8. Little Shaman (ft. Scaide)
9. Under the River
10. Libellules

 

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