Ensemble ft. Cat Power – ‘Disown, Delete’ (Fat Cat) Released 22/08/06

Ensemble is Olivier Alary (a former collaborator with Bjork) and a shifting team of contributors and this ridiculously fine EP is the forerunner to his second album proper which is released late September. The other star here is orchestral arranger Johannes Malfati- the strings move with such supple grace, adding texture and nuance and a luscious atmosphere.

Ensemble offer exquisite fragments of abstract pop- pregnant clouds of potential thunder that never explode, creating an intensely rich melodic atmosphere. What is bizarre about these songs is that it’s impossible to discern where the melody is actually coming from, what instrument or sound, but nevertheless, you are left with a sensation of incredible richness. The restraint hints at other things- there is something so goddamned profound about Ensemble’s sound, like the music is imparting some unspoken and deep emotional truth.

The title track is all subtle acoustic strum and spectral electronic feedback with a glowing Cat Power riding the crests of the sonic ripples. It’s a typically beautiful and subtle performance. Her presence also alerts us to the fact that this is decidedly unmasculine rock music, a sustained intensity rather than peak and climax. ‘Carmine’ has vocals by Tamar Amir, a sustained and frazzled electric guitar foundation alongside a lazy shimmer and just as the storm beckons… the song cuts. ‘Their Lines’ is piano driven, with Alary taking vocal duties alongside Amir, and floats with a warm melancholy and the cd closes with a remix of the title track by fellow Canadian Tim Hecker (a truly undersung hero of electronica if ever there was one). Hecker’s remix of the title track tints the already open space of the title track with deep clouds of snow, his customary inspired ambience as evocative as it is innovative whilst Cat Power’s vocal is rendered hymn-like and buried many miles in the fog.

We could be looking at one of the singles of the year here.