Igorrr

Igorrr is a project spear-headed by French musician Gautier Serr, working with an array of super talented musicians at different points in the discography. This whole project reeks of obsession and creative output, and while it may be daunting on first listen, there is so much to be appreciated once some time has been spent getting familiar with the chopped samples, operatic vocals, and black metal guitar work. There are a lot genres being melded together, which makes it hard to describe what music fans this would appeal to… but having a mindset that you are about to listen to something very heavy would at least be a strong footing. For me, it actually started out as background music while coding. Perhaps not intuitive, but I guess the wall of noise created a backdrop for other thoughts to sit.

Track Highlights

My personal favourite track from Igorrr. It first became a go-to as it reminded me so strongly of music from some scenes in the TV show Dexter. The singing is absolutely next level, and my appreciation for the album blossomed from here. The electronic flourishes that come in towards the end of this sample are a small sign of what can be found throughout Igorrr’s discography.

A great display of dynamics, this piece is absolutely massive and should be played at full volume. The odd time signature and key of the guitar-work reminds me of Opeth’s signature finger picking sections, and the abrasive electronics underneath create an epic mood. This track again features operatic vocals, of which I’m a big fan.

I would be remiss to not touch on just how wacky this can get. Transitioning from a black metal wall of noise, Igorrr break out into a chiptune outro, introduced by… a chicken cluck. They have leant into this theme, with a couple of merch items up for grabs that give a wink to those in the know. I find these touches to be a welcome reprieve in their work and love the creativity on display.

Jump in

If you like what you hear, and want to explore some more outside of the discography on Spotify, here are similar artists, similar sounds, other side-projects, and more.

Corpo-Mente (artist)

Similar in sound but by no means identical, Corpo-Mente is a project from Gautier Serr (Igorrr himself) and Laure Le Prunenec (vocals in Igorrr from 2010 - 2021). To my ears there is a stronger focus on vocals in this work.

Ruby My Dear (artist)

Stylistically similar breakcore. Igorrr and Ruby My Dear collaborated on the album Maigre in 2014, which unfortunately has been pulled from all official streaming platforms due to label issues. You can, however, find the album on YouTube.

PARPAING (official video clip)

The official clip for Parpaing, from the album Spirituality and Distortion. The track features George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher from Cannibal Corpse. The timestamp that I have linked to shows Gautier going absolutely mental.

5 Strangest Instruments (video)

A showcase of some of the homemade instruments Igorrr has used - a trailer, a vacuum cleaner, a gas cylinder, a cookie box, and some scaffolding. Genius!

Igorrr Wikipedia page

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