Abolition du discernement – Terrine

Hailing from Amiens, a city which has produced some of France’s most radical and unique experimentation since the 2000’s, Terrine is Claire Gapenne (Me Donner, Headwar) solo project. From her debut as a solo guitar noise project, Terrine slowly morphed into hypnotic abstract electronic improvisations, whose tense and collaged atmospheres still maintain a mesmeric sense of playfulness. A true iconoclast in the tradition of French luminaries such as Jacques Thollot and Jacques Berrocal, Terrine draws inspiration from the fierce spirit of free jazz and the uncompromising rawness of industrial music. Armed with a drum machine which she’s playing like others would a trumpet, Terrine seems to have quietly formed a highly nuanced reading of electronic music history in her own unique yet empirical manner. In the 20 minutes that this album spans the shadows of Pan Sonic, Carla Bley and Annette Peacock all make appearances amidst field recordings that evoke the sonic palette of an early Chantal Akerman film. These influences all somehow manage to seamlessly fuse together and produce a corrosive yet romantic soundtrack to the madness of our times.