We last caught up with new music from Gus la Tempête following the release of last year's exquisite '1969' - a genuinely sensational album created to pay loving homage to the memory of his mother's passing. Through an album that served as an aural scrapbook of sorts commemorating her own passions for music, '1969' proved an intricately compiled and composed project and a glorious tribute to Isabelle Marie Louise Hamard.
This painstaking devotion to his music has long served as a trademark of Gus' projects to date and through his own musical playground of Laissedoudis Records, he has afforded himself the luxury to create freely and without restrictions. Inspired by the pioneering productions of hip-hop's 90s golden era, Gus' long-standing affections for instrumental hip-hop have consistently provided the backbone to his compositions and presented him the opportunity to weave a variety of imaginative musical narratives through past releases including 'Dead Computer' (2008) and 'Slow Down Robots' (2011).
And while on the topic of record labels affording its artists the freedom to create, let's return to the brilliance of our friends over at Oioji Records...
Founded by Parisian producer As Valet, Oioji Records has cultivated its burgeoning reputation with the driving force of culture, heritage and identity at its core. Through projects by Queen Ci, Rickysoul The C3PO, Eugene Neighbrs, Claude Saturne, Dusty and As Valet, Oioji continue to celebrate music across the infinitely wide spectrum of aural delights.
Gus la Tempête's induction into the Oioji fold comes as a particularly poignant pairing, considering the long-standing friendship between Gus and As Valet. As two members of the future soul quartet Electric Conversation - alongside LaNote and Oz - their collaborative days stretch as far back as the late-90s gifting listeners with two sensational releases through Futuristica Music in 'Communication' (2007) and 'Electric Conversation' (2013). While the creative avenues of the Electric Conversation members have taken each down fascinating creative paths, any opportunity to see its members come back together in any context always breeds exceptional results.
Which brings us to the release of the latest Gus la Tempête project through Oioji Records, 'Bien Entendu'. Translating to "of course" or "naturally", the album's eleven tracks reaffirm Gus' moniker as the "beat broadcaster" providing a selection of bite-sized instrumental gems that veer between nostalgia-driven compositions and progressive beat configurations. Produced almost entirely by Gus with the exception of 'Solitaire' which features co-production by Kiki Lunaire and 'Face Cachée' which features additional production and a guest verse from DA G.U.I, 'Bien Entendu' serves as another fantastic piece of music from the boundless imagination of Gus la Tempête.
With each of his releases to date, Gus la Tempête continually demonstrates that beat-making can be both cerebral and soulful at the same time. 'Bien Entendu' is further proof of the producer's creativity and talents that see him regard his music as a vessel to communicate between his past and his future.
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