about the record

Cabanes opens a new chapter for Matthias Puech, following his debut on Hands in the Dark with Alpestres, released in 2018.

While Alpestres took us on a mystical journey through fascinating fictional landscapes, Cabanes lets its narrative unfold in a confined space: eight pieces, each resembling small structures or makeshift shelters that, while enveloping and isolating the listener, remain open to their surroundings. These are not merely interiors but handcrafted spaces through which we gain insights into the world, allowing the light from outside to seep in and reminding us of reality.

According to Puech, each composition has a distinctive two-part story that is both clear and intriguingly interconnected. The first often revolves around the anecdotal and tangible aspects of instrumental “play,” showcasing a technical exploration with his tools, the discovery of sounds in a library, and the serendipitous encounters that inspired them. The second part delves into the more elusive yet profound state of existence that the French artist experienced while engaging with these sounds, reflecting on the moments he listened and re-listened to them, ultimately deeming them worthy life companions. These two narratives, perhaps reshaped over time like distant memories, interact in ways that can either clash or complement each other and create a lasting impact on the listening experience.

A significant aspect of the compositional process involves distancing oneself from these connections to creation and rediscovering a state of listening that is free from prior emotional influences — what one might call “pure” listening. This method enables the transformation of a sequence of events into a narrative that is independent of its original intent and results in a universal object. After spending considerable time with the attached pieces and attempting to induce a form of amnesia to reconstruct an artificial narrative, Matthias Puech ultimately chose to relinquish this pursuit. Thus, the album is aptly termed Cabanes, meaning huts: fragile structures whose design clearly reflects the intention behind their creation and shows all the signs of considerate craftsmanship.