Album Review: Sid Le Rock - Invisible Nation

The idiosyncratic musical style and production practices by Sheldon, Sidney Thompson (aka Sid Le Rock) are shaped by the DIY electronic-music movement that has encouraged his creativity to develop and thrive since the late ’90s. This is a contributing factor to his impressive discography that currently stands at twelve albums under his various aliases, including Sid’s collaborations with artists from various fields and musical genres such as Depeche Mode, DJ Koze, Placebo, and persistent impressions of the journeys he has made throughout the world as a result of his live music performances.

These invaluable experiences are the supplements for his next important leap forward as follows: As a tribal member of the Algonquin First Nations, Sid seeks to explore his ancestral heritage to uncover the traditional, ceremonial soundscapes of the Native American indigenous peoples as an integral component for his new solo album project – Invisible Nation. It is his respectful endeavour to bind this seamlessly together through his knowledge of music theory and his own distinctive production sound. Sid Le Rock’s current album concept is a fusion of traditional music and organic elements utilized by the Aboriginal peoples of Canada, combined with the modernization of electronic-based music. Mixing of both sound styles achieves balance with shared importance to rhythm as a source of impulse and functionality. It is his equitable attempt to produce and deliver a complementary synthesis of sonic peculiarities, modern electronic methods and the repurposed use of ceremonial music, to showcase a profound pride and pay homage to his forebears.

Check the opening track from the Vinyl release:

The Algonquin First Nations otherwise referred to as Anishinaabe, are a group of indigenous peoples present in the Great Lakes region of Canada. They consider music and dance to be sacred and an integral part of their lives. It is a culture which it heavily relies on rich oral traditions to pass on its stories, teachings, history, and cultivates its verbal language. Membranophone, idiophone, aerophone, and chanting are traditionally essential components of our sacred sound, This musical connection produces a narrative depth that can transport an effective atmosphere to dance-floors, bridged by unconventional virtues, to which electronic music permits limitless possibilities. Sid Le Rock’s latest release marks his eighth studio album – Invisible Nation, which is an exploration into his cultural roots, combining myth and musical expression to bring forth a prideful nation.

Verdict: Raven (Fly On Me) is the opening track on the vinyl release, a pulsating driving track that builds, a wonderfully crafted blend of electronic beats, synths and moody guitar licks, it’s a perfect example of what’s in store on the album. While its four on the floor beats and brooding undercurrent edge the album towards techno, Sid Le Rock infuses organic elements, adding warmth to the balance and in turn creating a genre defying work that deserves not to be pigeonholed. The production skills are on form as the multiple layers effortlessly entwine creating a beautiful tribal hypnotic sway throughout as the vocal rhythmic chants take you deeper. A work that draws you in more an more with each listen.

Invisible Nation Out Now (Vinyl/Digital) on Beachcoma Recordings.