Percussionist Michel F Cote takes his Mecha Fixes Clocks ensemble (Philippe Lauzier-sax, Elwood Epps-trumpet, Jean Rene-sax, Pierre-Yves Martel-feedback, Bernard Falaise-guitar, Guillaume Dostaler-piano) on a compelling audio tour of air travel.
"Recorded at Coté's preferred studio, Montreal's Studio 270, Beau comme un aéroport is a suite of songs, the titles of which allude to air travel ("se maintenir en l'air coûte que coûte," "turbulence du dimanche," "au terme de l'ascension," "petite perte d'altitude"). We do not normally think of airports as beautiful, however, and the music does not seem strictly programmatic, but one can find musical analogues with air travel if one chooses to do so. The middle section of "Turbulence du dimanche," a rather tranquil piece, is dominated by a line of long notes from Epps, and Coté clattering on toms. (Perhaps Sundays are known for having very little turbulence.) "Atlas des brumes" has an African feel to the beat, bass droning underneath, trumpet line of long, purely played notes, Dostaler vamping sparely. "Tour des anges" begins with Epps and Dostaler playing solo lines before Coté enters with a splash of cymbal followed by a rising burst of feedback, which, with Dostaler's offbeat phrasing, creates a sense of impending doom. "Egalité de la resistance des ailes" has a gamelan-feel built around Martel's viola da gamba and Lauzier's alto, a polyrhythmic play. "Sur le siège d'a côté 22F" has Epps blowing air through his trumpet to simulate snoring. "Ostinato aierienne" is a gentle, peaceful ending, which one wishes all flights to have."-Musicworks Magazine