Kerzu - Lagad ar vran

Kerzu

Lagad ar vran
self-released; 2014

3.9 out of 5

By Jamie Robash

So much electronic music being made today, whether it is independent or mainstream, is as the cliché roughly goes, “more machine than man.” And even though these machines are in many cases turning out some pretty good sounding music, it seems after a time to serve the same function as plastic silverware, to be used once and then thrown away. This is due in part because electronic music changes forms so quickly these days, and rarely ages well. 

Another producer who has recently jumped into the experimental and all unforgiving foray of electronic music is Brittany, France’s Kerzu. The thirty-three year old has worked on other musical projects in the past, and has been playing piano since his early childhood, but he wanted to try something different with his project under the Kerzu moniker. This something different resulted in his first album Lagad ar vran which is Breton for "The eye of the crow," and a winking reference to a Celtic deity. 

And for all intents and purposes Lagad ar vran is different in that each track sounds remarkably different. Take for instance the album’s opener, “Keep Hope” which opens with a mixture of both gritty and airy synths digital vocal pieces akin to early work of the EDM mastermind Zedd. Though the remarkable thing about “Keep Hope” is how its repetitious mellotron melody and wildly rampant beats make the track sound hopeful. On “Str_ange(r)” Kerzu goes for an all-out EDM dance track and ends up churning out a tune that will get people moving. 

On “From Above” Kurzu switches it up for half the track, playing a clean and simple jazz piano loop over a simple drumbeat before it gradually melds into an electronic medley. The transition is rather odd, as is the way “From Above” just fizzles out at the end. “In the Circle” sounds like the background music during a fight against an end level boss in a video game with its fast, punchy beats and wild razor sharp synths. Although at times the track becomes hindered by odd transitions and swift changes in time and measure.

Kerzu’s genre hopping from song to song and sometimes in the middle of the song is slightly erratic, and at times these transitions sound forced. This is something often seen in the early work of artists these days, especially when people are so used to getting everything on demand. It is clear that Kurzu has talent, though if he ever wants to play with the big boys, he’s going to have to work on honing that talent.  

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