Review: Francis Rimbert - Snap Shots

[Planet Origo]

Francis Rimbert: Snap Shots

Even though he's mostly known for being a key musician for Jean Michel Jarre since the 80s, Francis Rimbert has also composed his own music since 1979. Snap Shots is his latest album (released October 2007), and unlike some of his older albums, this is an artistic work based on his personal experiences, rather than work for hire. Snap Shots offer 11 tracks of mostly instrumental electronic music.

The album opens very strong, with three excellent poppy tracks (Dawn of Light, Victory, Hidden Movie) that have nice melodies and lively production; Dawn of Light is quite bombastic, as an overture, with Patrick Rondat on electric guitar and a female synth soprano creating interesting contrasts. Victory is perhaps the classic track of the album, with an irrestiable main theme and a very Jarre-esque bassline. Hidden Movie is quite cinematic (hence it's title), and features sounds and influences from jazz, orchestral soundtracks and Spain, while being contained in an electronic soundscape. So far, I am impressed.

The next track, Somewhere in July, breaks with the upbeat electronic mood that has been established, as it's mainly a piano, trumpet and (electronic) harmonica piece. However, the relaxed loungy atmosphere works well once you get into the track. Rimbert wanted to reflect the various emotions you go through in a day, so after work you'd want to wind down, and this track, with less electronic emphasis, serves it's intended function. It would not be misplaced on Jarre's jazzotronica album Sessions 2000. (Out of curiosity, I sent an MP3 of Somewhere in July to one of the world's finest harmonica players, Sigmund Groven, who commented about the harmonica part; "This is very surprising for being synthesized harmonica. Both the playing style, vibrato and phrasing sounds quite natural. The harmonica is one of the most difficult instruments to replicate electronically because it's a very personal instrument, but this is among the better I have heard." Sigmund Groven is the harmonica's answer to Jarre, so a statement like that counts!)

Viva la Revolucion sounds to me a bit too much like Harold Faltermeyer of the 1980s, and the song's composition and structure isn't top notch either. Twim Dam Do is another "acoustic" piece with piano and guitar, and a women singing the nonsense words of the title. Quite relaxed and sweet, but nothing important, and more Richard Clayderman than serious electronica, to be blunt.

Then follows two bigger-scale tracks; Memory of Love starts in a dramatic way, and is a slightly darker and cinematic, with female words and chants adding nice sonic and contextual layers. The track does not quite reach the proposed climax, but the production is nice and more epic than the other tracks on the album. Apocalypse follows in the same darker vein, and sounds a little like Pink Floyd, with it's slow orchestral rock influences. This track shows Rimbert's best overall compositional skill on this album, as it's focus is more on structure than melodic moments and beats. Electric guitar (by Patrick Rondat again), brass instruments, synths and drum programming (sounding quite organic and live) work very well together.

Mecanique du Temps blends Serge Blenner-esque orchestral samples with synths and Rondat's hard rock guitar, and it all works out a little simple, until the last minute, when some cool guitar and synth arrangements are introduced. Unfortunately, too little and too late to save the entire track.

The last conventional track, Sleeping Beauty, features electronic strings, oboe and synths, and inspite it's soundtrack-like quality (I do enjoy orchestral movie soundtracks) the melody becomes a little too much Clayderman again, with traces of Kitaro. The final track of the album is the opposite; R.B.F. is a highly rhythmic techno/dance influenced track with anthemic melodies and a very cheerful production. Perhaps thought of as an encore to a concert or sport event theme? The melody is too simple and the track soon gets annoying, with it's hyper production and early 1990s synth sounds. I consider this track almost a remix, added to the end of the album as a bonus, but not part of Snap Shots musically. As one of the many emotions one might experience in a day it fits the concept, but I think the dance urge could have been released with more subtlety.

The album no doubt reflects Rimbert's strong musical and sound design skills, and there is no wonder why he's Jarre's trusted "partner in crime". But I feel the album lacks some overall cohesiveness or structure. And there are perhaps too many half weak compositions to fulfil the promises from the first three or four tracks. There is a handful of excellent or good tracks, but another handful does not live up to the potential that Francis Rimbert puts on display. The album is also quite traditional, and reminds me of Jan Hammer albums of the 80s and early 90s, and mid-90s Tangerine Dream (but with better sound engineering). I was hoping for something a little more contemporary or innovative, so maybe I just had my hopes up too much.

