EXTREME PRECAUTIONS – S/T
OUT DECEMBER 22ND
ON PARADISUM RECORDS

Extreme Precautions is the latest accomplishment from a musician – Paul Régimbeau, 29 years old – who likes deep contrasts as much as nuance, and who allows himself to develop radical techno sounds as well as dark melodies with a cinematographic dimension.

Extreme Precautions is somewhat of a startling turn, influenced as much by the grind of metal and aesthetics of crust as it has been the electronic flourishes that propel his career so far. Recorded in just one week, it was a chance to try something different, and to add harshness to his sound.

“After finishing Hadès, I was thinking of doing a techno EP. But I w as mostly listening to Brutal Truth, Assuck, Napalm Death and Pig Destroyer at that time, so grindcore got me carried away and I went blast beat. This was a blast indeed – I did this record in a week total, a big release for me.”

A series of brief, intense and untitled material, the record is relentless and wears its inspirators on its sleeve.

Extreme Precautions is out December 22nd on In Paradisum and available to pre-order now

More details | Last year’s ‘Hades’:

In the last couple of years, Paul has released (under the Mondkopf moniker) his The Nicest Way EP (Perc Trax), and had perform memorably as a DJ in clubs like Berghain and Corsica Studios. Also getting on his own terms and starting his own imprint In Paradisum with Guillaume Heuguet, he has united a team of artists all pretty much standing apart in the French scene and led by the same restlessness and ideals. The operation quickly connected to a flourishing international scene of forward-thinking techno and house, and is now allowing him to express his musical goals further, and on no release less than the cathartic Hadès.

Hadès is one of these rare electronic music albums which accomplish full consistency. The atmospheres of previous work appear here sharper than ever. From the first trumpet notes of opener ‘Hades I’ the album has a melodic and cinematic atmosphere, though the waves of distortion and layers of broken atmospherics prevent it from ever drifting into soundtrack clichés. It takes until the third track (‘Cause & Cure’) for Mondkopf to finally unleash the full range of his percussive arsenal, launching wave after wave of drum assaults. From here on the album moves forward perfectly, balancing beauty and menace, power and subtlety and melody and rhythm.

Despite its blood red cover, Hadès provides a feeling of controlled anxiety. A critical and underground commercial success (the record reached no.1 on the Bleep.com charts) one could believe the wild child is getting softer – quite the opposite, a whole new live show is proving his desire to challenge himsef. Getting rid of the binary rythms and highly powerful design effects that had made the previous live experience a success, Mondkopf is now reaching for both more tension and more intensity. Hadès and Extreme Precautions’ debut release couldn’t signify this more.

With the help of Greg Buffier, guitarist from ambient group Saaad (Hands in the dark), machines and guitar unite in sonic waves melting electric and electronic power. An experience alien to most current trends in electronic dance music, as well as a whole a new direction Mondkopf, which is just beginning…