David Grumel
It took David Grumel 10 years to follow up his luminous debut album Beaurivage (naïve). What might seem like an eternity is simply the right moment, the right time. Beneath this apparent slowness lies a rhythmic evidence for this musical craftsman who cultivates patience, captures micro-movements and reveals details.

Like the pebbles he leaves on his path in "Little stones", David Grumel is a sower of songs, and the 9 bewitching tracks on "Utopia" are there to prove it. Each composition leads down a gentle slope, somewhere between pop and film music.

Whether he's playing the piano, his instrument of choice, the santoor, the guitar or other strange instruments (Theremin, cymbalum, Omnichord....), he's just the right extension of the full-length film in versicolour that began with 'Beaurivage'. The sensitivity is still there, on the surface of his skin, but his sobriety and authenticity have taken another step towards purity. Like his simple, calm voice ("western soul"), David Grumel has the elegance of restraint.

A willing contemplative, David is no less a hard worker and perfectionist. The ten years that separate his two albums have been anything but unproductive: artistic collaborations and studio productions (Loren Lopez, Davis, Neeskens, Pirouettes...), soundtracks and advertising music (Renault Scenic, Deutsche Bahn, Visa premier...), time to have children and to let life throw him for a loop.

In terms of references, David hints here and there: Ennio Morricone haunts "Le manoir", the shadow of François de Roubaix crosses "Bari-Roubaix" and his first single "A starry night" (out 4.09.15) evokes a childhood memory. But it's clear that the essence of his inspiration lies less in the emotion of the landscapes, books, films and encounters that have marked his career. Nino's theme was born from a simple heartbeat. And if artists like Neeskens, Lauren Lopez (Caspian Pool) and Cascadeur offer to take part in the project, it's easy to see that their presence is due as much to their soulful qualities and the friendship they share with the artist as to their great talent.

So it's hardly surprising that David chose 'Utopia' as the title for his new album. Listening to 'The good, the evil', or 'L'azur', which closes the album, you start to dream that the ideal world imagined by Thomas More is just around the corner, on the shores of Lake Annecy, where David patiently carves his river into the rock, breathing life into a crazy world.