Rating: 7 of 10

Availability:
http://webshop.francisrimbert.com/

Greetings from Glenn Folkvord
Web & content editor, Planet Origo

Origo Sound music: http://www.cdbaby.com/all/origosound
Origo Sound info: http://www.myspace.com/origosound
Origo Sound news: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/origosound

[elektro80]

[Planet Origo]

I am sorry if you feel the review was just a marketing scheme. The review *was* sponsored, because I am employed by the parent company of the label to do work for them, but I am also allowed to write reviews of non-Origo albums, which have nothing to do with the label. What else do you call it, when I do non-label reviews on company time? Would you rather I post label-only reviews? As if that isnt pure marketing?

People post ads, blurbs, self-promotion, announcements of their own albums in forums such as this all the time, without any other content or intention than promoting their own stuff. If that isnt viral marketing and *only* marketing, I dont know what is. This review was meant to have actual, honest content not related to Origo Sound.

But, I apologize if it was a breach of forum rules, and I will make sure to post ads in separate messages hereafter.

Greetings from Glenn Folkvord
Web & content editor, Planet Origo

Origo Sound music: http://www.cdbaby.com/all/origosound
Origo Sound info: http://www.myspace.com/origosound
Origo Sound news: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/origosound

[elektro80]

I´m not questioning your integrity as a reviewer, but the viral messaging looks a tad odd, misplaced and even slightly offending since we didn´t see any sponsoring at all. Anyways, we have decided to hit down on viral marketing here. It is perfectly OK to post press releases and news. We have Bakis here doing that. He is pushing his product which is himself and his music. This is good, but at some stage we have to restrict marketing done by companies. We have built this community in order to ...well.. there was a need for such a community and offering a place for it to happened allowed the community to create itself. Sponsoring the community for the greater good is a good thing but there is no point in sponsoring companies that should pay for the ads rather than act like leeches.

So, the question is: In which category should we place you and your record labels? Are you guys a part of the "community" or simply yet another fresh supply of leeches? Personally I´d go for the first option, but the way you have been working the "sponsored reviews" scheme kinda puts you unfairly somewhere else. That is too bad really considering the content those labels of yours are trying to push. If you rethink this scheme a bit then it would look far better. Origisound will never be Warner or Universal so there is no need for trying to play the leeching game.

No hard feelings here, I simply wish that you play this in a different way. And btw, those reviews of yours are of course nice content.. but you knew that already.

[Planet Origo]

I am not quite clear on what is the difference between acceptable self-marketing by individual artists in other threads, and foul marketing by "companies". You are right, Origo Sound is not Warner and never will be, and we are struggling to make ends meet on every release just as most artists here do, which is why I did not consider a small plug too intrusive.

I consider myself and Origo part of the community because all we do is play, release and write about the electronic music we love - we're not a "faceless company" (although it is a registered company as such). We pay money from our own pockets to release what the artists themselves dont dare to release, or cannot afford to. Still, we take the time to promote other artists, in this case Francis Rimbert.

But again, I will refrain from what will be considered "evil corporate viral marketing" and perhaps you can explain what exactly that is and how I can (if at all) promote Origo albums later. You may want to continue in emails or PMs. I am looking forward to be enlightened.

[elektro80]

You can start your research at the wikipedia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viral_marketing
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viral_video
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_Networking_Potential
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Word_of_mouth_marketing


There are of course some pretty decent books out there if you can slot those into your budget.

Just for the record, you did state that your intention behind the posting of these reviews is purely marketing. You have added the origosound sponsorship notice and the lot in order promote your brand, but doing this without paying for an ad. There is no mystery here. Your intention is to get as close to an ad as possible without having to pay for it. And then repeat this all over the web again and again.
You either see the obvious consequences or not. Your company pays you for writing these reviews as part of the overall marketing strategy and then you post these here as neutral content with sponsoring messages attached. Hello..!

If you want to promote your stuff here without having to pay for ads, then simply post press releases and hang out like the rest of the guys and gals do.

[Planet Origo]

Allright, I get your point, easy now.....

You are jumping to some conclusions (such as "paid to write content as part of overall marketing scheme") but I wont take up more of your or my time on this topic.

My apologies again. I read the FAQ but there was no info there about rules such as this, so I thought I was within limits. At least I am not impersonating someone else, raving about Origo albums!

Removing the blurb/whatever.... happy now?

[elektro80]

It looks at a bit better.