{"title":"Les Imprimes","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"love-flowers-45-edit-bw-you","title":"Love and Flowers (45 Edit) b\/w You","description":"\u003cp\u003eBy popular demand, and following up on the success of Les Imprimés debut album Rêverie, we press two more absolute standouts from the LP to 45 for the DJs and collectors. For the A side we asked Morten to do an edit for the 7\" and put a little more bottom in the mix in the spirit of Larry Levan. No surprise, it worked to great effect. The \"Love \u0026amp; Flowers\" 45 Edit pushes that much harder and will move the dancefloor while the message will resonate with anyone who put too much effort into the wrong situation in their lives - \"It wasn't worth it, my new girl's perfect\" The B side \"You\" tears out of the gate with an epic crescendoing intro that sets the stage for a gorgeous sweet soul tune. A beautiful profession of love and reassurance that are as charming instrumentally as they are lyrically. Morten Martens' gift for arrangement is on full display as he takes the listener through all the tasteful changes, never going too far, never wasting a moment.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Big Crown Records","offers":[{"title":"Black 7\"","offer_id":50398843732299,"sku":"2174077","price":10.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/Les_Imprimes_-_Love__Flowers_7_ffbe32ba_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726498925"},{"product_id":"falling-away-still-here","title":"Falling Away \/ Still Here","description":"\u003cp\u003eLes Imprimés treat us to a tough as nails 7\" pulling two stand out tracks from their forthcoming album in a classic Plug \u0026amp; Ballad pairing. The A side \"Falling Away'' starts with a crushing drum break that Martens layers with lush piano runs, sitar, and guitar riffs. The lyrics almost contradict the tone of the track making it a bittersweet affair as he sings about love falling apart - \"One day at a time girl you waste my life\". On the B side \"Still Here\" Martens professes his resilience through life's twists and turns over a thundering track that puts a new spin on the B side ballad genre. Martens blends his poetry with his excellent usage of space making this yet another tune from Les Imprimés that is easy to love but hard to categorize.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Big Crown Records","offers":[{"title":"Black 7\"","offer_id":50409559392587,"sku":"2028252","price":10.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/Les_Imprimes_-_Falling_Away_7_a3a61021_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1728373850"},{"product_id":"reverie-12","title":"Reverie","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe debut full length offering from Les Imprimés, \u003ci\u003eRêverie\u003c\/i\u003e. The stirring and ethereal sounds of Les Imprimés have been making fans of anyone who hears them since their first 7” single hit the speakers. Morten Martens is the man behind the band. Born, raised, and working in Kristiansand, Norway, he keeps a low profile while making his heartfelt, highly infectious, and unique music. This album is a long time coming for Martens and it is sure to make him a name to be reckoned with.  \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe first thing you notice listening to Les Imprimés is the high level of musicianship. Martens plays nearly every instrument on the recordings and handles the production and arranging. He has been making records for decades, winning a Spellemann Award (aka, the Norwegian Grammy) in 2006 for producing a Hip Hop album as well as getting nominations across three other genres. While awards and accolades speak to the level of his talent, this new album really shows who he is as an artist on his own terms. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMoving away from being a hired gun on the touring scene naturally led him to start doing more studio work. Slowly collecting gear and getting more experience behind the boards he built his own studio on the island of Odderøya and was making a living playing with and recording other people's music. As the story goes, after those sessions would end he would work on his own project into the wee hours of the night. From these late night sessions, Les Imprimés was born and Rêverie began to take shape.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHowever, \"it wasn't until COVID, when things locked down, that I was really able to find the time to focus on Les Imprimés\" Morten says about creating and leading his own solo project. \"It was a scary time. But I knew I had to do something with it.\" He took the sum of his influences, combined them with his own vibe and got busy writing the music, playing the instruments, and singing the songs. \"It's soul music, but I don't exactly have the soul voice,\" Morten explains humbly. \"But I do it my own way, in a way that's mine.\" \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIt is his sound, his fingerprint, his sensibility, that makes his music hard to categorize. He has crafted an album of songs with different energies that all fit together to make one gorgeous record. The lead single “Falling Away” starts with a raw drum break and turns into a lushly arranged tune that paints the picture of love when it slips away. On “Still Here” he professes his resilience through life’s twists and turns over a thundering track that puts a new spin on the B side ballad genre. Songs like “You” and “Our Love” mix tones from 60s and 70s Soul with arrangement nods to Doo Wop records while Martens’ lyrics and delivery leave you singing the melodies long after they finish. “Love and Flowers” finds Martens in a moment of clarity with a song that fits the niche sub genre of happy break up tunes, the four on the floor track will move the dancefloor while the message will resonate with anyone who put too much effort into the wrong situation in their lives. However, it is songs like “Muse” and “Chess” that really encapsulate the uniqueness of Les Imprimés as they push the boundaries of genre, one a profession of love for music and the other a cover of an electronic record respectively. Martens’ lyrics, emotion, and delivery truly make the whole thing come together and stand out from any of his peers. There’s an infectiousness and a pop sensibility in the writing that is done with the utmost class and taste giving Les Imprimés the rare quality of immediate attraction that only deepens the more you listen.