Ghislain Poirier

Listening to this CD leaves a strong film noir impression, if that is at all possible for an electronic music release; every track instils the sense of conveying more than one might hear. Il N'Y A Pas... opens up with the sweet and sentimental "Se Prendre," with its spacious church bell-like notes and leisurely beats setting the tone for a musical narrative that carries on to the last track. Other special tracks are "L'Harmattan," with its imposing rhythmic bass line accompanied by pacing and fidgeting dub ricochets. While "Position et Negation" has a tense yet restrained build up that summits to sweaty nervousness and the mysterious "Un Pont Entre Deux Rivieres" conjures up the streets of Paris on an overcast day, with orchestral string samples and a pared-down glitch beat. Perhaps it is the French titles that help with the decidedly romantic overtones, to Poirer I say, "Il N'Y A Pas De Sud..., est un enregistrement superbe."