Reach
for the stars. A synth-driven tribute to aviator and author Antoine de
Saint-Exupéry.
Out now on CD and 10” vinyl.
We
hear a lot of talk these days about society “dumbing down”. I'm
not sure if that's truly the case – all the young people I meet
these days seem impressively well-informed and give me much to be
optimistic about. And while recent events have highlighted the
dangerous combination of low-information voters and
lower-information politicians, it's reassuring to find that the
musicians the planet over continue to embrace the cerebral. One
recent release that educates as well as entertains is this here disc
from Willie Gibson. It's inspired by Wind
Sand And Stars,
a book
by aviator
and author Antoine de Saint Exupéry,
who's perhaps best known for writing children's book The
Little Prince.
Saint-Ex
is a self-penned eighteen minute instrumental journey broken down in
five distinct sections. As on Gibson's previous work, Vivaldi:Seasons Change,
modular-synths are used throughout though there are additional live
drums and the occasional vocal lines from Deerful's Emma Winston. The
overall effect is meditative and calming with the modular synths
lending a mid '70s feel – think Tangerine Dream, Kraftwerk's
Autobahn
or side
two of David Bowie's Low.
It's fair to say however that these artists would not be at the
forefront of Gibson's mind when composing or recording these works,
this being a tribute to Saint-Exupéry.
Each
of the five distinct sections is a musical representation of an
aspect of Saint-Exupéry's life or work. There's the propulsive
opening section titled 'Wind, Sand And Stars' where one man's
conquering of the elements is rendered in musical form, followed by
more tranquil sections recalling childhood memories and joy-filled
flights. Sadly Saint-Exupéry went missing over the Mediterranean on
a routine reconnaissance flight in July 1944, with neither the
aircraft or his body ever recovered. The final section 'July '44'
closes the album in a suitably climactic way, filled with both drama
and celebration.
I
have to admit to not being very familiar with the life of Antoine de
Saint-Exupéry, my knowledge extends only to having watched the
recent film version of The
Little Prince.
Thankfully there are musicians and composers around like Willie
Gibson who continue to broaden our horizons where others would have
them shut down.
Click here for Willie Gibson on Bandcamp
Click here for Willie Gibson on Twitter.
Click here for the Gare Du Nord Records website.
