aaamusic | On 09, Jan 2011

Electro-centric duo Val-d’Isére’s first furtive exposure to the pressures of the music business is to be found in a quietly melodic, almost genre-defying EP that couples both modern wizardry with a healthy grasp of experimentation and vocal talent.
Sean Bamberger, having met Carrie Flower through mutual friend Emily Sear, found that Carries’s carefree attitude to music production dovetailed perfectly with his musical vision.  They formed the band in 2008 using the internet to brainstorm, making full use of its increasingly popular means of music production & recording.

The EP’s first track and single – ‘Pinpoint’- juxtaposes the soft ‘First Aid Kit’ vocals of Carrie Flowers with a fast, strong rhythm to produce a beautiful piece of art that would be nothing but perfect to whack on after a hard day’s work.  One complaint, however, would be the excess use/volume of the ever-present high-hat.

This exciting duo’s first EP shows an almost telepathic understanding between its composers; besides, not only do they have talent, a unique sound and above all a listener friendly vibe, they manage to pull it off using samples from Youtube and basic hardware.

In addition, their use of a subtle variety of instruments such as kettle drums on track3 ‘Walking ants’ and an organ on ‘Pinpoint’ add a further dimension to their slightly confused sound.

Val-D’isere is definitely one to keep an eye on in 2011, because with a sound so unique yet accessible they won’t be falling by the wayside anytime soon.

Guy Waddington