Producer Jean Cousin has shared a new track under his new moniker Joni Void, entitled ‘Li De La’. You can check it out above.
The track comes amidst the release today of a new album via Constellation Records, entitled Selfless – the track above does not feature on that album. The track above is almost entirely made from samples of Delia Derbyshire’s ‘Circle Of Light’ and ‘Shock Chords’ – the only parts of the track not sampled from Derbyshire’s work are the kick drums and other percussive elements. The track, in homage to Derbyshire, is named after a pseudonym she used: Li De La Russe, and today marks what would have been her 80th birthday.
"Discovering Delia Derbyshire, exploring her discography and reading about her life was really an impacting experience that connected me to my roots as an electronic artist/music-maker, and validated my creative approach of pure editing over traditional composition," says Cousin. "For many, electronic music starts with, and revolves around synthesisers, but what Delia pioneered is before any of that, and even more relevant nowadays.
"All the cutting, looping, stretching, pitching, filtering you can do now with just a few clicks on a music software, she would do manually with tape, in a very precise, calculated manner, and with an extensive, long assembling process. It was at a time where the imagination of musicians or, in this case, electronic musicians, was beyond the technology available, unlike now. It’s fascinating how much it shows the potential of electronic music even at its earliest stage, and her compositions still remain ahead of their time, all with her own unique sensibility and personality. She definitely still doesn’t have the recognition she deserves, so my life goal is to maintain her legacy. She’s the one person I would probably visit first if I had a time machine."
Selfless, meanwhile, takes in contributions from a number of Cousin’s friends, with the record setting out to renounce any ‘original’ playing or recording of his own. Natalie Reid recites a poem of hers on one track while Tide Jewel contributes a freestyle rap recorded and sent by phone. The record is out now and can be purchased here or here.
