Xavier Charles/Diane LaBrosse/Kristoff K. Roll.Martin Tetrault

A new wave of electro-acoustic music started around five years ago, as improvisers began to abandon acoustic instrumentation and evolve into electronics. Electronics pioneer Luc Ferrari states "making musique concrete live, we would have liked to do 45 years ago. I call these guys the Noueaux Concrets —they use machines with a real sense of experimentation.” Tout le Monde en Place Pour un Set Americain offers a superb example of the Nouveaux Concrets. As in the first wave, the French have again taken the lead in the improvising approach to electronic music. This meeting of Quebec’s Martin Tetrault on turntables and Diane Labross playing electronics, and France's electro-acoustic duo Kristoff K. Roll (Jean-Christophe Camps and Carole Rieussec) and Xavier Charles, brought together five new pioneers in a cross oceanic experience. Performed live at the 20th International Festival of Musique Actuelle in Victoriaville, Quebec, the quintet was placed in the centre of the room surrounded by audience and 360 degrees of loudspeakers. It generated a spatial sound installation effect to the concert. Unfortunately this could not be captured on the recording, though the dynamism of the performance is preserved. Other than the occasional record scratch or clarinet pop, the playing is anonymous, allowing for egos to be checked at the door. The sounds peak and valley, swirl and wash. The players delicately manoeuvre through each other. With sensitive ears each reformer’s language incorporates the next. The ocean between them geographically vanishes, as they become their own island. This hour-long improve is divided into two works: "Tout” and "En Place.” Could this recording be the manifesto for the Nouveax Concrets? Yes it is.