Let's pretend for a minute that I don't know anything about Johann Sebastian Bach, 18th Century German composer and musician from the Baroque period. That I don't know about how he enriched established German styles through his skill in counterpoint, harmonic and motivic organisation, and that he specialised in the adaptation of rhythms, forms, and textures from abroad – particularly from Italy and France. That I'm not aware of famous compositions like the Brandenburg Concertos, the Goldberg Variations, the Mass in B minor, two Passions, and over three hundred cantatas - of which around two hundred have survived. And that his music has long been revered for its technical command, artistic beauty and intellectual depth. Let's pretend I know NOTHING about all of that.
Now let's get real. Indeed, as with anyone who has at least some level of musical knowledge, I am well aware of the name Bach and its importance within the classical genre, but that is about the extent of my knowledge - until my visit to Wikipedia prior to writing this which somewhat “inspired” my opening paragraph. I am, however, far more familiar with the work of one Nicolas Godin, as one half of French electronic duo Air with Jean-Benoit Dunckel, and co-creator of classic albums like Moon Safari and Talkie Walkie. For the first time in a musical career which now spans twenty years, Godin has decided to release a solo record, Contrepoint, which (surprise surprise) is heavily influenced by Bach, and therefore promises to be an intriguing, and potentially challenging listen, for a somewhat classically uneducated muso such as myself.
The opening track “Orca” serves as an introduction to Godin's Bach celebration offering an array of vastly different electronic melodies with almost perplexing complexity which, masterful as it sounds, threatened to leave me out in the cold. Thankfully second track “Widerstehe doch der Sunde” (just resist sin), one of Bach's church cantatas, is brought to life very much in the spirit of Air and made me feel at ease – particularly once the dreamy angelic female vocals and humming came in after a couple of minutes.
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Combining his own musical style with that of Bach - bellowing church choir vocals and all - works exceptionally well on this track, and makes for a gloriously relaxing and engrossing listening experience. The track “Clara” is another example of how successful Godin's experiment has been, with the compelling crooning of Brazilian singer Marcelo Camelo creating another escapist musical daydream for the listener to embark on.
Other tracks on the album are pure experimental voyages, which move away from the essence of Air's music, such as the 7 minute “Bach Off” towards the end of the album, but are a fascinating listen nonetheless as by this stage you're well along for the ride and fully immersed in the soundscapes Godin has created. There's just enough here to keep an Air fan interested, and even more for those who delight in the experimental. And if you're a big fan of Bach himself then I'm certain Contrepoint will prove to be a fascinating listen, written as it is by another of the Baroque maestro's most humble and devoted aficionados.
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