- A fascinating debut record from the Paris leftfield agitator.
- One of the top comments on an OKO DJ set that kicks off with samples of roaring lions is "I'm confused. 🤔🎧🎧🔊" You get the sense that neither the commenter nor the Parisian DJ, real name Marine Tordjemann, have any problem with this reaction. A key driver in the Parisian weirdo dance music scene, Tordjemann doesn't play quite like anyone else. She seems intent on making you scratch your head and dance, and not necessarily in that order.
The Bruits de la passion cofounder has made her first forays into production this year, first with a compilation track and now with an EP, Dans les Lunes. The four-track effort accompanies her edition of the Futur 2010 fanzine, and she describes the whole package as "an invitation to take a slower, more grounded and non-linear gaze at the universe and ourselves; a reflection tinged with spirituality and mysticism, mirroring the female cycle and its sacred character..."
I find myself at a disadvantage because I possess neither the fanzine nor anything beyond a bluffer's knowledge of French, but the music here is intriguing enough on its own. Each track delves into a female archetype: "The Witch," "The Virgin Warrior," "The Mother" and "The Enchantress." In a way similar to OKO DJ's sets, it's difficult to describe what's going on here. "The Witch" could be a modern post-punk update on Brigitte Fontaine and the Art Ensemble Of Chicago's singular explorations, while other tracks avoid beats entirely, landing in deeply experimental, ASMR-informed zones. The lurching closer, "The Enchantress," is one of the coolest downtempo tracks of the year, asOKO DJ blithely intones a laundry list of primal desires over a lurching, 100 BPM wave track.
Tracklist01. The Witch
02. The Virgin Warrior feat. Onarrivenow
03. The Mother
04. The Enchantress