The touching thing about Laurent Coulondre is that this (young) man is true to himself. His music is driven by nothing but his desires. He is a brilliant boy, if a tad hyperactive. On his keyboards, everything works simultaneously – his two hands, his two feet, his whole body is dedicated to music and to the inextricable grooves he creates with his partners. His music is all about constant rhythmical illusions and trompe l’oeils (should you believe your ears?). His work is never mathematical. It’s simply the wholesome pleasure of someone who is having fun and sharing his happiness.

For Coulondre, music (life?) is a great playground of experimentation. He brings about joyful encounters and collaborates with the best artists France has to offer. You will not be disappointed by his cymbals and the array of his other percussion instruments. Coulondre works this time on stage with Yoann Serra, who is the pianist-electronics-engineer’s brilliant and loyal partner in crime (other times in live or in studio, you can ear Laurent with André Ceccarelli, who is one of the greatest poets of rhythm and Martin Wangermée, a virtuoso of sound, suppleness and ideas, and Cyril Atef , the troublemaker, who never lacks those ideas that create sharp musical turns).

Facing them, Coulondre proposes, propels, throbs, and is always eager to make light of time and beats. His work sometimes resembles Escher’s inextricable musical labyrinth. Just when you think that you have found the way out, you realise that you are somewhere else – lost in an ocean of pleasure, a crisscross of sounds as so many landscapes to explore. Coulondre does not theorise what he does. How could his music be described? Jazz? Yes. Rock? That too. Jazz-rock? Why not. Is he groovy? Certainly, but he is more than just that… Ultimately, he is a man of his time who can be classified as one pleases, somewhere between Chick Corea, Eddy Louis, D’Angelo, Snarky Puppy and many more. As Alfred de Musset once said, ”What matters the flask, if drunkenness be within?”

It is fortunate that today, we are being offered thrilling music that cares about sound (here, textures and colours are remarkable). This is the music of space and crossroads. Coulondre affirms his strong character with ease. He arouses admiration and will undoubtedly have a fast-growing, long-lasting career!