In 2020, cabane, the title given to a collective project conceived by the Belgian musician and photographer thomas jean henri, released Grande Est La Maison, described in these pages as one of 2020’s most beautiful pieces of work. Written and produced by thomas, it was sung and performed by a cast of guest collaborators, including Will Oldham, Kate Stables (This Is The Kit), along with the arrangements of Sean O’ Hagan (The High Llamas). Brulée is the title of his second album, out 26th January 2024, which again features the voice of Kate Stables who is joined this time by Sam Genders of Tunng.
Brulée is described as a collection of songs existing on the borders of folk and orchestral pop. Far from the troubles of the world, Brulée will be a shelter for lovers of Nick Drake and Vashti Bunyan or for all those touched by the delicacy of Mark Hollis, Sufjan Stevens or Robert Wyatt. The album is the the second in a triptych of cabane albums, with strings arranged in the company of Sean O’Hagan and mixed by the essential Ash Workman; thomas writes more than ever about loves… delicate, expected, disappointed, renounced, burned… lyrics assembled with finesse and gentleness in collaboration with Sam Genders and with the support of Caroline Gabard (Cavalier Montanari).
Earlier this year we heard the first single, ‘Today‘, the video for which featured the 365 photos taken by thomas as part of a photographic ritual between 9th January 2022 and 9th January 2023. “Going every day to Place Poelaert in Brussels – 3.8 km from my home – to photograph the sky with my film camera. We all live the same days… but do we keep the same memories?.”
Ahead of the singles release tomorrow, we have the plasure of sharing the lyric video for dead song pt.1 below. The song was co-written Sam Genders & thomas jean henri (composed by thomas). It features Sam Genders as well as Laura Etchegoyhen, Theodora de Lilez, Emma Broughton and additional nylon guitar by Boris Gronemberger.
Despite being a collaborative project, the work of thomas jean henri, much like his photograpy, is deeply personal. Photographer Philip Perkis once spoke of how when he was taking a picture with his camera, the photo isn’t just about the subject…it’s about the relationship between what’s inside and outside the person taking the photo: “I walk around in the world that’s outside of myself, and inside of myself there is a world, and it’s filled with images and they may not be visual images, they maybe just emotional images or language images or just a feeling, or a desire and then I walk around with a camera…I see something, and somehow it corresponds to something in here (the mind)”.
In much the same way, cabane’s music reflects both an inner and outer world, so while it is ultimately collaborative, it’s also deeply personal…we will all experience this music in a uniquely personal way, as none of us share the same inner world…something cabane highlighted on his last album when he filmed people listening to the music in the place where it was written. This deeply personal and unique experience is something cabane’s music seems to magnify.
More: https://linktr.ee/cabane_music
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