We have recently featured the remarkable artistry of Jean-Philippe Ruelle, notably by exploring the Callpeax which served as a meditation on peace, and more recently Impulsein which was a bold and emotive track exploring love, created with Micheline Van Hautem, so you can imagine how excited we were to discover his latest opus, The Lake of Signs.
The composition opens with an optimistic harpsichord melody, intertwined with a playful and boundless bass guitar, expanding with a luscious, orchestral strings arrangement, textured percussion and the intricacy and cinematic allure that so many of Jean-Philippe Ruelle‘s pieces hold.
The Lake of Signs has an emotive edge, and also taps into a sense of ancient-futurism, this is in part to the percussive elements and the rolling drums, as well as the 8-bit-esque bass notes, which almost feel like a video game.
That said, the piece could certainly be featured in the original soundtrack for a film based around a Nintendo character or a SEGA character, like Mario or Sonic. There is a momentary shift mid-way through the piece with glistening astral notes that send us transcendental, a middle eight almost with a strings arrangement that taps into our heart’s centre.
The main body of the composition resumes once more with a serene and resplendent finale with the final chord changes evoking drama, almost leading us through to the next chapter with intrigue. We eventually learn that the psychedelic-adjacent opus is inspired by Terry Gillam‘s Brazil, which is set in a retro-future world, where a clerk in the ministry department, is given the task to rectify an administrative error. However, in the process, he becomes the enemy of the state!
Speaking on his artistry as a whole, Jean-Philippe Ruelle confesses, “Don’t be surprised if I explore very different musical styles, I strive to use the best sonic and musical setting for the ideas that matter to me. Through this incredible medium that is musical composition, I try to convey them as sincerely as possible.”
The composer’s sincerity and authenticity really does manifest, and we have added The Lake of Signs to our New Music Spotlight playlist, and our TRIPPY and TIMELESS playlists, whilst we immerse ourselves in the accompanying video, and continue to stream Jean-Philippe Ruelle exquisite, growing discography!