Pink Flamingos by In Æternam Vale
New album of old material from criminally under appreciated electronic music producer, still cutting edge
Pink Flamingos is a 16 track, career spanning collection from the criminally under appreciated French electronic music producer Laurent Prot. Back in 1983, he took his fascination with analogue synthesisers and love of post-punk bands like PiL and Throbbing Gristle and began a pioneering journey that would ultimately inform much of today's celebrated Techno. Residing in the shadows for most of his career Prot's profile has been given a considerable boost in recent years by labels like Jealous God, Minimal Wave and Contort, who have championed his old and new material.
Not strictly a retrospective but containing tracks produced over a long period of time (between 1986 and 2015) the range of styles on show is impressive, taking in everything from Ambient and Drone to Electro and Techno. From opening statement Clobenzorex, with its catchy Electro riff, we're guided through the musical mind of a true pioneer, with dark textured Soundscapes, cutting edge proto-Techno and desolate, pulsing beats (the Suicide-influenced bass of B is a highlight). Pink Flamingos balances textures and structures perfectly. In the words of the man himself:
Textures and structures, I need both
— In Æternam Vale (@inaeternamvale) July 31, 2015
What makes this an essential purchase are the tracks from the eighties and nineties, undoubtedly the type that made Samuel Kerridge, Veronica Vasicka and Regis pay attention. For example, check out 176 from 1989... this is what Slam are doing today! Congestion Cosh from 1995 has a cold and caustic rhythm that sounds timeless. Only the closing track La Pluie sounds like it was made in 1986, mainly due to the vocal, but closes things out with an emotional flourish.
Pink Flamingos is released on 6th June 2016 on DEMENT3D.