Custom Incantations by Le Réservoir Système On May 13, 2018, on a train from Paris to Bordeaux, Greg and I came up with a combinatorial system. Our idea was to create a reservoir of short phrases (both lyrics and music) that anyone could assemble into songs. Greg wanted these songs to be able to “do” something: for instance, achieve some sort of personal transformation, or merely change a mood or mindset. The next day, surrounded by the students of a masterclass we’d come to give at the École des Beaux- Arts in Bordeaux, I began jotting down simple phrases in French, which I then handed to Greg, along with an explanation of their meaning and how they were pronounced. Greg has melodies in his mind, as well as scribbled on little scraps of paper he carries in a plastic bag. As he read each of my phrases, he immediately transcribed them into melodic lines, with nothing but a pencil and sheet of paper. Before long, we had 44 jingles, which Greg recorded on a small synthesizer (I can’t read music). The next day, we started making songs based on the meaning of the phrases and/or melodic associations. Two years later, during the first Covid lockdown, Greg recorded the jingles from our reservoir using an organ, drums and voice. He asked Cat McCrorey to add her vocals to the tracks, and we had fun composing more songs. Time went by, and we have Custom Incantations: Greg has mixed our 11 songs and the 44 jingles, which you can now use to create your own songs. Should you do so, please let us know! - Frédéric Forte