The idea with this record was to not have a side A or side B per se, not to have a front or back cover but just two sides, resisting the history of 7"s being that the B side is the more esoteric complement to the A side.
'Warm Weather' and 'Le Vieux Favori 4' stand alone without one being considered more important than the other.
The acoustic lounge-tinged 'Warm Weather' trundles ahead with a warm feeling as multiple channels of nylon-string guitar twang scuttle along just before Eric's shingly vocals come in adding another beautifully reflective layer to the mix.
'Le Vieux Favori 4' blends electric guitar, melodica and spinning speakers creating a classical cinematic sound that slowly draws you in while unravelling a soft yet unnerving tension throughout.
Both tracks were recorded and mixed in January 2009 by Radwan Moumneh at the Hotel2Tango studio situated in Montreal before being sent off to Harris Newman for mastering.
A quite sublime 7".

Warm Weather Excerpt
Le Vieux Favori 4 Excerpt

ESR201001.01

Vinyl 7"

10:20 (45rpm)

22 February 2010

Boomkat ▼
A wonderfully subtle piece of acoustic songwriting from regular Constellation artist, Eric Chenaux. On 'Warm Weather', Chenaux's soft, husky vocal is a thing of extreme loveliness, finding accompaniment from gently, jazzy acoustic guitar phrasings. It's definitely a cut above the general singer-songwriter standard, but when you hear the B-side it's all the more impressive: 'La Vieux Favori 4' is a violin-led drone piece reminiscent of C. Spencer Yeh's output, showing an admirable range of this man's talents.
EARLabs 8.5/10 ▼
2 sides on a 7", 2 sides from a musician with a diverse range of styles. A warm and tender love song and a piece full of dissonant melodies.
A second release from the prestigious label Eat, Sleep, Repeat. Again a two track 7" releases is presented. After the first release by Machinefabriek the goal was set high. With that one in mind I started listening to Warm Weather/Le Vieux Favori 4 by Canadian musician Eric Chenaux who is closely related to Constellation Records.
As we could expect from Chenaux the two pieces on the 7" release are both from a complete different order.
Warm Weather is a song in a traditional folk style. Comforting guitar sounds with soft vocals. I guess it is a love song, longing for the good times that used to be. There is a sad tone to this piece but that makes it a beauty. At first you might have to get used to the vocals of this singer. It sounds broken, down, soft, slightly falsetto (but don't expect the bee gees).
It is a lovely song.
The other side of the 7" brings us Le Vieux Favori 4 which is build up from dissonant electric guitar and melodica sounds. The music spins round your head trying to grab your attention, and it does. In the music you can hear references to folk music from the Middle Ages and begin Renaissance. Soft drones in the background as if a hurdy gurdy is being played, with other bowed instruments. The music is slightly in the same tonal setting, only in this case used for dissonance. It is an interesting piece that is hard to get into, but when you listen more careful you hear it has some great things in it.
The 7" by Eric Chenaux is again a lovely piece released on Eat, Sleep, Repeat and if they can keep this up they promise to become one label to keep an eye open for.
Editorial: the release already got sold-out in pre-order from the label, though it will pop-up in some web-shops pretty soon.
Fluid Radio ▼
I have been really excited by the arrival of new label Eat, Sleep, Repeat: The Machinefabriek release sold out just on Pre-Orders alone so I suggest that you are wise and pre-order the new Eric Chenaux title before they are gone as well...
It's a tuff call to try and sum up this gorgeous little ep to be honest as we have two tracks that flow with so much beauty and yet at the same time are completely opposite in style.
If you want to experience a quirky little folk type selection on one side and a Richard Skelton meets Nordic string arrangements on the other then I say grab this ep 'quick time'! Highly highly highly recommended!
Losing Today ▼
