“Herr Styler would like to sound like the opposite of predictable.”
We’ve been posting Herr Styler’s music for a few years now, but we’ve still don’t really know who they are. One half of the duo is almost certainly Golden Bug – who is Antoine Harispuru, the founder of French label La Belle – but the other half of the duo has remained a bit of a mystery to this day.
Earlier this week we received an envelope from Paris. Inside was a USB key carved out of wood with Herr Styler’s logo etched onto the side. Inside were three folders: Listen. Read. Watch.
Along with the usual press release information the label included a clipping from a newspaper, describing a report of a ritualistic dance where 20 children were spotted in a forrest, singing and dancing in circle around a tree.
The opening track, ‘Necklace Forest‘ begins with the sound of thunder as Herr Styler transport you to that very same forest. The track develops like a short story; with a clear beginning, middle and end. Behind the shadowy narrative there is of course a club track of sorts trying to find its way out but it’s constantly fighting the EP’s narrative.
Moving on, ‘We Are The Ones‘, the second track, is surprisingly a euphoric pop track featuring Claudia Sorvillo on vocals – but as with anything Herr Styler is not what you’d call “normal” pop, balancing brash classical orchestration against rubbery, bubblegum pop. It’s really quite special and a real highlight.
The final song, ‘Pienzm‘, reverts back to the EP’s original narrative: Necklace Forest. It’s dark and grizzly as the duo weave an unnerving tapestry of frisky house grooves set against moody soundscapes. It’s quite unlike anything we’ve heard before, but in a really good way.
HBF Rating 5/5
Out February 3.