Cloud Drifter

Swiss group LEclairs music is an uncategorizable mixture of pretty much any sound that has a groove, from Krautrock and electro-disco to house and Madchester. After releasing an analog synth-heavy one-off collaboration with Klaus Johann Grobe in 2024, LEclair issued their most guest-heavy effort to date, Cloud Drifter. As ever, no one influence reigns supreme on this album, but it leans a little heavier on synth-funk than the groups past records. The brief "Run" is a sort of early-80s mutant disco flashback, with slap bass and percolating synths backing Gelli Hahas nonchalant vocals. "Vertigo" is a dazzling space disco odyssey impressively sequenced in 3/4 time. "Replica M001" additionally takes an unconventional approach to rhythm, opening with skipping polyrhythms and lush strings before making way for Pink Siifus unconstrained rapping. The string arrangements make downtempo tracks like "Cloud Drifter" and "The Glitch" extra sweet, soothing, and spacy. "Ocean Mind" is both cinematic and wildly trippy, with expansive reverb drawing out the mysterious choral voices, gentle bass hand percussion, and harps. "Odessos" is more danceable, but in a way the group hasnt attempted before, blending dubby rhythms with trancey arpeggios, racing disco beats, and ethereal vocals. The last few tracks ease back into downtempo chill-out territory, with "Nova Umbra" sounding like Com Truise, but more influenced by 70s TV soundtracks, and "Nostalgia" being more of a smooth orchestral soul tune. The albums title ends up being appropriate, since much of the record seems more fitting for a day spent gazing at the sky than a night at a futuristic club. Still, its undeniably a step in a few new directions from a group that hasnt repeated itself yet. ~ Paul Simpson