La Gouache

Description

Twenty years after the release of Hawaï, the legendary album by the group Java, its singer, the godfather of musette rap, is finally back. After a proliferation of counterfeit copies, it was up to the trailblazer of this musical continent to get the oil spreader back in action. With precise writing, nonchalant humor, and a clear flow, Erwan Séguillon, aka R.Wan, makes a return to his roots while sounding a conquering charge. A player in the sound systems of the 90s, the chameleon singer has not been idle over the past two decades. He has traveled the world with his group Java, created Radio Cortex (a pirate radio concept combining theater and music), and produced the album Paris Rockin', a meeting between Jamaican Winston Mac Anuff and the musicians of Java. In 2012, he released the elegant Peau Rouge as a solo artist with Wagram, then in 2015, he founded the group Soviet Suprem with Toma Feterman (La Caravane Passe), where he took on the role of Sylvester Staline. Together, they lead the dance-floor revolution, igniting stages around the globe with militaro-punk Balkan beats. Between albums, he released the hypnotic Curling as a solo artist. At the same time, R.Wan lends his songwriting talents to other artists (Alexis HK, Rachid Taha, Tiken Jah Fakoly, Karimouche, Babylon Circus...). In 2020, he offers us a lush, organic album, open to the world but firmly rooted in the asphalt. Supported by director Jean Lamoot (Alain Bashung, Noir Désir, Brigitte Fontaine), Le Javanais provides an unrelenting satire of the contemporary world. While it features countless discoveries, the album also celebrates R.Wan's first loves, those musette variations once played on the accordion by his accomplice Fixi, who once again showcases his talent on three tracks. The powerful voice of Salif Keïta also shines on the melancholic ballad "Des Humains." Thus, we have the work of an artist in full command of his abilities, challenging the prevailing conformity, enthusiastically scratching the surface of a world that is too smooth. In this unusual charge, irony and escape are the engines of a great poetic revolt.