Philippe Petit concludes his re-imagining of European avant-garde electronic music on A Reassuring Elsewhere Chapter III (OSCILLATIONS OSC012). No real advance here on the achievements of Chapter II, but I like the way he folds incongruous instruments and objects on top of his prepared piano and Buchla 200 tracks; the intention is to deliberately suggest a forced encounter between the past, present and future of modern cultures, and trigger as many associations with favourite records and composers – this time putting Stockhausen and Saint-Saëns in the same seraglio. Plenty of surprises and unexpected moves, informed by the kind of playfulness and irreverence that a “purist” might see as impertinence on Petit’s part. But the album remains very accessible and enjoyable. (01/11/2024)
