CD-R, self-released, 2004
www.16pac.com
There are things we learn to like. The first time I listened to 16PAC’s demo, my accoustic processing centre just popped up with: “Next, please!” But, as I have the comprehensive work of writing music reviews, I listened to it until the end. And… well. I felt the same. But I tried it again. And then I realised, “Hummm… This is not so bad. To say the truth this is not bad at all! God! I’m liking it!!!”
Electronic, minimalist, introspective sequences of data echoing in my head. No escape from this thin web of dreams, ideas, memories and feelings. Starting inside my head, in words converging into light with “Writing”, followed by lonely repeated reflections in some empty room on “Letters from L.A.”, passing into “Life Is Infinite”, gently followed by whisperings eyes, critically looking through windows of thin glass at lives passing in a continuous unconscious flux of emptiness on “Small White Boxes”, entering then on the realms of forever forgotten lovers and identities with “Invisible”, down trough the factual and painful truth of one confronting one’s owns actions, understanding mistakes never before admited on “Blind”, into the merry go round of the subtle ironic military metaphor of wanted love in “Snipe Me”, finally ending with the beauty of simplicity, expressed in emotions as clear and pure as fresh water in “My Heart Is Full Of Music”.
16PAC’s musical structures are rather minimalistic, suiting the calm, soothing and introspective mood of the songs, which are built mainly around Emma Delaval’s singing. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. However, at times it becomes a bit too much (or too less) and one is left wondering if the music shouldn’t be developed a bit more to gain a bit of independence so as to become an even better complement to Emma’s voice.
Born in 2001, with the meeting of Emma Delaval (rock singer) and François Puech (Neil Young style songwriter), 16PAC is a very interesting project of the new electro pop French scene. Although it might sound a little strange, how this casual marriage could have given birth to an electronic project like this, we can find the answer on the common interest that both members of this duo have on artists like Björk and Portishead.
“My Heart Is Full Of Music” is a home-made but very professional demo production that seems the next natural step after the success of the song with the same name, which was chosen for the “CQFD / Ceux Qu’il Faut Décovrir” compilation (Those Must Be Discovered), of the French music magazine “Les Inrockuptibles”, from December 2002.
Mere words and personal opinions sometimes mean nothing. So decide by yourself, by listening to the songs available on their website, at http://www.16pac.com/. Not being brilliant, 16PAC are nevertheless definitely worthy of our present and future attention.
[6/10]
— Pedro Vieira