French composer Olivier Casassus steps into the spotlight with Jour bleu, a debut solo piano EP that distills intimacy, memory, and Mediterranean light into six restrained yet deeply expressive compositions. Contemporary classical that carries an emotional, cinematic weight the tracks are as comparable to Olafur Arnolds as they are a number of renowned film soundtracks.
Recorded on a prepared piano with close attention to resonance, breath, and silence, Jour bleu unfolds like a personal cartography — “six pieces drawn like discreet meridians between past and present.” From the opening notes of ‘Partisan’ to the luminous drift of ‘Voyage’ and the suspended stillness of ‘En attendant’, each track marks a quiet, delicate, intimate and emotional journey through some beautiful piano work.
The EP opens with ‘Partisan’, an intimate meditation on separation and reunion. Written while Casassus was living nearly 9,000 kilometers away from his then future wife Clara, the piece captures distance through delicate harmonies and evolving patterns before gently resolving into connection. That sense of lived experience continues throughout the record, particularly on ‘Voyage’, Casassus’ first released single and a piece dedicated to Clara, which frames partnership itself as a shared, reflective journey.
Elsewhere, ‘Octobre’ leans into nostalgia, channeling the bittersweet melancholy of autumn, a feeling the composer likens to the Brazilian concept of saudade. On ‘En attendant’, time seems to stretch and hold its breath; composed while Casassus waited for his mother to emerge from surgery, the piece moves slowly from darkness toward light, mirroring fear giving way to hope. ‘Entre chiens et loups’ closes the emotional arc with a sense of suspension, evoking those fragile moments at day’s end when perspective softens and gratitude settles in.
Visually and thematically, Jour bleu is rooted in Marseille. The title serves as an allegory of light and intimacy, long, luminous coastal days mirrored in the deep human relationships that anchor us. Blue dominates the project’s imagery: sky and sea, clarity and depth existing side by side, reinforcing the EP’s contemplative tone.
With three singles released in 2025, over 100,000 Spotify streams, and a scheduled support slot on Pieter de Graaf’s 2026 tour, Jour bleu marks a confident and quietly powerful entry into Casassus’ growing catalogue.
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