Listen: Velour Modular – “Esc” [Premiere]

French singer Guilhem has teamed up with London-via-Spain producer Hektagon as Velour Modular, an experimental project combining the duo’s affinity for old sci-fi and numerology. Best Fit is pleased to premiere their latest song, and lead track from their Capsule EP, “Esc”.

Admittedly, the concept may sound a bit heavy-handed and esoteric to some, but the great news is that you don’t need to – or want to – understand it; “Esc” is an expert fusion of otherwise paradoxical sonic landscapes and details.

The song initially glides along on icy hums and snaps, joined later by whimsically rubbery synth plucks, akin to effects you’d hear from a first-generation Nintendo game. The trump card, though, are the slyly weaving keyboard lines at the chorus, again sounding like classic midi snips, but adding a global flair as they hearken to Guilhem’s early aspirations of being a traditional Indian vocalist.

Naturally, Guilhem’s vocals are the star as she coats all this sonic juxtaposition with yet one more seemingly contrary, but unifying stylistic element in her buttery, soulful voice. She sings of gravitating to a higher plane, and she does just that, threading all the disparate sounds together, then transcending them.

Capsule EP is out on 28 April.