(F-Com/Creative Vibes)

From the east of France, Maxence Cyrin is a music academy trained pianist. He began life with a fascination for Elvis, Burt Bacharach and the Beach Boys, but come the late 80’s he fell hard for techno and industrial strength electronica.

Working under the guises of ‘Brain In A Box’, ‘Max Da Fly’ and ‘Modelkiller’ he released several singles through ‘Rave Age’, ‘Superstition’ and ‘PCP’. Then, in 2005, he combined his piano playing prowess with his passion for electronica to reproduce Laurent Garnier’s, ‘Acid Eiffel’. Carrying this theme through, he has since completed the first acoustic release for label stalwarts ‘FCom’, titled ‘Modern Rhapsodies’, this is where you will find many an influential and timeless piece of electronica reinterpreted entirely by ear and played solely on the piano.

I have to admit that hearing Faithless, Aphex Twin, Depeche Mode and LFO minus their thunderous basslines, screaming circuit boards and seminal hooks does take some getting used to, and whilst not quite conducive to the tremble and shudder of a pounding warehouse at 3am; Maxence has managed to create intriguingly high levels of euphoric energy, and at the other end of the scale, deep brooding rollers that should leave the original artists mostly satisfied.

To tell you the names of the tracks that have found their place here is to take away from part of this albums listening experience, for you will enjoy the trainspotting. However, if you, like myself, are not a big fan of solo piano performances you may find this all a little laborious and unnecessarily melodramatic by the half way mark. In small doses is probably best. I would though be keen to hear the opinions from those who a) enjoy listening to the piano and b) who have never heard the originals.

For its unique idea, I do like this album and Maxence’s skill level is undeniably admirable. However, I love electronic music, absolutely love it, in all its phat, luscious digital glory. It just can’t be beat.