In honor of 50 years of musique concrète in pop, relatively new studio collective Les Yper Sound – comprised of Antibalas‘ Miles Arntzen and Jas Walton with in-studio collaboration by Money Mark & Sinkane – is revving up to release Explorations in Drums & Sax on November 4th. Let’s get the facts straight, however. First of all, drummer Miles Arntzen (Will Butler, TEEN, Mark Ronson) and saxophonist Jas Walton (Leon Bridges, Sinkane, Father Figures) started the afrobeat band EMEFE together. They began experimenting with their instruments in Arntzen’s Greenwich Village basement years ago, but began to shift gears with their experimentation recently. It was only this year that they chose the route which would lead them into this project. Jas met Money Mark (Beastie Boys) and Ahmed Gallab (Sinkane, Caribou, Of Montreal, Yeasayer) on tour with Atomic Bomb! this year, and the four of them began to collaborate together this past spring. Their project – Les Yper Sound – is named for Pierre Henry’s 1967 musique concrète EP. One of the first items on their agenda in preparation for their autumn release? A premiere for the music video made for the single “Step Away”.
The 70’s inspired “Les Yper Sound” logo flashes on the screen, and we feel like we’re in an episode of The Partridge Family. But only for a moment. Shot in black and white, the video is almost a documentary, following the guys around in-studio. It beautifully portrays the ins and outs of studio life, something a lot of people never get even the smallest notion of.
How much better of an introduction could we have gotten to the band, than to see what they’re doing behind the scenes to create the music we are to fall in love with?
Written by Miles Arntzen & Jas Walton
A music video by Lily Wen
Filmed by Stephanie Orentas at Figure 8 Recording
Miles Arntzen & Jas Walton, Money Mark & Sinkane, Eli Crews & Lily Wen
