ROOM

Albumbeschreibung

It's the story of a violinist who meets a drummer and says, "Let's make techno together!" The concept might sound simple, but the execution is so brilliant that we've awarded it a Qobuzissime! The violinist Joachim Baumerder and drummer Simon Lacouture come from the musical worlds of classical and jazz, and their artistic partnership first took shape through reimagining other people's music. They've performed with singer and pole-dancer Malvina in her half-techno, half-hyperpop project, and they've reworked tracks by Bicep and Moderat, and "Do Things Right" by the post-punk group Ditter. But they wanted something more—something of their own—to feed their passion for dance music. That's how marta was born in 2022. Their debut release, ROOM, is a powerful blend of intense and celebratory techno, shaped by a strong instrumental focus that gives the project a clear and cohesive vision despite its stylistic variety. The duo navigates effortlessly through punk ("Ground"), industrial/mental techno ("Cut"), minimal ("Shake"), and downtempo ("Love") influences. Stripping the music down completely to just the violin and drums, enhanced by a collection of effects pedals, they create a hypnotic, one-of-a-kind journey. Their discreetly intricate compositions include polyrhythms and alternations between arco and plucked violin playing, adding depth and texture to the sound. The result is an astonishing fusion of styles that sparks an irresistible, primal need to just dance forever. It feels like a manifesto for the future: Techno will be instrumental, or it won't exist at all. © Pierre Lamy/Qobuz