Artist: It's A Fine Line
Album: 'It's A Fine Line'
Label: Kill The DJ
Release Date: 26/08/2016
Since the passing of David Bowie, the universe only has what he left when it comes to anything intergalactic. It's not right to ever musically compare anyone to Bowie, but Parisian pair Ivan Smagghe and Tim Paris aka It's A Fine Line, offer us something along the same lines in terms of sound. It's A Fine Line singlehandedly combines the uniqueness of disco and house with a techno twist in 11 tracks, released on French label, Kill The DJ.
'Cardiogram' - the test that shows you what your heart is up to - is the name of track one, featuring Olivia de Lanzac. 'Cardiogram' starts the album in a mysterious manner, with alien-like vocals and a simple yet genius concoction of synths and experimental sounds. An intelligent move from the pair, as they intentionally open the album with this track to only bring more questions to the listener, giving us no choice but to indulge our minds into a further trip.
As It's A Fine Line continues on its journey, more portals are opened and compositions mastered. ‘Greasier' dips its toes into the murky waters of what you imagine mars might sound like, and the result is a definite floor stomper. This track invites a rougher, more rock rhythm, with the soft sounds of maracas lead us into track four, on which Franz Ferdinand frontman Alex Kapranos uses solemn vocals to create a calmingly dark and deep aura.
'Titre Original' splits the album in two, introducing bouncy drum beats that result in a tribal-sounding techno collision. Ending this masterpiece is ‘Weekend Boom Boom' featuring three distinguished voices that make up C.A.R, with a feel good swing and upbeat yet penetrating tempo.
Ivan Smagghe and Tim Paris pride themselves in extreme investigation when it comes to producing, testing, evolving and exploring new sounds of trance groove, electronic psychedelia and greasy rock'n'roll. IAFL is a project made to inspire and reach into places that are usually unreachable, as the notes of the first IAFL single states six years back:
“it's a fine line between reference and cliché
it's a fine line between moody and dark
it's a fine line between obscure and abstruse
it's a fine line between passion and obsession
it's a fine line between ambiguity and confusion
it's a fine line between principles and rules
it's a fine line between simple and easy
it's a fine line between Tim Paris and Ivan Smagghe... And that's why they're walking it.”
Tracklist:
1. Cardiogram (feat. Olivia de Lanzac)
2. In Slower Motion
3. Greasier
4. Redelivered (feat. Alex Kapranos)
5. Disco Cluster
6. Titre Original
7. Vaguement Froid
8. The delivery - LP instrumental
9. 1880
10. Blinkar Reprise
11. Weekend Boom Boom (feat C.A.R)
