Passing through jazz, trap, rock and Anatolian psych, L’Éclair return with their next single Cosmologies Pt.1, the 2nd reveal from their new album Confusions, forthcoming this November on pacesetting Swiss imprint, Bongo Joe Records
Part 1 of the album’s centrepiece recording, (split into 3 parts but played as one continuous, 16-min piece on the vinyl edition), Cosmologies finds L’Éclair in their most cosmic form yet, serving up a multidimensional and roving six minutes of theremin-led electronics and sprawling new-age jazz, reminiscent of the current, thrilling, dancefloor-led British persuasion.
Following a seminal year for the group who in 2020, opened for The Cinematic Orchestra in London + released their debut KEXP session & a split 7-inch single with The Mauskovic Dance Band, L’Éclair return with a sprawling fourteen-track commute into the depths of the group’s eclectic record collection, presenting their most crafted and produced album to date.
Having previously only relied on two or three recording sessions in as many days on albums past, Confusions represents a leap into the unknown. Involuntarily taking pause from a busy touring schedule as a result of the pandemic, and setup at the group’s resident home studio, wedged in the middle of the mountainous Swiss countryside, L’Éclair, spent nine months, steadily building Confusions brick by brick, and in the process, writing a new chapter in the band’s short history.
It was always a fantasy of ours to make a really long record. Lockdown gave us the time to digest what we had been listening to, new influences, the countries we had visited etc. We wanted to recreate the same euphoria and feelings of sharing music with people at shows but in a more contemplative way
Returning to their hometown of Geneva from London back in 2015 with a batch of demos recorded in a hotel room, keyboardist, Sebastien Bui and guitarist Stefan Lilov enlisted Yavor Lilov (drums), Alain Sandri (percussion, keyboard), Quentin Pilet (percussion) and Elie Ghersinu (bass) to flesh out the tracks into a fully fledged band. What they would soon discover was a thriving scene of outernationally minded musicians, loosely connected to influential local record shop & soon to be label, Bongo Joe. A group soon to be renowned for their entrancing live show was born, going on to appear at Transmusicales, Montreux Jazz as well as releasing three solo albums and a string of EPs, singles and collaborations.
We are firstly music lovers. We’re always sharing lots of different music with each other. I’d say Bongo Joe was very important for this. Before they opened, there were nice records stores but not places to hang out and just listen to music. It linked a lot of people together. Bongo Joe has been really important in finding the music scene here.