A series of thirteen short pieces involving texts written and spoken by Gaillard (in French) set to compositions by Naegelen, performed by Fabrice Arnaud-Crémon (clarinets) and Aurélie Maisonneuve (voice). As the title of the album indicates, the concern is with a delicate rhythmic interplay between instruments and voice.
Not rigorous or staccato but flowing, perhaps bubbling, the rhythms of a stream or of air currents. My French isn't good enough to critique the text but the overall sensation is quite varied — sometimes rich, other times stark — and enveloping. The occasional piece, like "Nous portions..." can grate a bit with regard to vocal stylings that sound like 60s avant efforts, but for the most part, over its relatively brief span (some 26 minutes), this suite works effectively. It feels sincere, direct and calmly strong. I'm reminded a little bit of Zbigniew Herbert and Robert Piotrowicz' epic 'Pan Cogito' (Institutul Polonez, 2009), not a bad comp at all.