Paume - A Reflection - Ransom Note

Music

PAUME – TRANSALPINE EP (Melodic Records)

Paume, annoyingly young at just 24, wants to take the house sounds of his Parisian surroundings back to the underground, eschewing the big room sounds of the likes of Fred Falke for something which warrants attention without desperately seeking it.

Weird filtered bird sounds, early 90’s trance lines, glitchy beats and a Moroder-esque bassline throb drive the lead cut, “Transalpine”, using live drum breaks and, a gated eerie female vocal, the end result being a modern-day rethink of Bent’s classic track “Always”, and who doesn’t love that?

“Follies” is drenched in atmospherics, the synths of a mid-eighties New Order, skipping beats and a liquid bassline, it’s an immersive listen and is typical of the enveloping warmth and languid melancholy evident through the EP’s four tracks. “Juno Beach” is tailor made beach house music, not that ridiculousness that gets peddled by UK label Hed Kandi, this is the kind that is inspired by deserted beaches at 3pm, cut with a synth line that’s laced with inherent sadness amongst the bird sound samples and sounds of the sea, no (major label) disco dollies in sight, it’s a dreamy cut that transports you right there.

The final cut, “Love Fifteen” takes a more organic approach, replacing synths for piano, bass inspired skipping beats, something that sounds like steel drums and a smoky jazz vocal from an artist just named Heidi. It’s not very often that you get a four tracker where each of the cuts is essential, the “Transalpine EP” goes about its business in an unassuming, brilliant way.