marc baron: carnets

Just as 2014's widely lauded Hidden Tapes marked a turn from saxophone improvisation to an embrace of what the Potlatch label referred to as "music for speakers" or, more elegantly, "sound diffusion," Carnets is not only another leap forward, but could easily be considered Marc Baron's masterpiece. Carnets is a dynamic interplay of degraded magnetic tape and unsettlingly normal everyday recordings dating back to Baron's childhood, showcasing Baron's deftness in crafting compositions that leave the listener with more questions than answers. Attempts to pin down his methods are forestalled at every turn by the abstract yet suggestive nature of the pieces. Personal memories become a platform for a series of inscrutable, elegantly arranged compositions. Baron's misused tapes carry evocative resonances that linger hauntingly in the mind of the listener, begging to be heard again. This record is the analog debut for Marc Baron, and his hand-constructed audio works sound completely alive on this vinyl pressing mastered by Jason Lescalleet. Each slab of 150-gram vinyl comes in a special black poly-lined dust sleeve inside a 300-gsm white-on-white art board, all lovingly protected by a polyvinyl bag. The front cover bears a striking photograph of a sculpture by French artist Loïc Blairon, something very intimate and personal for Marc Baron. This album is truly something very special.