- The "frapcore" originator's new one is part debut album, part greatest-hits.
- Within hardcore's multiverse, studded by an endless catalogue of subgenres, styles and aliases, Evil Grimace has managed to stand out amongst the rest, maintaining an aura of discretion with a body of work that emerged throughout the 2010s. His impact on the scene includes the creation of "frapcore," a sub-genre of gabber that weaves in lyrics and samples from French rap and hip-hop. His deranged 2013 track "3 Litres" perfectly encapsulates the genre, incorporating elements of tek and jumpstyle with unrelenting force.
EG's contribution to hardcore stretches to the depths of his primordial home and family, the infamous collective and label Casual Gabberz. With their debut 2017 release INUTILE DE FUIR, a 51-track compilation in which EG appears under multiple aliases (RER B, Antivirus, Kaspersky), the Parisian-based hoard created an imprint that prides itself for continuing to champion "hard and hybrid sounds." Now, following a fruitful succession of singles, EPs, compilation appearances and iconic Boiler Room sets, EG rounds up his efforts in a greatest-hits of sorts, peppered with new material, in his debut album, Mes Larmes, which, according to the man himself, also happens to be his last.
Mes Larmes is a labour of love fully devised by EG. From the album artwork to the music itself, each element looks to recreate and recount the seven-year-long story of the producer's oeuvre and celebrate a new chapter of his life (as well as his daughter's second birthday). EG juxtaposes the hits with previously unreleased material. He launched the album with "Mes Larmes," an atmospheric new production that layers up with an ecstatic combination of Bach's "Prelude In C Major" and a thumping beat and bassline before quietly evaporating in dysphoric simplicity.
The new material comes in different forms and shapes, offering an exploration of off-kilter genres and a wide-ranging spectrum of hard music. Album highlight "Hardcore" features modulated trancey elements that entwine with Tandem's "93 Hardcore." This dreamlike soundscape contrasts with the harsher sounds of tracks such as "Joe La Douille" and "Cogne Ta Tete."
Playful elements, such as the 90's cartoon rave interlude "Comptine," give way to more introspective and pensive moments. "77 Lamento" glistens with stuttering strings and monstrous sounds. Sade's "Jezebel" and ATK's "Qu'est-ce Que Tu Deviens?" form the base of "A Demain."
The previously released hits on Mes Larmes include evil crowd pleasers and frapcore standards like "Réinsertion" and "Bim Bim," which butchers, quarters and rips apart RIM'K samples and motocross delirium. "Pour Mes Gens" is almost ominous, sampling Chopin's "Prelude In E Minor" and the intro to Keith Murray's Enigma. This one conjures up images of exhilarated crowds banded together by their mutual love of hardcore, a vision we will hopefully be able to revisit again in the not so distant future.
Tracklist01. Mes Larmes
02. Joe La Douille
03. Réinsertion
04. La La La
05. Grimace Rules (Interlude)
06. 3 Litres
07. Hardcore
08. Kaiser Soze
09. Mon RS Te Baise Ta Mère
10. 77 Lamento (interlude)
11. Cogne Ta Tête
12. Bim Bim
13. A Demain
14. Comptine (Interlude)
15. Teuf
16. Pour Mes Gens
17. J'attends La Pluie