Sketch Proposals

Ensemble: Chanelle, Olivier.
The French/English duo, Ensemble have found an abstract medium that lies somewhere between the skewed English beats often associated with Autechre and the emotional electronic French pop sound of Stereolab. Composed of love birds Chanelle Kimber and Olivier Alary, Ensemble makes a strong debut with the May 2000 release of Sketch Proposals. Though unlike Autechre, there is definitely not a constant dark side to Ensemble, most of the songs on the album are light, and almost fluffy to some extent. However, there is the same sort of exploration in sound and simplicity that makes artists like Autechre, Boards of Canada, and Stereolab just a bit more complex and likeable. Kimbler's abstract, emotional, and broken-up lyrics fit like a glove with Alary's production, which Kimbler also takes part. Though it's easy to label Ensemble a Stereolab copycat act, as they too are French and English, Ensemble takes the unbeaten, obscure, minimal path that Stereolab chose not to take. ~ Diana Potts