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Des pas et des mois

Martin Tétreault

… 31 episodes of brilliant vinyl and instrument abuse… A wonderfully rich celebration of vinyl that will provide many hours of listening pleasure. Ear, USA

Des pas et des mois remains one of Ambiances Magnétiques’ strangest, funniest and finest moments. AllMusic, USA

Martin Tétreault is not a standard musician: his instruments are turntables. A specialist of reduction and trafficking, he has been fascinated by vinyl for several years: cutting up, scratching, scraping and even sanding the grooves. He will even go as far as ironing his victims to extract unheard sonorities!

His first album, Des pas et des mois has been conceived with the company of René Lussier, Michel F Côté, Jean Derome and Robert Marcel Lepage. Unwoven rhythms, twisted steps and social dance: Martin Tétreault plays like a mad scientist at mixing genres, creating a narrative music with his recorded samplings and his carefully dosed feedbacks.

Audacious, different, new, this music is related to rock by its humorous energy, and touches the inner rhythms of the modern world.

CD (AM 017)

  • Label: Ambiances Magnétiques
  • AM 017
  • 1991
  • UCC 771028101726
  • Total duration: 56:19
  • Jewel case
  • 125 mm × 142 mm × 10 mm
  • 105 g

On the web

Some recommended items
In the press

Review

Dave Mandl, Ear, no. 16, April 1, 1991
… 31 episodes of brilliant vinyl and instrument abuse… A wonderfully rich celebration of vinyl that will provide many hours of listening pleasure.

Review

François Couture, AllMusic, July 1, 1990

Des pas et des mois was Montréal turntablist Martin Tétreault’s first record, and still remains his most enjoyable project. This CD contains two suites, “Des Pas” (“Footsteps”) and “Des Mois” (“Months”). The first one is written and performed with guitarist René Lussier. It follows a young couple learning to dance the tango and the cha-cha-cha from records in order to participate in local competitions. The material used for these fifteen short movements mostly come from such dance instructional and self-improvement records, all in french. Tétreault applies his techniques of cut-up records and mixed storylines from different sources. Lussier brings in a handful of melodies that could have been found on his Le trésor de la langue or Le corps de l’ouvrage. Between the suites are two short pieces illustrating two of Tétreault’s key techniques: the three-in-one (three slices from different records pasted together) and the skid.

Then comes “Des Mois,” written with drummer Michel F Côté, and also featuring Lussier and clarinetist Robert Marcel Lepage. This suite relies less heavily on humor: Côté’s complex textural arrangements bring another dimension to the music, but Tétreault’s incredibly cheesy record collection delivers a few more surprises (especially on Juin). The first suite is similar in style (with the addition of Lussier’s touch) to Tétreault’s cassette Snipettes (released after Des pas et des mois), while the second one drifts closer to the first Bruire (Michel F Côté’s project) album Le barman a tort de sourire. In any case, Des pas et des mois remains one of Ambiances Magnétiques’ strangest, funniest and finest moments.

Des pas et des mois remains one of Ambiances Magnétiques’ strangest, funniest and finest moments.
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