Majik Melodies

Last Summer, I had a fantastic few days at the Europavox Festival in France, which is basically a showcase for up and coming European bands. One of the acts I saw perform was wacky French singer Camille, who delivered one of the most memorable live sets I've ever witnessed.

One of the most extraordinary aspects of the performance was the layering of acapella vocals and body beats, both from Camille and her backing singers, to produce wonderful soundscapes. When I was snooping around Camille's myspace after I returned home, I stumbled upon the page of Majiker and the origins of this unique live performance became clear.

Majiker was the producer of Camille's most recent album and his own project, 'BPM', takes the process to new extremes. BPM stands for Body, Piano and Machine and these are the only three instruments used in producing the music for Majiker's album (the machine being a vintage Yamaha keyboard).

This might sound a bit pretentious but you can't argue with the results. The tracks are unlike anything I've heard before, particularly 'Strings and Wires', which you can hear on Majiker's myspace. Plus, the knowledge that they were produced purely from Majiker's B, P & M certainly adds another dimension to the listening experience.

I also love the use of primary colours for all the promotional shots for the album, due out next month. It really fits with the concept.

Here's the video for the album's lead single 'Flesh and Bone':


[Image: Myspace]