HBT - To Kill A Heartbeat

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  • Julien Haguenauer doesn't like to rush things. Some of the records on DEMENT3D, the label he runs with Francois X, have been years in the making. The same goes for Haguenauer's own productions as Heartbeat, or HBT. He's been DJing and performing live under the name for years, but while there has been a few remixes as HBTVSK (with Voiski) and a track on a compilation as Stego (with a member of DSCRD), To Kill A Heartbeat is the first HBT solo record. To Kill A Heartbeat was commissioned by Dawn Records, a French experimental music label with connections to the art scene. It's improvised and mostly made with a detuned piano. The recording sounds untouched in the opening phrase of "The Mockingbird"—you can even hear scuffling background noises. Then the treatments begin, as keys fade in and out of sweeping reverb, bass drones and engulfing pads. The piano almost disappears before it's revived towards the end of the track. Looped keys and hand percussion give "Pesanteur (The Ball)" a rhythmic touch, but it's still not ready for club play. The potential dance floor track comes later with "Runway Shift," a slab of primitive techno that conjures up images of fireside rituals. Haguenauer producing an experimental record won't surprise anyone who has seen him perform lately. On To Kill A Heartbeat, the dance floor doesn't seem to be on his mind at all.
  • Tracklist
      A1 The Mockingbird A2 Pesanteur (The Ball) B1 Runway Shift B2 A L'Abri Des Regards Indiscrets
RA