Ensemble (Ensemble album)

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Ensemble
Ensemble - Ensemble.png
Studio album by
Ensemble
Released19 September 2006 (2006-09-19)
Recorded2002–2005
Genre Electronic
Length43:30
Label FatCat
Producer Olivier Alary
Ensemble chronology
Sketch Proposals
(2000)		Ensemble
(2006)		Excerpts
(2011)

Ensemble is the second studio album by French musician Olivier Alary under the name Ensemble. [1] It was released on 19 September 2006 through FatCat Records. [2] It includes vocal contributions from Mileece, Lou Barlow, Cat Power's Chan Marshall, and Camille Claverie. [3] The Disown, Delete EP was released prior to the album. [4]

Contents

Background

Olivier Alary and vocalist Chanelle Kimber released the debut studio album, Sketch Proposals, under the group name Ensemble in 2000 through Rephlex Records. [5] Alary subsequently broke ties with Kimber, and Ensemble became his solo project. [5] He collaborated with Björk on the song "Desired Constellation" for her album, Medúlla . [5]

It took Alary four years to create Ensemble's self-titled, second studio album. [6] The album includes vocal contributions from Mileece (on "Summerstorm" and "All We Leave Behind"), Lou Barlow (on "One Kind Two Minds"), Cat Power's Chan Marshall (on "Disown, Delete"), and Camille Claverie (on "Loose"). [7] Johannes Malfatti provided orchestral arrangements throughout the album. [7]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
The A.V. Club A– [8]
Pitchfork 5.7/10 [5]
PopMatters 7/10 [7]
Stylus Magazine B– [9]

Doug Mosurock of CMJ New Music Monthly stated, "Alternating between warm and cool modes, Ensemble constructs long-form pop epics with the skill of dancers slowly unveiling a work of art in muted reds and deep, enveloping blues." [10] Michael D. Ayers of Billboard praised Mileece's vocals, commenting that her "airy, whimsical voice comes off as the best fit for these stark arrangements." [6] He added, "Ensemble's not for everyone, but if you're into Eno-inspired, stripped-down electronica, Alary might be your guy." [6] David Hemingway of XLR8R stated, "Alary's reanimated Ensemble sounds perfectly poised, equidistant between electronic and acoustic, between melody and noise, between loveliness and abstraction." [3] He described it as "an album that thrives on its various antithetical qualities." [3]

Track listing

Ensemble track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Summerstorm"
6:59
2."Still"Alary2:04
3."One Kind Two Minds"
5:55
4."Unrest"Alary1:52
5."Disown, Delete"
6:13
6."All We Leave Behind"
  • Alary
  • Mileece
4:47
7."Loose"Alary9:36
8."For Good"Alary6:04
Total length:43:30

Personnel

Credits adapted from liner notes. [11]

References

  1. ↑ Brown, Marisa. "Ensemble Biography". AllMusic . Retrieved 27 October 2024.
  2. ↑ "Ensemble by Ensemble". AllMusic . Retrieved 27 October 2024.
  3. 1 2 3 Hemingway, David (1 October 2006). "Ensemble Ensemble". XLR8R . Archived from the original on 15 May 2008. Retrieved 2 May 2025.
  4. ↑ Keefe, Michael (1 September 2006). "Ensemble: Disown, Delete". PopMatters . Retrieved 27 October 2024.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Dombal, Ryan (29 November 2006). "Ensemble: Ensemble". Pitchfork . Retrieved 27 October 2024.
  6. 1 2 3 Ayers, Michael D. (19 November 2006). "Ensemble, "Ensemble"". Billboard . Retrieved 27 October 2024.
  7. 1 2 3 Keefe, Michael (13 October 2006). "Ensemble: Ensemble". PopMatters . Retrieved 27 October 2024.
  8. ↑ Murray, Noel (31 October 2006). "Music in Brief". The A.V. Club . Retrieved 15 November 2024.
  9. ↑ Miller, Derek (9 October 2006). "Ensemble - Ensemble". Stylus Magazine . Retrieved 27 October 2024.
  10. ↑ Mosurock, Doug (October 2006). "Best New Music". CMJ New Music Monthly . No. 143. p. 31.
  11. ↑ Ensemble (2006). Ensemble (CD booklet). FatCat Records.
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