GAJOOB Review by Bryan Baker:
If you love sound as sound—the raw material of noise, tone, and texture—and are thrilled when it evolves, clashes, or gently harmonizes into surprising happenstance, then Belinda Campbell’s “Sons secs, mouchoir” will be an exciting discovery. This is not an album that asks you to follow a traditional melody or lyric; instead, it invites you to step into a playful and dazzling world where piano, electronics, vocals, and found sounds swirl together like a sonic collage.
At the core of the album is the piano—not just as an instrument of keys and hammers, but as an object of exploration. Campbell lifts the lid and plays with its full potential: dampened strings, percussive taps, overtones that shimmer unexpectedly. Around this piano core, she weaves manipulated voices, snipped and reassembled sounds, paper rustles, and electronic textures that dart between chaos and calm.
The result is a listening experience that feels both intimate and expansive. There’s a kitchen sink spirit here—everything seems fair game—but it never collapses into clutter. Instead, Campbell’s gift is in making the small feel monumental: fleeting gestures and delicate sonic fragments are arranged with care, creating moments where you sense you’ve stumbled into something rare and luminous.
The artist herself frames the process beautifully: “From these recordings, I set out in search of small miracles, rare moments where surprising effects emerged… sometimes infinitely small, so brief that I had the impression of assembling sound particules.” That sense of wonder permeates the album, making it feel like a living, breathing organism rather than a fixed set of compositions.
Credit is due not just to Campbell’s deft hand in recording and mixing but also to Zachary Scholes on mastering, Guylaine Séguin’s evocative photography, and Soledad Coyoli’s sharp graphic design—all helping to shape “Sons secs, mouchoir” as both a sonic and visual object.
Released on Small Scale Music, you can explore this gem at smallscalemusic.bandcamp.com.
In short: “Sons secs, mouchoir” is a joyful exploration of sound for sound’s sake—playful, curious, and filled with shimmering detail. For those willing to wander off the beaten path, it’s an album that rewards with every listen.
Media: Cassette.
Bandcamp URL: https://smallscalemusic.bandcamp.com/album/sons-secs-mouchoir
