(Reprinted from the May 2021 issue of Downbeat)

The little-known fact that light has a mass intrigues Paris-based pianist Benoît Delbecq. In a quest to elucidate the physical manifestation of such ineffable things, the improvisatory composer launches The Weight of Light, his first solo piano recording in more than a decade.

Delbecq’s fascination with spatial realities and how we navigate them inspired the album’s nine tracks, each a platform for prepared piano; to record them, Delbecq placed objects of different materials (typically wood, erasers, the like) in the acoustic instrument’s strings to alter their sound. This technique—first credited to avant gardist composer John Cage—stands out on brief etudes like “Chemin Sur Le Crest,” where a steady metallic thrum serves as a drone to Delbecq’s contrapuntal improvising, and “Au Fil De La Parole,” where distinct melodies coalesce into a tinny, textured pastiche.

Delbecq’s longer spontaneous compositions unfold into more detailed polymetric ruminations. The same intermittent pitched beats continue for nearly 10 minutes under a jittery solo line on “Pair Et Impair,” providing a welcome sense of unity. A repeated percussive phrase on “The Loop Of Chicago” allows for more spacious soloing in Delbecq’s right hand. And the occasional timpani-like accents on “Anamorphoses” call attention to the quiet rhythmic underpinnings of the composition’s implied harmonies.  

For the most part, Delbecq stays away from overt chordal statements, so any layering of notes seems purposeful. Thus, the discordant harmonies on “Dripping Stones” only add to the visceral fluidity of the tune, and the deep-toned colors of “Broken World” serve to conjure the foreboding that the title suggests. 

With this album, Delbecq finds a happy home on Pyroclastic Records, pianist Kris Davis’ unorthodox new label. Exclusive to noncommercial music ventures, the imprint gives Delbecq and his peers license to dig into projects like The Weight of Light—undertakings that brush the outer edges of the creative imagination.

The Weight of Light: The Loop of Chicago; Dripping Stones; Family Trees; Chemin Sur Le Crest; Au Fil De La Parole; Anamorphoses; Havn En Havre; Pair Et Impair; Broken World. (48:59)

Personnel: Benoît Delbecq, piano

Photo: Lukasz Rajchert