Some may describe Vincent Bergeron’s music as eccentric, but I think this kind of generalisation misses the point. As I said in my review of Casse-tête de l’Existence, Vincent attempts to breakdown traditional song writing. This reminded me of William S. Burroughs, both in terms of aesthetic values and technique; and Vincent has continued this approach in L’Art du Désarroi (The Art of Distress), his new 6 track album available on CD, or in Ogg format. Choosing to use Ogg is a statement in itself, and in a way Vincent is demonstrating his understanding of issues inherent to digital audio distribution and how artists are currently attempting to tackle more than freedom of their intellectual property, but also the format of the artwork they create. The CD comes complete with words, images and instrumental versions of some of the tracks.
Vincent wrestles with many competing elements in L’Art du Désarroi, commenting on the chaotic mental processes of a creative mind. Just as the instrumentation is heavily edited and atonal, his voice takes on many different characters. In Dave and Drew Banned Art, for instance, he’s almost schizophrenic; the instrumentation jumps from various ethnic backgrounds, his vocals switch from a tone of mockery to listlessness and then sadness.
Somehow I never feel totally lost with Vincent’s music, the edits feel natural, and my poor understanding of French doesn’t prevent me from feeling the music on an emotional level. In L’Art du Désarroi, he has clearly developed his techniques since Casse-tête de l’Existence. In terms of layers of instrumentation, things are actually simpler, yet the tracks don’t feel stark or unsophisticated.
Introversion is the most “accessible” track on the L’Art du Désarroi, beginning with sublime classical guitar playing, to which synthesisers and brass instruments join in. The brass instruments appear to be mocking the more traditional melody that the guitar began with. I don’t know if Vincent intended this, but there is a sense of humour to it that I love.
If you download L’Art du Désarroi, prepare to be surprised. Go for a walk in your nearest town or city with it on your mp3 player, think about Van Gogh, Vincent and banned art.