Francis Dhomont discovered, separately from the experiments of Pierre Schaeffer, the potential of electroacoustic music while working with magnetic wire. Since 1963 he only composes electroacoustic music. More than 40 years of experience shows itself in the compositions of course. His music is more balanced and not as turbulent as much of the music of younger composers.
Although Dhomont, much alike his confrères, seems to dislike quitetude. His music is in constant flux. After listening to the whole set I noticed that low frequency sounds are not abundantly present in Dhomont’s music.
The first composition, Here and There, is dedicated to Darren Copeland and Daid Eagle. The work’s principle body is whirl of granulations. The piece’s intention is to present different models of progression in a three-dimensional space. Starting with a clearly discernable motive it dissolves soon and starts wandering only to solidify after 10 minutes and 9 seconds.
The second piece is dedicate to Christian Calon: Je te salue, vieil océan!. Central is an excerpt of the Les chants de Maldoror by 19th century poet Lautréamont. Dhomont’s work has more often relations to text, like his Forêt profonde where a psychoanalytical version of the Hansl and Gretl story plays a central role. This piece has literal connotations with water and the sea/ocean but also dives deeper with edited (granulated) concrete sounds. This work reminds me much of the better works of Michel Chion: a clear literal motive around which the music circles supporting and indeed enhancing and deepening the atmosphere.
Chroniques de la lumière is dedicated to Annette Vande Gorne, yet another acousmatic master. Three parts which in total take up more than 29 minutes. For more than 15 years has the work been in and out of the studio. The final part, Météores, was earlier released in 1991 on the Mouvances~Métaphores 2cd release and in 1996 on Les dérives du signe of empreintes DIGITALes. In 2005 the whole composition has been reworked.
The sixth composition on this disc, Voyage-miroir is dedicated to Robert Normandeau. The work starts traditionally with a swirl of sounds, but most times the motives and the motions are much clearer. This makes it an ‘easy’ work, because the listener gets a better grip at what he hears. Voyage-miroir is rework of … mourir un peu, a work of 1984-1987 which also was released on the Mouvances~Métaphores 2cd.
Corps et âme, the final work, deals with the balance between body and soul. Psychology is a central theme in Dhomont’s work which he works out in many different forms. In this work he juxtaposes sounds that he regards as ‘fleshy’ with those that are ‘ethereal’. This is of course highly subjective which is exactly what an artist is supposed.
Francis Dhomont presents his intellectual preoccupations with the air of the experienced artist who is in total control of his sonic material and thus is capable of concentrating on his subject.
