„Bizarre“ is an adjective which is mostly used in a slightly derrogative fashion. In the case of Raoul Sinier, it turns into a veritable recommendation. While the video worlds of the Parisean producer are filled with walking radishes, truncated bodies and surreal landscapes, his music seems to emanate from a festish-style music box, spinning its leather-clad ballarina in loops of frenetic ecstacy.

While this description may sound as though Sinier were still very much toying around with everything he can lay his fingers on in finding a style of his own, quite the opposite is true. „Huge Samurai Radish“ feeds us tempting signals off his upcoming „Brain Kitchen“ album and sees him publishing his music under his civilian name for the first time. You don't need a degree in psychology to come to the conclusion that this man has finally fully found himself.

Which is of course not to say that his previous efforts were immature of purely experimental. The element of „playfulness“ is essential to Raoul Sinier's music and its pervasiveness in his oeuvre indicates that it comes as natural and unplanned to him as putting sugar in one's coffee comes to others.

While predecessor „Wxfdswxc2“ worked on a similar energy level, it also had a sinister resonance to it, a destructive side which would find pleasure in witnessing structures dissolve and disappear. What sets „Huge Samurai Radish“ apart from this older repertoire, is the utter confidence with which he emphasises the colourful, upbeat and positive side of his personality.

The seven regular tracks of this EP are built in a merry-go-round fashion: Their motives turning in circular motion, pushed to the point of madness by the stuttering, stumbling, creaking, crunching, ganshing, grating and gritting beats pounding underneath. It is the drums though which these pieces develop and the triumphantly immobile melodies and harmonies underneath which lend them their hymnal character.

In the five remixes of the title track, colleagues and friends were invited to share their vision. Interestingly, they never stray too far from the orginals, instead opting to add female vocals (Lynx and Ram) or to lift the beats to an ethereal level (Datach'i and Wisp). Which is probably why the two tracks with the most obvious hiphop background leave the strongest impression thanks to their catchy rhymes: La Caution transforms „Huge Samurai Radish“ into an spacey electro-fantasy, while Vast Aire of Cannibal Ox lends it a rolling street spirit.

But whatever the methods of reworking may be, they can never fully erradicate the dark and erotic air that lingers in every corner of Sinier's work. Just like his pieces are never sitting still, they awaken the desire in the listener to jump up and do something unexpected, naughty and forbidden. It is bizarre music for bizarre moods, but on this occasion, that must be understood as a compliment.

By Tobias Fischer

Homepage: Raoul Sinier
Homepage: Ad Noiseam Records