Before Yeti Lane, there was Cyann and Ben. The four-piece were signed to the legendary Gooom Disques label alongside M83 and between 2004 and 2006 released three albums of fantastic, folk-inflected space-rock that, despite the proselytising of Pitchfork, went woefully under appreciated. Then, just as they started work on album number four, Cyann quit the band, forcing Ben (vocals, guitar, synths), along with LoAc (vocals, guitar, synths) and Charlie (drums, percussion, synths), to make a fresh start as Yeti Lane. The unusual name was chosen to echo releases by both Amon Düül II and The Beatles, which also rather conveniently sums up their new sound.
Pavement / The Hexx
A song on their final album, Terror Twilight. I really appreciate the guitar parts and how it repeats in the song. It’s so insistent, until it becomes a maelstrom that carries away the listener. Even the drums accentuate those parts. This is one of the best Pavement songs for me.
Wave Machines / Punk Spirit
It seems like this song has been composed in an offhand manner and also sung in this way, but it works! This song is like a UFO on their LP, which sounds like it’s coming from the 80s, and maybe that’s why my ears have stayed stuck on it. The lyrics represent for me what we call in French “L’esprit d’escalier”, when the right answer or the right behavior appears to you much too late and you stay with things you should have said or should have done. Regrets? Maybe.
David Bowie / Quicksand
A few months ago, I was listening again to those old Bowie album and this song on Hunky Dory summed up for me Bowie’s work at this time: a great songwriter at first, but with subtle arrangements and this mannered voice that goes straight to my soul.
Robert Wyatt / Alifib
I could have chosen any of Wyatt’s songs, as I like almost all that he recorded. He’s been a major influence for years. Our old band Cyann & Ben used to play an acoustic cover of this one.
Fuck Buttons / The Lisbon Maru
Tarot Sport is one of my favourite albums of 2009 and this track is one of the highlights. I enjoy their blend of electonica, lo-fi, and shoegaze.
Masanka Sankayi and Kasai Allstars / Wa Muluendu
This one opens the Congotronics 2: Buzz’N’Rumble From The Urb’N’Jungle compilation. The rough sound and the hypnotic grooves of this collection have been a real discovery for me, and I’m still trying to understand how they build their rhythms. The percussion on Tiny Correction on our debut album is a good example of my obsession with it.
CAN / Yoo Doo Right
It’s just 20 minutes of hypnotic music and minimal rhythms. This formula works so fine on this track.
Eric’s Trip / Behind the Garage
This song comes at the beginning of their album, Love Tara. I’ve always considered this band important for me and it keeps going on.
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