Born in Canada and now based in Sydney, singer-songwriter / electronic producer Guerre crafts contemporary electronic soul that takes everything from RNB elements to post-dubstep influences, with this debut download-only seven track EP ‘Darker My Love’ arriving on the heels of his recent accompanying remix collection, which featured excellent reworkings from the likes of Collarbones, Townhouses and Wintercoats. If ‘Care 4 Me’ opens proceedings on a smooth and laidback RNB tip that calls to mind James Blake as Guerre’s silky soul whisper collides with a stripped-down backdrop of sparse beats and trailing, phased synth tones, ‘See The Birds’ sees the influence of Burial’s nocturnal soundscapes rising to the forefront as a clattering, off-centre rhythm locks in beneath gauzy layers of blurred backing harmonies and mosquito-like, skittering hi-hats. Elsewhere, the gorgeous ‘River Hymnal’ practically bleeds textural richness as slow handclaps and subtle glitchy effects trace a path against Guerre’s interwoven blues-soul harmonies and ticking, insect-like snare rhythms, before instrumental closer ‘Equilibrium Hymn’ takes things out amidst a beatific wash of ebbing sampled orchestration as the slow ebb of blurred-out synth harmonics adds a wide-eyed edge to what’s pretty much a perfect outro for this collection. An impressive debut from Guerre – you can download ‘Darker My Love’ from Bandcamp.
Chris Downton
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