Here’s an album that lives up to its title. Efflorescences of beats, accompanied by ghostly acoustic colours often worked digitally, and Indie atmospheres, occupy the space of this addictive Beat Bouquet. The beats themselves are heavily tinged with glitch and low-fi textures, underpinning mostly chilled-out melodies. It’s mostly a smooth ride, even when things get a bit more intense, and we’re especially impressed by the mastery of the groove of Misc’s three musicians, Jérôme Beaulieu (piano, synthesizers), William Côté (drums) and Jérémi Roy (bass). What’s more, the trio is joined by Daniel Bélanger on Resté couché (en novembre), a song that blends strangeness and swaying highs. There’s also a powerful cinematic edge to the moods built up throughout the album. The guys call it mutant jazz. There’s a reason for that : there is something frankenstein-esque about these constructions made up of morsels of so many things. But no chance here for a bad ending, everything is masterfully coherent and controlled.
Note the contribution of Pierre Girard (mixing) and Marc Thériault (mastering), essential contributors to the supercool sound of this stimulating musical endeavor.
Beat Bouquet is a great album.
Upcoming dates for Misc :
29 June 2025 Festivoix, Trois-Rivières
3 July 2025 Foufounes électriques, Montréal (as part of the Festival
Jazz Festival)
6 July 2025 Festival d’été de Québec, Quebec City
3 October 2025 Old post office, Lévis
4 October 2025 La Vieille Caserne, Verchères
24 October 2025 Théâtre Gilles-Vigneault, Saint-Jérôme
October 29, 2025 Le Vieux Couvent, Saint-Prime
30 October 2025 Côté-Cour, Jonquière
October 31, 2025 L’Anglicane, Lévis
November 8, 2025 Centre d’art de Richmond, Richmond
November 28, 2025 Le Garage, Café culturel de la Chasse-Galerie, Lavaltrie