The recording moniker of Weber’s solo work, REW<< has itself been the vehicle for a number of styles and sounds, with Weber’s solo visions as experimental and ambitious as any of his partnerships. Recorded in a series of hotel rooms across much of Asia, Departeures offered a subtropical and reflective slice of dream pop, while 2015’s Olive Skinned, Silver Tongued Sirens Sing Swan Songs pushed into neo-classical territory. Still, the latter employed pop sensibilities to counter the classical vibe, making for a record that blurred the distinction between avant garde experimentalism and accessible pop.

New album Les Racines Parmi Les Sabots Des Chevaux is another direction for the REW<< sound, with Weber shedding the pop aspects in favour of a pure neo-classical aesthetic. Centring the piano as the driving force, the record is a lesson in minimalism, at least when contrasted with REW<<‘s previous releases, dropping much of the dressing in favour of stark emotion. This is typified in the album’s opener ‘Victoire Impossible,’ the tone somewhere between pensive and sparkling, or perhaps both at once—concerned with the quiet beauty of things, and the process of elevating such appreciation into our everyday lives.

The joyous finale of the opener sets the tone for the record, with tracks such as ‘Ralentissement Debout’, ‘Monde Magique et Solitaire’ and ‘Attraper un Aperçu de la Femme de la Peinture’ all finding different ways to bloom into deeper life from their minimal beginnings. Which is not to say that Weber is not equally adept at pure restraint, as highlighted by the sombre tones of ‘Équilibre’ and field recording textures of ‘Volière d’Oiseaux Sans Vol,’ but it’s clear that his tendency with this record leans toward the transcendent climax.

Les Racines Parmi Les Sabots Des Chevaux is out now and you can get it from the REW<< Bandcamp page.

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‘The Lights in the Sands of Katumpkale’ is a short neo-classical track that draws on a wide range of styles and genres to create a surreal, cinematic slice of orchestral pop. Lable Hidden Shoal describe the song as “a window into Ryan E. Weber’s kaleidoscopic musical universe,” which seems more than apt. You can grab it for free right now over at Bandcamp.

Not content with the intricate track, Weber teamed up with Megan Olinger Sweeting to shoot an accompanying video which certainly ups the intrigue. Focusing on the strange movements of various body parts, the video is what my uneducated self would label Lynchian, although I’m sure those who enjoy avant-garde cinema would know of a few better examples. Whatever the influences, the whole thing is shot on Super 8 and transferred to VHS, giving that mysterious/creepy/slightly seedy feel of 70s/80s arthouse flicks. Watch it below:

The album will be released on Hidden Shoal the 16th July.

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