Nashville-based producer Roger Moutenot released his first-ever solo album, Microcosm, on January 25th, featuring ten tracks of instrumental compositions inspired by recent soundtrack work he has been doing with friends Robert Eaton and Jack Silverman. The psychedelic ambient music in the new record blends the wildly diverse influences from across Moutenot’s illustrious career.
Moutenot has been behind the recording console since the first 4-track studio he built in his parents’ basement in 1974. In the decades since then, he’s worked continuously as an engineer and producer on every genre imaginable, from jazz to folk to rock and all points between. Yo La Tengo, Sleater-Kinney, Lou Reed, and They Might Be Giants immediately come to mind when thinking of Moutenot’s producer credits, but his body of work is vast.
Recently, Roger has been composing film scores with longtime friends Robin Eaton and Jack Silverman. He says the collaborations helped unlock a new palette of sounds and inspired him to work in a less conformed structure. “In all these years I’ve been writing, since those days in the basement in ‘74, I’ve been trying to write something that had intention yet felt effortless. Microcosm represents that to me,” Moutenot says.
The ten tracks on Microcosm work as concise movements within a larger piece, and the album serves as a testament to Roger’s prowess and the start of a new chapter for him. Roger’s free to explore new, authentic sonic spaces, bringing us along for the journey. So, giddy-up, as they say.
Microcosm only has a runtime of about 25 minutes, so the listening will go by quickly. Contained within those 25 minutes, though, are plenty of new sonic worlds to explore. “Night Swim” starts the album in a moody, nocturnal fashion, followed by the faster-paced “Jimmy Made Me Do It,” which has a driving drum track and layers of interesting sounds. “Stepping Into The Microcosm” could be the album’s mantra, not just because of the title. The Motorik drum track and looping electronic sounds make this a good one.
“Art Electro” is more exotic than the previous songs, bringing a bit of a trip-hop vibe. “Star-gazer” gives us reto-electronic sounds like a psychedelic version of the Tetris theme, followed by the dreamy reverie of “DRM 12.” “One of One” rocks harder than most of the record’s songs, and “The Wanderer” brings the tempo back down for a soothing psych-ambient experience.
“C’est de l’espair” is notable for the interesting echo effects on the drum track, which crackle into the sonic tapestry of the rest of the song. “The Last Dream” ends the record on an upbeat note, and for whatever reason, the song felt aquatic to me, like the spaces Roger explores aren’t outer space but the ocean’s depths. The album cover art gives this impression, perhaps, too.
Microcosm by Roger Moutenot is a great instrumental record full of compositions that are sometimes freaky and sometimes relaxing. Fans of trip-hop, ambient, and bands like Aphex Twin, Four Tet, and Boards of Canada should enjoy this one. Here’s to hoping Moutenot continues with his solo recording explorations and brings us more music like that contained on Microcosm. Enjoy!
Check out Microcosm by Roger Moutenot on Bandcamp here.
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