“Densité 11.11” is a piece by Stéphan Caracci inspired by an Edgard Varèse work. It upholds the Collective’s aesthetic: a creativity to advance a resolutely modern music that draws its fundamentals from jazz and improvised music without ever excluding contemporary, electronic, or rock music. This Volume II falls well within the field of jazz through its instrumentarium, sound ecology, and architecture, but its central theme is the inspiration sparked by composers as varied as Olivier Messiaen, Edgard Varèse, Conlon Nancarrow, and Morton Feldman. But let’s be clear: we never have the impression that we’re listening to an InterContemporain record. Far from the ascetic rigors and acidic sounds of certain contemporary music, the repertoire written by Stéphane Payen, Stéphan Caracci, Alexandre Herer, Olivier Laisney, Julien Pontvianne, and Denis Guivarc'h unwinds like a long, cohesive suite. Only the Magic Malik composition “XP 32” veers toward soul. It’s a fantastic album where Stéphan Caracci’s vibraphone spreads its colors throughout.
