The music of Quentin “Mr. Oizo” Dupieux has gone from strength to strength throughout the ’10s (is that what we call this decade?), with The Church and All Wet providing some wonderfully varied and catchy tunes that quickly found a permanent residence in my MP3 library. This year there had been plenty of teases in social media for the latest EP, Rythme Plat, and the four-track collection was finally released for streaming, download or vinyl purchase last week. I was kind of caught up taking in various news and releases over the past few days and I didn’t really get a chance to write about Rythme Plat as soon as I would have liked, but I feel like it’s worth sharing my thoughts on it now that I’ve had time to give it more attention. The selection of tracks can be enjoyed in less than ten minutes, but it’s hard not to appreciate the catchy hooks and hypnotic beats that Mr. Oizo can deliver so reliably.
Rythme Plat – a safe opening
The opening track, Rythme Plat, begins as a confusing array of sounds – a woodblock beat in a bossa nova-style rhythm contends with something approaching an air-raid siren as a vocal repeats the title of the song – but eventually it settles into a slick groove and it’s hard to avoid nodding your head to the hypnotic rhythm, simplistic as it may be. There are no massive upsets to the format of this opening track, only a few elements being dropped in and brought back, but that’s perhaps for the best. This vibe of slow and catchy grooves is continued through to the second track of Rythme Plat; “Viandes Légumes Véhicules”. That name translates as “Meat Vegetables Vehicles” (according to the internet; my French probably isn’t what it used to be) and once again is vocally repeated throughout the track. It’s accompanied by a slow, simple beat, but this unassuming start allows Mr. Oizo to slowly bring more effects into the track as it continues. Some might argue that Viandes Légumes Véhicules is a bit too pared down and that it needed a few more minutes to really expand beyond that basic melodic structure, but I think the length works in the track’s favour, bringing things to a close before they get too repetitive.
…and a late surprise
If the first two tracks gave listeners the impression that this was going to be an EP full of slow tempos and samey hooks, the latter two tracks defy that notion and are a little more creative. Dolce Vita sees Phra join in for vocal duties, with some interesting lyrical work being draped over an easy-going backing hook and a fantastic (if subtle) bassline. Admittedly, listeners may need the help of a translator to get the full effect of the lyrics, but the individual elements complement each other really well. This is the last time Rythme Plat threatens to be slow and safe, however; Nuque is the last track on the EP and is probably my favourite of the four. With a more upbeat tempo, this track is given ample opportunity to change and evolve more frequently over its duration, and it’s much better for it. Then again, even if I prefer the mood of the latter two tracks, the whole EP is varied enough to please all Mr. Oizo fans. (On a more personal note, Discogs suggests that it’s currently only available on vinyl and digital – as a fan of CDs (at the time of writing) I kind of would have liked another shiny disc for my collection, but it’s no big deal.) I’m sure lots of people will have their own favourites from the EP, so go and take a listen today.
Rythme Plat is out now on vinyl and digital formats
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