By Matt Carter @m_j_c73
Wangled Teb is a creative sound project from Fredericton musician Ronnie Poirier. This past fall he released his debut EP, Self-Titled, showcasing four compositions of electronic/ambient music that explore a wide range of textures and layers throughout the EP’s nearly 27 minute running time.
I must admit I was not completely sold on this EP at first. The introductory track starts off with an all-too-predictable formula, which I feel is a common pitfall for many musicians exploring the possibilities of this style of composition – presenting a melody and then just dumping layer after layer on top, every four to eight measures. But as the opening track Space Jam progresses, it slowly becomes evident Poirier has a larger concept in mind, allowing the melody to breath once in a while in a fashion more complex that simply muting a track here and there.
For me personally, things really begin to take shape across the remaining three tracks. Your Shoes is a particularly strong example of what Poirier is capable of. The melodies are better defined with greater integrity and honesty, sounding less contrived. And this is the path he follows for the reminder of the release, uncovering some real beauty, or better yet, allowing the beauty to be heard.
Self-Titled is a strong introduction and a welcomed addition to the growing number of electronic-based projects to surface in the city over the past couple of years. With just four tracks present on this debut EP, it’s wouldn’t be fair to make any assumptions about the direction Poirier’s music will take on future releases, but it will be an exciting journey to follow.
