Perpetual Now

Ever since Hermione Frank began releasing music as rRoxymore in 2012, the French producer has consistently defied expectations and made up her own rules. Her output generally fits under the umbrella of club music, but it doesnt stick to one style, and it never conforms to standard song structures. Instead, her tracks feel like breathing organisms that explore the world as they see fit. Her first release for Smalltown Supersound consists of four lengthy pieces that vary in tempo but never seem like theyre in a rush to arrive anywhere. "At the Crest" opens with a sequence of tense, jittery blips that settle into a more propulsive beat after several minutes, with a subtle bassline rattling around inside. "Sun in C" is a much more suspenseful slow build, twisting synth arpeggios into alarming timbres and culminating in a convulsing, shredded horn solo. "Fragmented Dreams" is the shortest and most immediate track, at seven minutes, and its a vivid electro-techno mini-journey with spiraling beat patterns and flashes of ecstatic sunshine. The 15-minute "Water Stains" rewards devoted concentration, with up-and-down pulsations and dubby wisps building up to restless, twitchy kick drums. As the beats drop out, swerving and snapping waves of static fill the space, until the rhythm returns and pushes the procession forward to the end. Franks music frequently inhabits in-between spaces, often feeling like its making its way through a tunnel. It does travel somewhere else, but only a few select moments that are more illuminated provide enough clarity to give you an idea of where things are going. Still, the drive for exploration is what makes the voyage worth taking, and rRoxymores music eludes easy comparison. ~ Paul Simpson