After yesterday’s psychedelic descent/ascent into the colorful hues of Moodoïd, I felt inspired to dig up a few old concert clips from fellow French artistes Melody’s Echo Chamber. Plus, I realized I haven’t actually featured any of their paisley Parisian tunes, thus far.
If you did happen to peruse my earlier thoughts on Moodoïd, you’ve already discovered the connection to today’s post. If not, let me bring things up to speed. Pablo Padovani, founder of the aforementioned band, is also the guitarist in Melody’s Echo Chamber, who in turn, contributed to Moodoïd’s highly-praised single “Le lac d’or.”
Okay, now that I’ve got that little collaborative loop-de-loop cleared up, let’s move on to Melody Prochet’s wonderfully hued dream-pop project Melody’s Echo Chamber.
The two clips I’ve unearthed from my slightly ancient archive happen to be a pair of gazey favorites, “Endless Shore” and “Crystallized,” and come from an intimate performance at the Roxy Theatre way, way back in April of 2016. If I remember correctly, it was one of the Coachella sideshows that festival organizer Goldenvoice typically promotes.
All things considered, and memory not being what it used to be, that qualifies as practically a lifetime ago. Yet, surprising, upon repeated viewings, of which I’ve now had a few, I’m actually finding these live renditions to feel quite present and of the endless now. That’s, of course, exempting the defocused and dimly lit image capture that undoubtedly dates it.
Both tracks come from Prochet’s bright, buoyant and beautifully realized 2012 debut, the self-titled “Melody’s Echo Chamber,” which was essentially a solo collaboration with none-other than Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker. Yeah, there he is again. I seem to be caught up in an innocent yet seeming incestuous creative triangle of three like-minded acts – albeit in the distant past.
I’m actually quite impressed with the power and presence of Melody’s Echo Chamber in these old clips. Caveats aside, these live renditions still sound quite stunning after all these years, emitting an enormously brilliant resonance of kaleidoscopic reflectivity, often elevating these tunes beyond the shines and shimmers, into the lofty aural ricochets that their name suggests.
Prochet’s elegant vocals are particularly striking, sensually adrift in an alluring ebb and flow. See how she surfs the ephemeral reverberations of “Endless Shore.”
Melody’s Echo Chamber perform “Endless Shore” at the Roxy Theatre on 04.23.16.
Unfortunately, I don’t recall the entire line-up of her band, except for Padovani. And that’s only because of Moodoïd. But upon review, I will say that they sound as magically transcendent as I remember … or more likely, as my hazed memory allows.
Check out this 9 minute version of “Crystallized.” It’s got this effortless, free-flowing, free-spirited instrumental space jam that punctuates the latter half with sheer cosmic ascendance.
Melody’s Echo Chamber perform “Crystallized” at the Roxy Theatre on 04.23.16.
To conclude this reminiscence of Melody’s Echo Chamber, I’ve included embeds of the original studio recordings of both “Endless Shore” and “Crystallized,” as well as a music video of the latter, which up until now, I don’t think I’ve ever seen before.
Also, if you’re curious, Prochet recorded a follow-up Melody’s Echo Chamber album, titled “Bon Voyage.” Released in 2018, six years after her debut, the album proved an entirely unexpected effort, less overt in psychedelia, more Parisian in its roots, yet still overflowing with inventiveness and ingenuity. And as she did previously with Parker, it’s also a deep artistic collaboration, this time with members of Swedish psych-rock outfit Dungen, who, if you lack familiarity, is a dazzlingly eclectic force of minimalistic prog and paisley experimentalism. They’re well worth your time. And I’ll definitely bookmark them for a future post.
In the meantime, enjoy these early selections from Melody’s Echo Chamber. Until the next one …
“Endless Shore” from the 2013 album “Melody’s Echo Chamber.”
“Crystallized” from the 2013 album “Melody’s Echo Chamber.”
