Vortex Des Réformés by Bill Vortex

For its 36 release, Da Heard It Records floats into the parallel worlds of Bill Vortex.

This album is indeed all about parallels, as it multiplies references to more than thirty years of synthetic and dancing music. In this Vortex Des Réformés (“vortex of the reformed”) are fit together with precision pieces of various geometric shapes, reminiscent of the cassette’s illustration as imagined by Vomplie.

Unlike many albums, the tracks here are not thought of as part of a uniform whole, but rather as a well-constructed journey across eras and styles. Acid house, original electro, African influences, northern skweee, tortured breakbeats, and ambient interludes alternate back and forth between respite and high BPM.

As surprising as it may seem, these contrasted aural territories never give off the impression to have been put together as a compilation. On the contrary, they form together a work that takes the shape of an homage to the musicians who accompanied the sonorous everyday life of Patrice Curtillat throughout all these years.

The result is a musical portrait of which each line resonates like a thoroughly studied influence, and that condenses all of the know-how of its author onto a single magnetic tape. Curious music lovers will certainly take pleasure in unwinding it to retrace in their own way this precious history…