Sébastien Léger - Clouds EP

As usual, I was scrolling through my SoundCloud feed, but especially compared to yesterday, I couldn't find anything that turned my crank. It just seemed to be an endless sea of blah, overflowing with artists I either don't know or don't care about. That was until I came across truly one of my favourite artists, from both a DJing and production perspective, Parisian powerhouse Sébastien Léger. The man always works with awesome analog sounds, crafting some of the most creative and original pieces of music I've ever come across. His list of credits is seemingly endless, from ridiculously good remixes, to jaw-dropping originals. That list is about to grow a little bit longer as his four-track Clouds EP is set to be released this coming Friday, the 17th, on Marc Romboy's Systematic Recordings.
Because these are snippets, it takes no time at all to find yourself firmly ensconced in the groove Sébastien Léger has laid out. In fact, the first track, "Nostalgia," gets right into business screaming Séb's production style. It's incredibly well designed and so full of progression and movement. No note is left unpolished or unaccounted for, each placed with such precision. "Nostalgia," more than the following tracks, has a warm, easy feel. A kind of musical hammock swinging gently in the breeze.

"Brainwasher" on the other hand comes at you much more intensely. Directed more towards the club, it's still led by some sneakily groovy percussion, while the steely synth-lead torches all it comes into contact with. This one may be the best example of how seamlessly Séb invokes movement and progression. Especially with a track of this magnitude, he's able to dance around as nimbly as a sprite.

The title track, "Clouds," again sees a distinct production while still falling firmly in the legion of Léger. Like the other tracks, it too is named perfectly, each evoking its titular image brilliantly. However, these clouds aren't all air; they've got some substance with a touch of turbulence brewing. It's floaty, soaring at incredible heights, making it easy to drift away in a sonic euphoria.

Finally, the EP comes to a close with its most emotional and touching track, "Tears." Like the others before it, it's lofty in its high soaring arc, but it's the little blips and fills that make it such a sensational production. Imagine lying perfectly still in a dark room while listening to this on a good pair of headphones. There's no way it wouldn't trigger numerous emotions. It strikes me as innately aware of our humanity, able to play us like a fiddle. And that's the true magic of Sébastien Léger; he is so in tune with the technology he uses that it ceases to be a mere tool but rather an extension of himself. I, for one, am extremely excited to hear the EP, in full, upon its release.

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