les graciŽs is a collaboration in the truest sense between paris-based sound artist ga‘l segalen and deepblak co-founder afrikan sciences. segalenÕs experiments in electroacoustic sound met the wider world this year via a debut lp for erratum, an arresting work that showcases her ability to merge hypnotic murk ala angus maclise with the hard concrŽte of parmegiani & reibel. segalenÕs ihearu imprint / organisation is a platform for her various doings, including psychogeographical audio works and multi-media collaborations, as well as servicing as a reference point for other contemporary female artists working across various mediums. eric douglas porter aka african sciences has been deconstructing and re-building forms of contemporary black music since the mid-2000Õs, through releases on deepblak (the label he co-runs with aybee) and pan. his musical universe is one of warping cadences and celestial melody, referencing the bold work of percussionists like milford graves & art jenkins, the dissonant chords of motor city techno and stripped back essence of early chicago house matched with broken hard bop sentiments: all tied together with an aesthetic that sits somewhere between sun raÕs omniverse, jean giraud mÏbius and dogon cosmology. together as le graciŽs, segalen and porter make a wholly unclassifiable strain of music that, while containing recognisable elements of each individual s work, also creates a third entity in the process, which can be heard to stunning effect on their forthcoming debut lp Ôlow dosesÕ for firecracker recordings.