You Have To Hear: Benoît Pioulard

January 5, 2010 by Lachy 0 Comments

Benoît Pioulard, AKA Thomas Meluch, is a singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Oregon, and his songs will make you feel happy. What makes him different, however, is that he doesn’t accomplish this through bouncy pop songs, but rather through dense, subtle melodies that seep under your skin.

It’s definitely shoegaze music, but it’s also something much much more than that: there are elements of folk music, as well as electronica and ambience. Lots and lots of ambience. His music make me think somehow of a lush forest, but I’m sure it will have a different effect on every listener.

It is visual music.

Thomas Meluch has released or been involved in 18 records, however is most well known for albums ‘Précis’ and ‘Temper’, from 2006 and 2008 respectively. He is still recording as Benoît Pioulard, having released a 7″ in 2009 entitled ‘Flocks’. His music can be difficult to get a hold of, however physical copies of some of his records are available from his official store here.

I first heard his music a while ago, via his album ‘Précis’, and I was immediately captivated. Triggering Back in particular is an absolutely beautiful, hypnotic song, even if it is impossible to comprehend any of the lyrics. It is an album much like ‘XX’ in the way that it inexplicably gets under your skin, however is not quite as immediately accessible.

Every song that Benoît Pioulard has recorded offers something, and when they are combined into one record it makes for a truly special album. Idyll from ‘Temper’ is gorgeous beyond gorgeous, and has even had an incredible film clip made for it:

‘Temper’s opener, Ragged Tint is a bit more upbeat, with a furiously finger-picked acoustic guitar driving the song, but the album quickly sets into Benoît Pioulard’s more recognisable restrained sound.

This is beautiful music, the type of which can perhaps only be truly appreciated when it is raining outside.

Listen If You Like: Antlers, The XX, Here We Go Magic, Horse Feathers, Grizzly Bear, Beirut