Astrobal - L'infini, l'Univers et les Mondes - space age bachelor pad indie pop
Emmanuel Mario keeps moving. The further he travels, the more he sounds like someone who has finally arrived where he has always been supposed to be. After collaborations with artists like Stereolab’s Laetitia Sadier or the group Holden, his last album as Astrobal took the French composer and drummer to »Australasie« in 2016. On his second LP for the Berlin-based Karaoke Kalk, he ventures even further, eventually heading for »L'infini, l'Univers et les Mondes« - infinity, the universe and the worlds. Leaving behind the more krautrock-inspired approach he followed on »Australasie«, Astrobal focuses on a way of storytelling that takes conventional pop songwriting as a point of departure, yet arrives in previously unknown places. Over the course of eleven songs, the multi-instrumentalist further perfects his craft of life-affirming, funk-infused synth pop. Drawing on the work of pioneers like Brian Eno or Yellow Magic Orchestra, 80s electronic funk music and blue-eyed soul, shoegaze and the rich tradition of progressive music and kosmische in his native France, »L'infini, l'Univers et les Mondes« indicates a major development in Mario’s futuristic and decidedly cosmic approach to songwriting.
Instruments played on this album: Yamaha AN1X, Yamaha CP11, Yamaha CP70, Casio MT240, Casio CZ1, Critter and Guitari Organelle, Lipp Pianoline, Gaveau Grand Piano, Armon Organ, Moog Sub 37, Animoog, Roland SH101, Korg MS20, Wurlitzer piano, Roland Juno 6, Gretsch Catalina Drums, GB electric guitar, Martin acoustic guitar, Viola bass guitar, Hofner electric bass guitar, Fender precision bass guitar.
Cover painting by Chesley Bonestell, « Nova melting hypothetical planet », 1955
