With an eye on dance rhythm and strong vocals, Fantom and Tworow get back to work

Tourdefrance is the shared project of Luke Fantom and Carson Tworow, a duo who originally made a connection back in 2018, when both producers were in Vancouver. The pair have been developing their artistic relationship ever since, keeping the energy behind their collaborative work flowing. Their success comes despite a significant physical distance between the two, with Fantom and Tworow now communicating between Canada and the UK.

The music styles in which they share an interest tend to lean towards dance based rhythms, inspiration which directs their process to the creation of electronica fed music with dancefloor soul. Within the discography of tourdefrance can be heard the influence of jazz, disco, afro-beat and indie, dealt with through the filter of old-school house.

The duo has recently dropped a new four track EP, titled ‘tourdefrance 2’. It’s a tightly produced collection which embraces manipulated percussive beats, deep bass rhythm carrying the natural beauty of synth and vocal sampling.

The new EP is opened by an edit of Fatoumata Diawara's single ‘Nterini’. A recent collaborator with the Gorillaz, Diawara’s gorgeous vocals find their way into a new electronic environment through the work of tourdefrance, and the result feels good in the soul and moves the body.

Support the EP on Bandcamp or stream it on Spotify

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At this point in his career, what hasn’t Trentemøller accomplished? Throughout his ouvre, the Copenhagen-based musician has never failed to evolve his sound with each release, while at the same time maintaining the musical sensibilities that has made his sound his very own. That balance of exploring new forms and staying true to himself has only grown his fanbase over the years, as evidenced by a completely sold-out world tour in support of his last album. Today, we get a taste of his first original music since 2017 with the single, ‘Sleeper.’

As you may have guessed from the lush-yet-bleak video above, Sleeper lives far from the banner of ‘indie-electronic’ that has acted as a catch-all for Trentemøller’s various sounds thus far. While he has always had a preternatural knack for arranging compositions that build to satisfying crescendos, Sleeper also progresses in a decidedly orchestral manner. In fact, we don’t even hear a percussive element until halfway into the track, and even then, it is only minimally audible. But Trentemøller hallmarks are yet ever-present, from his signature detuned synths to his lush, harmonic atmospheres. All of these elements coalesce into a beautiful, if subtle, reflection that feels at once melancholic and nostalgic. In other words, it fits its title perfectly.

You can stream Sleeper over on Spotify, or download a copy for yourself on Trentemøller’s Bandcamp.

— review by autonomy

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