Jean-Claude Vannier

Rarely does a record hit you the way L’Enfant Assassin Des Mouches will. The work of French orchestral architect Jean-Claude Vannier, the man responsible for the strings on Serge Gainsbourg’s timeless L’Histoire de Melody Nelson, this timeless record defies any simple tags that attempt to explain it. Trying my best to do so, it’s an exotic, psychedelic explosion of crushing strings, fluttering guitars, freak beats and skronking brass of all types... and that’s just scratching the surface. A treasure chest filled with moments screaming to be sampled, it’s no wonder hip-hop hounds have hailed it a source of inspiration, and the likes of Jarvis Cocker, Jim O’Rourke and David Holmes, who all grace the album cover with their drooling praise, find it a work of many wonders. Dug out of the dusty crates by Twisted Nerve impresario and ardent DJ Andy Votel, this little known soundtrack created for an imaginary film (Child-Fly Killer) has finally been updated with two additional tracks. By comparison, Vannier’s involvement with Gainsbourg’s music feels restrained; L’Enfant is the sound of a man’s madness unfurling in brilliant Technicolor clarity. The acidic guitar solos will melt your mind, the cinematic drama will accelerate your heart rate and those blessed gospel choirs will save your soul. Rarely is an album so outlandishly whimsical, yet so easy to love; this is a carnival of absurdity and one of the greatest things you’ll ever hear. I’m not kidding.