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Big Crown","offers":[{"title":"LP - Black","offer_id":50483451003211,"sku":"2024481","price":27.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"LP - Blue","offer_id":50483451461963,"sku":"2024482","price":27.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":50483450544459,"sku":"2024480","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/Les_Imprimes_-_Reverie_10b9d50a_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727567597"},{"product_id":"come-on-in-les-imprimes-remix","title":"Come On In (Les Imprims Remix)","description":"\u003cp\u003eOn January 28, 2022, Lady Wray released her Piece Of Me album. A deeply personal record that takes on the good and the bad in life from deception and abuse to the joys of motherhood and long awaited professional triumph. The accolades the album has received since its release speak volumes. From performing on The Stephen Colbert Show to selling out multiple US tours to cleaning up in the best of 2022 lists to crushing an NPR Tiny Desk on the 1 year anniversary of the album, Piece Of Me continues to prove itself a timeless classic. In March of 2023, Lady Wray had Ghostface Killah join her on the \"Piece Of Me\" remix and had Pete Rock lend his legendary remixing skills to \"Joy \u0026amp; Pain\". Now it's a Big Crown family affair as Les Imprimés lends his production prowess to a remix for \"Come On In\" and Surprise Chef take the warm weather anthem \"Under The Sun\" and give it their unorthodox Jazz \/ Funk treatment. Both of these remixes put brand new energy on the originals that will hold us over while Lady Wray is finishing her new album with El Michels Affair. Side A Come On In (Les Imprimés Remix) Side B Under The Sun (Surprise Chef Remix)\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Big Crown","offers":[{"title":"7\"","offer_id":50520835195211,"sku":"2056797","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/Lady_Wray_Les_Imprimes__Surprise_Chef_-_Come_On_In__01da0a78_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727986701"},{"product_id":"with-you-bw-only-love","title":"With You b\/w Only Love","description":"\u003cp\u003eFirst tune from unannounced sophomore album recording sessions. Sophomore full length due Summer 2025. Extensive European touring planned. Les Imprimés is back in the studio working on their sophomore album and treats us to a smashing two-sider with the first two songs from these sessions. The A side 'With You' is an instant hit for the DJs and dance floors. An uptempo, uplifting tune about a fleeting encounter that leaves you craving more. Frontman Morten Martens doesn't waste a word over the shuffling drums and dancing piano lines. He sings about the pleasantly surprising impact of a chance encounter with a woman, whom he winds up pining for. Martens longs for her, but joyfully, as if just remembering such a connection is possible is what he really needed. The B side 'Only Love' is built over a gritty, punchy drum break with a chorus that is simple yet profound, and the arrangement leans into the message. Martens sings of letting go of inhibition and fear and allowing love to have a chance to thrive. \"Only love can set us free…\"\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Big Crown Records","offers":[{"title":"Black 7\"","offer_id":50532223418699,"sku":"2221031","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/Les_Imprimes_-_With_You_7_0f95b1fa_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1728116926"},{"product_id":"fading-forward","title":"Fading Forward","description":"\u003cp\u003eBig Crown Records is proud to present the sophomore full-length from Les Imprimes, \u003cem\u003eFading Forward.\u003c\/em\u003e Spearheaded by self taught multi-instrumentalist and producer Morten Martens, this album explores mortality, escapism, and a myriad of experiences associated with love.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMartens made a tremendous impression with his highly acclaimed 2023 debut Rêverie and has since cultivated a diehard fanbase whose demographics are as wide-ranging as the influences that shape his music. He mixes tones from ‘60s and ‘70s Soul with arrangement nods to Doo-Wop records, takes drum energy from Hip-Hop, and covers the whole thing with vocal stylings from ‘90s and 2000s Alternative. But it is Martens’ lyrics, emotion, and delivery that truly bring everything together and help him stand out from his peers. There’s an infectious- ness and pop sensibility in the writing that is executed with utmost class and taste, giving Les Imprimés the rare quality of immediate attraction that only deepens the more you listen.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHailing from Kristiansand, Norway, Martens plays nearly every instrument on Fading Forward, produces and arranges the album, and of course sings. \"It's soul music, but I don't exactly have the soul voice,\" Morten explains humbly. \"But I do it my own way, in a way that's mine.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the small town of Kristanland, Norway there is a huge talent who spent most of his life laying low and playing the background. Signing to New York’s Big Crown Records inspired Morten Martens to start sharing his own music. The response to his debut Rêverie pushed him right out of the studio and onto the stage and all of this has served as inspiration to push his artistry to new heights. New heights that are on full display on \u003cem\u003eFading Forward\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Big Crown Records","offers":[{"title":"LP - Coke Bottle Clear","offer_id":56288513786187,"sku":"R9260-7029","price":23.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"LP - Black","offer_id":56288513818955,"sku":"R9260-4992","price":23.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":56288513851723,"sku":"R9260-7240","price":11.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Tape","offer_id":56288513884491,"sku":"R9260-2357","price":9.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/LesImprimes-FadingForward.jpg?v=1768230918"}],"url":"https:\/\/shop.roughtrade.com\/collections\/les-imprimes.oembed","provider":"Rough Trade","version":"1.0","type":"link"}