Enfants
| "Enfants" | |
|---|---|
| Single by Ricardo Villalobos | |
| A-side | Enfants (Chants) |
| B-side | Enfants (Tambours) |
| Released | February 22, 2008 |
| Format | 12" |
| Genre | Minimal techno, microhouse |
| Label | Sei Es Drum, Word and Sound |
| Producer | Ricardo Villalobos |
"Enfants" is a 2008 single by electronic music producer Ricardo Villalobos. Though over 17 minutes in length, the A-side, "Enfants (Chants)", has been described as a "remarkably catchy, hype-inducing DJ tool" by Pitchfork Media,[1] and as a "great tool for DJs" by electronic music magazine Resident Advisor, due to its minimal changes over the course of the entire song.[2]
Contents |
[edit] Structure
The branding of "Enfants (Chants)" as a "DJ tool" is due to its unusual structure, incorporating "no development over its seventeen minute length".[2] The song is based on a repeating sample of "Baba Yaga La Sorcière", a track from Christian Vander's 1995 rework of his band Magma's Mekanïk Destruktïw Kommandöh (1973).[2] With the addition electronic drums and hi-hat, it "turns snippet of a prog rock classic into a minimal techno classic."[3] The minimal development through the song invites seamless DJ mixing;[2] Villalobos himself stated that "the idea is that anyone can mix whatever track into this track because it doesn’t have too much melody, tones or harmony inside."[4]
The B-side, "Enfants (Tambours)", is a ten minute "DJ tool" in a similar style, consisting of only percussion and bass.[2]
[edit] Reception
"Enfants (Chants)" was released to much hype,[5] and received generally positive reviews. It was given a 5 star rating by DJ Magazine[6] and was rated 3.5/5 in a review by Resident Advisor.[2] It was also featured in a number of "best of 2008" lists, including being named the 52nd best track of 2008 by Pitchfork Media[5] and a "Critical Beat" of 2008 in The Wire's "2008 Rewind" issue.[7] "Enfants (Chants)" was also featured on The Wire's April 2008 "Office Ambience" chart, with reviews editor Derek Walmsley referring to the song as a "minimal techno masterpiece".[8]
[edit] References
- ^ Finney, Tim (2008-06-23). "Pitchfork: Album Reviews: Ricardo Villalobos: Vasco EP Part 1". Pitchfork Media. http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/11920-vasco-ep-part-1/. Retrieved 2009-08-17.
- ^ a b c d e f Burns, Todd L. (2008-02-28). "RA: Ricardo Villalobos - Enfants (Chants) - Single Review". Resident Advisor. http://www.residentadvisor.net/review-view.aspx?id=5076. Retrieved 2009-08-17.
- ^ Warren, Emma (2008-04-20). "Various, Live At The End 01(endclub.com)". The Observer. http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2008/apr/20/popandrock.santogold. Retrieved 2009-08-19.
- ^ Kale, Stephanie (2008-02-27). "Catching Up with Ricardo Villalobos". MUTEK.org. http://mutek.org/blog/22-catching-up-with-ricardo-villalobos. Retrieved 2009-08-19.
- ^ a b Sherburne, Philip (2008-02-13). "Pitchfork: Techno: Techno". Pitchfork Media. http://pitchfork.com/features/techno/6785-techno/. Retrieved 2009-08-18.
- ^ "Ricardo Villalobos - Enfants (Chants) - Sei es Drum". DJ Magazine. 2008-04-30. http://www.djmag.com/index.php?op=music&search_op=review&search_op=rss&story_id=8045&name=djmag.com+Ricardo+Villalobos+Enfants+(Chants)+Sei+es+Drum. Retrieved 2008-09-18.
- ^ "2008 Rewind". The Wire. 2008-12-10. http://www.thewire.co.uk/articles/2174/. Retrieved 2009-09-17.
- ^ Walmsley, Derek (2008-03-18). "The Mire: more is less". The Wire. http://www.thewire.co.uk/themire/2008/03/more-is-less.html. Retrieved 2009-08-18.