Not strictly out for a month or so but all the same deserving of a heads up this release features two suites by the highly regarded Eric Chenaux, part of the much admired Constellation set Chenaux is something of a workaholic with a recording CV stretching back some two decades, having cut his teeth on the post rock underground with Phleg Camp - recent years have seen him expanding his sonic repertoire to incorporate lounge jazz and fried improv (think I'm right in saying that both nightjars and the reveries have been mentioned in some form or other in previous despatches), often compared with the late Derek Bailey in terms of his improvisation prowess, it'd be more true to true to say that Chenaux is a purist of the bruised ballad with the emphasis on melody being given centre of attention - his compositions creak with a strangely off set passion, spectral and seemingly threadbare they are endowed by an archaic alchemy that's both lilting and haunting. We suggest you head without further delay to his my space page at www.myspace.com/ericchenaux and partake in the delight that is 'rest your delights' a kind of Palace Brothers meets Radiohead re-sculptured by Three Mile Pilot. Best described as heart hurting archaic spiritualist folk montages Chenaux offers up two distinctly polar portrayals of his artistry on this ultra limited seven inch outing, 'Le Vieux Favori 4' suffuses guitar and melodica in a most rewarding way, like some celebratory Celtic fanfare streaming through the fog bound wilderness, this mind expanding reverie weaves and woos with a strange detached fascination that should appeal in equal parts to fans of both Ivor Cutler and Flying Saucer Attack. Flip the disc for the near gemlike 'Warm Weather' - shyly romantic and frosted with a twinkling soft centre, the deftly fingered skeletal rustic fretwork is found beautifully woven upon a fragile and frail framework that's blessed with a beguiled albeit bitterly sweet introspective glow to which you can do nothing but be arrested by in the company of.
Record Collector ▼
Here's an impressive sophomore effort from the Eat, Sleep, Repeat imprint. First off the blocks, Warm Weather's nylon-string balladry fuses delicate silken spun webs, enmeshing Chenaux's wistful half-whispered musings within a snare of tenderly-woven melancholy. On the flip, Le Vieux Favori 4 ferments oscillating spirals of glutinous ooze from a blend of electric guitar and melodica. The resultant infection is filtered through the trembling strings of Alistair Galbraith's violin before being bounced around the hallowed halls of Ira Cohen's Thunderbalt Pagoda.
Textura ▼
Chenaux's perhaps best known for his output on the Montreal-based Constellation label, 2006's Dull Lights and 2008's Sloppy Ground. Despite being creations of same artist, the two tracks on this seven-inch vinyl single (both recorded and mixed in January 2009 at the Hotel2Tango studio) are about as contrasting as could be imagined, and thereby offer a snapshot of the man's many talents.
The opener "Warm Weather" is a wistful and subtly romantic ballad that's truly lovely. In this laid-back folk setting, Chenaux couples a hushed, fragile vocal filled with wry reminiscences ("We can dance to ballads out on your porch / People dance that way everyday / Someone once told me that's how love is made / And I see warm weather rollin' in") with acoustic guitar finger-picking that gives the tune the feel of an old Mexican song. The acompanying instrumental, "Le Vieux Favori 4," smudges electric guitar and melodica elements into what could pass for a decades-old exhumation of Celtic psychedelia, the off-kilter piece woozily wheezing in the light breeze as it dazedly intones semi-ecstatic melodies like a decrepit hurdy gurdy. Needless to say, it's worlds removed from the opening song yet in some bizarre manner feels like a natural partner to it.
Vital Weekly ▼
Strictly speaking there is no A or B side to this record. Which of course seems to me the right thing to do. None of these two tracks is more important than the other. On 'Warm Weather', Chenaux plays a nylon guitar and sings. Multiple channels of guitar playing, although I don't think more than two or three. I must admit I am not a connoisseur of this kind of singer song writing, but it seems to me damn close to Nick Drake, this piece. Intimate, up close, and very personal. On 'Le Vieux Favori 4' we have electric guitar, melodica and 'spinning speakers creating a classical cinematic sound' and no vocals. There is a nice drone layered element to this piece of music, with an odd rotating sound, like multiple violins (which I guess there aren't any) shimmering away. An entirely different piece, but it has a similar not too outspoken quality to it. Nicely private music.