Magnetoscope

Frank Vigroux’s latest release Magnetoscope refers to the eighties, a “terrifying time” as he calls it. A time that influenced him and us; Blade Runner dystopia, Polaroid colors and VHS video recorder aesthetics (in French Magnétoscope) form the conceptual foundation of the sound aesthetics used here.

The compositions, between progressive pop (VHS), Vangelis romanticism (L.A.) and dark, abstract layers of sound (Stream), are worked out in detail, driving forward, and can also be harmonically complex. Nevertheless, as usual from Vigroux, they somehow always remain timeless and classic. New on Magnetoscope is a kind of melodic euphoria paired with machine-funk elements, like on Cassette. Magnetoscope is part of a series of releases (including Vigroux’s predecessor Ballades sur lac Gelé from 2020) that interrelate strict and cool analog sounds, drum machines and noise landscapes in an epic, almost cinematic way. Let’s leave it open whether this artistic attitude is also a child of the 80s.