Foutu Flin

Description

Following directly from their debut Victime De Laube, Foutu Flin feels like a continuation rather than a departure, a second reel instead of a reset. Axel Concato and Barth Corbelet each wrote five pieces independently, deliberately exploring as instinctively and introspectively as possible before reshaping their embryonic ideas together into bigger, brighter compositions, uncovering hidden humour along the way.

Cinema remains Bolbecs primary language. “We always think in movie scenes,, they explain. Barth points to Alberto Iglesias as a key influence, while Axel draws inspiration from the melodic logic of film scores from the 60s to the 80s, where characters carried themes and melody mattered as much as atmosphere. In contrast to contemporary soundtrack trends that prioritise texture over tune, Bolbec consciously foreground melody, harmony and rhythm in search of a personal musical signature.

That philosophy extends to the albums French language titles, which act as scene headings rather than explanations. Often playful and sometimes absurd, names such as Caf Frapp, Foutu Flin and Le Prof de Gong sound like fragments of half-remembered films, inviting listeners to project their own narratives.

The album opens with Caf Frapp, written in a single night by Axel. A clear nod to Morricones The Sicilian Clan, it also hints at French classical minimalism and the restrained tension of Portishead. Minimal at first, it expands through shifting orchestration as the same theme repeats, following a scene as it subtly evolves. En Voiture plays like the opening shot of a road movie. Inspired by Ravels Bolro, it cycles patiently through two long themes, stretching repetition until it almost disappears. Classical structure drifts into jazz phrasing, with drummer Tim Giles sustaining its slow-burn momentum before flautist Gareth Lockrane improvises freely as the melody gradually falls away.

The title track Foutu Flin leans into humour. Built around a buoyant walking bass, it imagines a feline character strutting somewhere between slapstick animation and jazz club swagger. The track subtly recalls the walking bass motif from the title piece of Victime De Laube, reinforcing the sense that both albums inhabit the same cinematic universe.

Le Prof de Gong unfolds like a classic European score cue. Beginning as a simple guitar sketch, it grows into a richly layered waltz featuring banjo, piano, and wordless but melodic scat singing recalling the ethereal vocals of classic Piero Umiliani scores. A single melodic idea is reinterpreted across shifting moods, nodding to Morricone, Legrand and John Barry, in the process. Elsewhere, recurring characters and locations appear. Fanny began life as a vocal-led piece and survived Bolbecs original plan to avoid vocals entirely thanks to its fragile, Robert Wyatt-like charm. A second version, Fanny au Phare, reimagines the same figure by the sea, windswept and romantic, with a faint Wuthering Heights atmosphere. Barths vocal is initially replaced by a drunken, sax-like Juno synth, before giving way to Vincent Dfosss more sober trumpet. In the final chapter, Ross Stanleys piano riffs drift close to Tyner/Coltranes My Favourite Things, before twisting back around into the opening motif.

Much of Foutu Flin was sketched at home before being taken to Fish Factory Studio in the UK, where musicians were encouraged to interpret and improvise freely. Performances were then carefully edited and reshaped, closer in spirit to cut-and-paste production than traditional jazz recording. Feel consistently took priority over technical perfection.

Returning players Tim Giles, Riaan Vosloo, Ross Stanley and Gareth Lockrane are joined by saxophonist James Allsop, whose contribution became a defining surprise, notably on Ponto Final. Additional recordings were completed in Rouen, with final mixes by Axel mastered by Sean Joseph in Bristol, whose sense of warmth and acoustic space helped shape the albums sound.

Ultimately, Foutu Flin confirms Bolbecs identity. Music that feels like the beginning of a story. Less theatre, more cinema. Close your eyes, the film is already rolling.

TRACKLIST:
1. Machine Arrire
2. Caf Frapp
3. En Voiture
4. Le Prof de Gong
5. Fanny
6. Fanny au Phare
7. Foutu Flin
8. Le Fou-Rire
9. Ponto Final
10. Terrasse