Jean Claude Vannier Et Son Orchestre de Mandolines

Now here’s an unusual, quirky and charming instrumental set from a French composer with a deserved cult following in the UK. Jean Claude Vannier has written film soundtracks, worked with Françoise Hardy and Serge Gainsbourg, and is best known for his bizarre 1972 solo debut L’Enfant Assassin des Mouches and arrangements for Gainsbourg’s Histoire de Melody Nelson – which were both performed in London in 2006 with a cast that included Jarvis Cocker, Gruff Rhys and a chorus pressing on aerosol cans. His latest work is dominated by mandolin player Vincent Beer-Demander and accordionist Grégory Daltin, who are backed by occasional strings as they switch from pieces that range from ‘Perdue dans la Cité’ (Lost in the City), which could be a chanson melody, to gently mournful and atmospheric pieces with such intriguing titles as ‘La 2CV Disparaît au Coin de la Rue’ (The 2CV Disappears Round the Corner) or ‘La 2CV Rouillée’ (The Rusty 2CV). Perfect for an arty black-and-white film featuring an ancient Citroën.