St Germain (aka Ludovic Navarre), whose albums Boulevard (1995) and Tourist (2000) originated a genre of French electronic music that later included artists like Air, has returned to the studio to create his first album in 15 years. The self-titled record, released October 9, 2015, on Nonesuch Records in the United States, marries percussive grooves, which have always been central to St Germain’s sound, with a new element: traditional Malian music. The two-LP edition is pressed on 180-gram vinyl; an album download is not included.
Composed, produced, recorded, and mixed by Navarre at his Paris studio, the Magic House, and mastered by Alex Wharton at Abbey Road, “Real Blues” features a vocal sample from Lightnin’ Hopkins’ "You Caused My Heart to Weep" and instrumental contributions from Brazilian percussionist Jorge Bezerra, Malian kora player Mamadou Cherif Soumano, Malian guitarist and n’goni player Guimba Kouyate, and keyboardist and longtime St Germain collaborator Didier Davidas, from Martinique.
St Germain’s move closer to the source of the jazz and blues elements that were essential ingredients in Boulevard and the internationally acclaimed Tourist led to his interest in those genres’ roots in West African music.A1 Real Blues 5:16 A2 Sittin' Here 6:21 B1 Hanky-Panky 7:05 B2 Voilà 6:35 C1 Family Tree 7:54 C2 How Dare You 6:46 D1 Mary L. (Instrumental) 5:21 D2 Forget Me Not (Instrumental) 5:43
