Bolbec – Victime De L’aube

Bolbec, brand new project of childhood friends and multi-instrumentalists Axel Concato and Barth Corbelet, present their debut record, “Victime De L’aube”, on Batov Records. Drawing on their wide blend of musical tastes, from spiritual jazz and folk to classical and electronic sounds, to create an imaginary soundtrack that could easily sit beside the best of Piero Piccioni or Michel Legrand. The album features the duo playing over a dozen different instruments between them, with some heavyweight support from the Nostalgia 77 rhythm section.

Whilst their names might not be household names, the pair have quietly built up a discography and reputation writing for, producing and recording for other artists. Axel’s eclectic career includes producing some of the most exciting artists to break out of the underground Parisien scene, such as Steeple Remove and the sci-fi pop of Halo Maud, on Heavenly Recordings, and met success with his own Pi Ja Ma project, while Barth’s ventures ranged from recording albums in his bedroom and raiding the annals of rock history with Hastings-based Del Vargas as Bosco Rogers, to writing songs for renowned artists like Hollie Cook.

However long before the duo embarked on such successful individual paths in the music industry, Axel and Barth’s musical journey began in their childhood days in Rouen, France. Bonding over a shared love for well-crafted songs and avoiding rotten tomatoes on stage (thanks to their dads’ ballroom band experiences).

“Victime De L’aube”, embodies Bolbec’s unique blend of musical tastes and eclectic instrumentation, and the album’s title, which translates to “Victim of the Dawn”, reflects the duo’s exploration of the poignant emotions evoked by the breaking of dawn.

Axel and Barth share, “‘Victime de l’Aube’ could be the title of an erotic zombie movie. Unfortunately, it doesn’t exist yet. It just describes this moving feeling when night and dreams end while the morning sun sets the bedroom curtain alight”. Perhaps that’s what the duo had in mind when recording album opener “Rue Nue”, with its mysterious and almost spine-tingling synth motifs.

‘Victime De L’aube’ showcases Bolbec’s ambitious creative vision, transforming an array of instrumentation into poetic musical pieces that conjure moods and places. You can hear traces of Mal Waldron’s ‘Warm Canto’, and the ‘Shoplifter’ soundtrack by Haruomi Hosono, on the beautifully understated “Jaki” and closing piece, “Nuitée”, but the addition of the 77 rhythm section across six songs, and members of the Rouen Normandy Opera House wind section on four, add further depth and texture across the album,

Album standout “Vengeance Tropicale” is a spirited jazz number with an almost joropo swing, Piero Piccioni meets Aldemaro Romero perhaps. Whilst “Feuille D’orage”, is a beautiful bossa jazz number, again showcasing the Bolbec’s singular sound and musicality. Elsewhere, “À L’instar Du Flair”, transports the listener on a modal jazz journey, recalling Yusef Lateef, and the evocative title track, “Victime De L’aube”, promises to captivate listeners with it’s walking bass and suspenseful atmospherics.

Bolbec’s sound is an eclectic mix of deep jazz with the art of esoteric soundtracks, through lenses of electronica, folk, classical, and more, that is sure to captivate listeners on initial and subsequent hearings.