Louis Crelier - Rester Partir

New imprint Caldeira debut with a compilation of Swiss composer Louis Crelier's wide ranging and fairly obscure soundtrack work - i'll admit, this is all unchartered territory to me. For someone new to his work, the selection of tracks appear to have been sequenced in a fairly unconventional manner, taking Crelier's score to a story about a French missionary's trip to Mali in the 19th Century as its focus point, and annotating it, so to speak, with a series of interludes and ambient diversions. Fine as they are, the original score is the very obvious highlight here, certainly substantial enough to stand on its own. Midori Takada's Mkwaju Ensemble provides a solid point of reference, sharing the same polyrhythmic focus and respectful marrying of traditions. Crelier is clearly trying to capture an authentic impression of Mali and that sincerity is reflected in a score that is both energetic and graceful. Though well intended i'm sure, the press release talks of 'exoticism' and 'otherness', which does sit uneasily when expressed in a white European context and i'd be a little reluctant to think of this music as anything other than a homage to a much wider cultural experience. Nonetheless, Crelier is a masterful composer whose work deserves to be heard, and anyone who enjoys Reich, Glass, Takada, Music from Mills crew et al should take a deep dive here.