Cites Analogues

Description

"Cités Analogues" is the first album by Lightwave’s flagship duo, Christoph Harbonnier and Christian Wittman. Recorded between April and May 1988, edited and produced in July 1988, "Cités Analogues" was then distributed on the alternative scene as a cassette. After the experiments and improvisations of their first cassette, "Modular Experiments", recorded with Serge Leroy, Lightwave opted for a concept album, comprising a series of compositions and subtle atmospheres assembled into two continuous tracks. The album was both recorded and mixed live, using a Revox B77 (tape machine) and an Allen & Heath 12/2 mixing desk. Thus, the different passages on this album capture the experience of Lightwave’s performances, in which Harbonnier and Wittman respond to each other through sympathetic improvisations. The instrumentation consists mainly of analog synthesizers, including several modular systems (RSF, ARP, Roland, Oberheim), while the sequences and rhythms are driven by two Roland sequencers. The digital effects help create an expansive stereo field, in which urban environmental recordings and tape processing form rich experimental punctuations. "Cités Analogues" is thus a foundational album for the Harbonnier - Wittman duo, laying the groundwork for a musical collaboration that continues thirty-five years later, thanks to their complementary skills and sonic worlds. Long awaited, this remastered reissue of "Cités Analogues", produced by Christoph Harbonnier, documents an important stage in Lightwave’s trajectory and reflects the kaleidoscope of their influences in the late 80s, encompassing the Berlin school, Brian Eno’s ambient work, and a particularly French style of electro-acoustic experimentation. All tracks were composed and performed by Christoph Harbonnier and Christian Wittman at Malibu Studio, Parmain, France (1988).