The new EP from Xavier Lebuis was originally planned as a complete album, with the heartbeat of an old electric organ from the ’70s at it’s core. That will have to wait a bit. In the meantime, the Montreal artist opted instead for a six-track EP, retracing his adventures on the other side of the world. Having set off on a long trip with his little family last year, Lebuis composed the basics on the road, with a laptop and the rich impressions that six months of freedom can provide. Back in Montreal, he refocused the project and temporarily put the organ aside, then fine-tuned the whole thing in his studio, with synthesizers, effects pedals and other accessories that he couldn’t lug around on his peregrinations. Long Waves in a Keyhole is therefore a sound travel diary, a sort of small time capsule anchored in particular moments. Lebuis presented much of this material during his performance at MUTEK Montreal in 2019. According to the artist, “each piece humbly attempts to embody these particular places and moments with my very personal impression of them.” It must be said that the journey, however short, is very enjoyable.
