Aurélie Dorzée
Horror vacui
Homerecords (www.homerecords.be)

Horror vacui is a solo tour de force. The Belgium-based violinist and singer Aurélie Dorzée produces every sound on this disc, creating a work of fragile sparseness and startling intimacy. Her violin playing has a rustling, restless quality, whether pizz-ing in tandem with the vocal melody or undulating along in Phillip Glass-like waves. Her voice goes from a murmur to a shriek as the words require, often bringing to mind Czech experimentalist Iva Bittova. The title track is a nightmare of emptiness, with panting and howling vocals, the violin ostinato trying in vain to provide reassurance. But she can chanson it up a la Piaf or Paris Combo's Belle du Berry as well. "Le Roi et la Marionette" is a minimalist cabaret torch song in 3/4 time.

"L'enfant Noyé" gives a dark, sorrowful treatment to a traditional French tragedy. "Son Sexe Végétal" is an elegant, sweeping instrumental, with intersecting violin and viola lines underscored by a persistent pizzicato. She further shows her solid classical technique on "La Cabane Aluminée," making a sideways nod toward Bach. On "Celle Qui a Du Vent Dans La Téte," she splits her voice into two octaves, creating an organum effect that rides on a wave of double-stop violin. There's an underlying eeriness about the whole album that somehow manages to be comforting at the same time. It has the shattered beauty of the prism-like shards of a broken mirror. - Peggy Latkovich

CD available from cdRoots

Looking for More Information? © 2009 RootsWorld. No reproduction of any part of this page or its associated files is permitted without express written permission.