Le Motel's top 10 all-time favorite contemplative albums
In our new mood list series, we ask artists, labels and creatives to share with us a list of tracks or albums that are inspired by a lingering mood, state of mind or a persistent thought.
Hailing from Brussels, Fabien Leclercq – a.k.a. Le Motel – has been a driving force of the Belgian underground scene. As a music producer and film composer, his versatility has taken him to festivals and clubs in every direction, as well as podcasts and films that evoke a wide range of emotions.
Aside from his discography that captures a wide array of styles and scenes that Le Motel moves between, he also recently started his own label, Maloca Records, to give upcoming artists from different corners of the world a platform to share their music. What they all have in common: a strong fascination for mixing different (and oftentimes contradicting) influences to create their own unique sound and voice.
A few months ago, Le Motel also collaborated with Mirror Minds & Åntøine De Schuyter to build a 31-hour playlist called “rest your ears”. It was a collection of calm and contemplative tracks that were put together for a friend who has a hearing problem. Inspired by this, he put together a mood list of his top 10 all-time favorite contemplative albums:
Hiroshi Yoshimura - Music for Nine Post Cards
Music For Nine Post Cards is the debut studio album of Hiroshi Yoshimura, released in 1982. The album was home-recorded with a keyboard and Fender Rhodes. Yoshimura was inspired by “the movements of clouds, the shade of a tree in summertime, the sound of rain, the snow in a town.” All the tracks are so simple but every note and every element hit the right spot. Very nice harmony work also!
Kali Malone - The Sacrificial Code
Kali Malone is one of my favorite artists. I can’t really describe what I feel when I listen to her music but it’s pretty addictive. We invited her last year for les garages numériques in La Bourse and it was an amazing experience. It’s very minimalistic and powerful and I always imagine different images on her music. I can’t wait to see her again in Gent.
Suzanne Kraft - Talk From Home
This is a very classic album which I listen to a lot. I never get tired of it. Mellow, emotional and intelligent. I love the way he mixes acoustic and electronic elements.
William Basinski - The Disintegration Loops
The Disintegration Loops is a series of four albums by American avant-garde composer William Basinski. The recordings consist of tape loops that gradually deteriorated each time they passed the tape head. The completion of the recording coincided with the 9/11 attacks, which Basinski witnessed from his rooftop in Brooklyn.
Basinski is a huge inspiration for me. I’ve been experimenting with tape loops the last few months, thanks to his work. This album is like a floating bubble, but it’s also very good to keep you focused while working.
Mort Garson - Mother Earth's Plantasia
Another classic. No need to explain why I like this album. Pure love for you & your plants. I also highly recommend Six Songs for Invisible Gardens album by Green-House.
FUJI||||||||||TA - iki
I first heard this track on one of Kali Malone’s NTS shows and I instantly felt very deep and strong feelings while I was discovering it, especially because of the pitch modulation. You should definitely follow FUJI||||||||||TA on Instagram to understand the fascinating process behind his music.
Young Marco - Bahasa
I’m very fascinated by the gamelan, so this album naturally got me curious. I love the way percussion can become a melodic element in a track. 10/10!
V/A - mono no aware (compilation by PAN)
This is my favorite ambient compilation album. All the releases from PAN have something interesting, but this one is very important for me. The Kareem Lotfy track is so beautiful and there’s a PNL sample hidden in there somewhere.
Meitei - Komachi
Meitei is one of my favorite producers. He just released a very beautiful album, but this track from his previous project remains one of my favorites. He has a very hiphop / mpc way of producing with a very personal and ambient approach. You can feel he gives a lot of himself into his music.
Kuniyuki Takahashi - Early Tape Works 1986 - 1993 Vol. 2
Also from Japan, Early Tape Works covers the Japanese producer’s early material from 1986 through 1993. I randomly discovered this record in the amazing record shop rare groove in Osaka. I instantly felt in love with the melodies and textures. “Your Home” reminded me of Twin Peaks’ BO Timeless.
