Stray is Thomas Azier's new EP. Released on July 11, it is accompanied by a clip on the title Echoes that he directed himself. Cute!
Originally from the Netherlands but straddling Paris and Berlin, Thomas Azier is the very figure of the European independent artist. We first heard it during a first part of a concert at Zenith, a long time ago.
Thomas Azier
At the time, his very electro music was in the same wave as Woodkid that he regularly cites as one of these influences. Less epic and orchestrated, but just as poetic and with this melodic research full of meaning, the young singer-songwriter quickly got noticed.
Since then, he has had the opportunity to open for Woodkid and Stromae, with whom he has worked, including writing songs on his album Racine Carrée.
In 2014, he released his first album: Hylas. Thomas Azier then proves to be an excellent storyteller, which is rather rare in electro. He talks about his experience and his story. We feel a lot of melancholy and his voice participates in the emotional power of his titles.
He was then noticed by appearing in an Yves Saint Laurent commercial in 2016.
Rouge, his second opus, appeared in May 2017. Here again he surprises by giving his electro music a more acoustic dimension, imposing the piano-voice as a base. Rouge takes advantage of the presence of Dan Levy of The Do at the direction.
Echoes, the first excerpt from Stray
This year, here is the time for a new area with this first EP: Stray.
The first track that opens the EP sounds very folk and we really like this new direction. The accompanying music video is a small puppet performance with Rob Kaufmann pulling the strings. The staging and direction are by Thomas Azier himself.
It's a title that takes its time; The voice seems distant and justifies the name of the song.
Stray the new Ep of Thomas Azier
Stray is said to have been written between several hotel rooms during travels.
We feel the side a little road trip in the songs, including White Horses. Surely the present of guitars that fly away or become rough and this strong and repetitive rhythm that recalls the pattern of a train. And these cries and sounds coming from who knows where as a strange nocturnal atmosphere.
The Girl Beneath The Lion is a little lyrical and poetic pearl that punctuates the EP. At first evanescent, then racing, this song is punctuated by strange, a little disturbing noise that tries to break the momentum and this rhythm that runs, as if to escape something. It's beautiful!
Colors, Colors! last track of the EP is a sublime lament on the piano. We expect it to go, we look for the rhythm… But it's all in restraint, in emotion, in that voice that climbs and comes to die… It's elegant, full of grace. It is of a sensitivity to the skin that gives us chills.
Nice surprise of July, this EP is to listen carefully and we hope that it is only the beginnings of a new album to come!
The EP's release party takes place today in Berlin… We can only hope that it passes through our countries again.
