The influential French-British composer Jean-Loup Pinson, who brought the notion of how a story is told in music into new territories, released his EP, A Moment of Deathlessness. In an audacious, genre-defying 10-minute sonic odyssey, this piece marries angsty poetry from Emily Dickinson with hip-hop and spoken-word, urban brawn.
The project combines the hauntingly beautiful harmonies of The Carice Singers, one of the U.K.’s top chamber choirs, with the raw, evocative voices of London hip-hop poets Armanious and Tanaka Fuego. Together, they weave a soundscape that crosses two centuries, finding universal themes of truth, mortality, and desire through the timeless lens of Dickinson, perhaps more evocative today than ever. Standouts like “Tell All The Truth/Surrender” and “I Am Afraid To Own A Body” highlight Pinson’s genius for blending high-concept sophistication with futuristic bumps.
Pinson’s vision reinvigorates Dickinson’s poetry. “Her work explores existence in ways that are intimate and profound,” Pinson says. “I wanted to emphasize the sustained relevance of her words by juxtaposing classical choral music with the immediacy of rap and spoken word,”
In addition to his studio mastery, Pinson’s work as an actor is lengthy, including credits in film, television, and theatre, with credits that range from Gunpowder Milkshake to Speer Goes to Hollywood. A graduate of the London College of Contemporary Music and a BAFTA Connect Member, he is solidifying his status as a daring innovator in the space.
Out of all primary streaming services, A Moment of Deathlessness offers listeners a rare glimpse into an extraordinary conversation between past and present, between tradition and innovation. Pinson’s psychedelic artscape resounds Emily Dickinson’s poetic truths ever more firmly.
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