Ludovic Navarre, aka St Germain's first album in 15 years is an exciting interweaving of downtempo electronic and deep house, jazz, folk, African, world, & country music.
St Germain is perhaps best-known for his downtempo singles, "So Flute" and "Rose Rouge" from 2000. I confess, when I read that the artist was releasing his first album in over a decade I was skeptical whether or not his best years were behind him. Thankfully, Navarre quickly dispelled my doubts as soon as I tuned in to the opening track.
Here are "So Flute..."
...and "Rose Rouge."
For the album's promotion, St Germain commissioned Urban Art creator Gregos, known for his smiling and frowning faces stuck on walls throughout Paris and Europe, to create a series of masks painted with the flags of the nations of the world. Navarre then traveled the globe covertly installing the masks in public spaces. His website features a map with mask markers indicating in which countries they have been found. Sending his listeners on a global treasure hunt, those who find the mask for their country receive the double LP for free.
Artists take note - This brilliant, heady music and the creator's unique promotional project are precisely the stuff that will make an album successful in the digital age.
Check out video for the first single which includes footage of the mask installations below.
UPDATE: Delighted to find that my local indie record shop had a copy in stock!
