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Plano, Texas may have been the childhood home of Boz Scaggs and birthplace of Anson Funderburgh, yet we don’t typically classify the town as a musical hub, and especially not one for electronic music. But then there’s multi-instrumentalist-producer Fernand Vera, a Professor of Music at Collin College and one half of the classical guitar outfit Kithara Duo. When Vera’s not busy with those obligations, he moonlights as Monsieur Glize, a solo electronic project that envelopes keyboards, electric and acoustic guitar, ambient effects, samples, and drum programming. By the way, that handle’s not just a case of fervent Francophilism – turns out there really was a Monsieur Glize far up a branch on Vera’s family tree – so there’s some extra weight in using the name.
Monsieur Glize made his self-produced debut with Dappled Shade in fall of 2020, and has since followed it up with a string of infectious singles. Each new track reveals another layer of Vera’s cross-genre comprehension, with experimental elements of noise rock and dream pop on top of more recognizable electronic styles like dance. The progression of Monsieur Glize’s arrangements also evokes a sense of curiosity, far from the disappointing idleness you hear from a lot of four-to-the-floor beat makers. Yesterday Monsieur Glize released a sample-laden, effects-drenched trance escalation that should sate whatever wanderlust you’re brushing aside under the blistering Texas sun, “Voyage”.
