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Ronald Straetemans is an ambitious man. On his first studio album proper as Tududuh, Storm Murale, the Utrecht singer-producer attempts to reconcile his indiepop-infected past with his love for all things electronic, psychedelic and cinematic. His choice of collaborators for this undertaking (a producer with a knack for creating noizy soundscapes, a clasically trained singer-pianist and a French rapper) reflects an omnivorous approach to appropriating musical influences into an artistic identity that's bordering on schizophrenia.
Straetemans has set himself up for a precarious juggle of stylistic elements. Synth washes, electro-tinged beats, murky bass and filtered vocals constantly fight for their place in Tududuh's sonic spectrum. As a result the production of this album is quite dense, congested even. No easy listening to be found here. But with some attentive listening, the album reveals intruiging avenues and quite a few infectious melodies.
Consider "Motor Oil", the album's opening track. Despite the murky textures and electronic feel, the track emanates strong David Bowie vibes throughout. It's arty, but with a great awareness of pop music. "Echo of a Smile" is of the same variety, albeit with an undeniable 80s bassline and hedonist Gainsbourgian vocals. In these cases, the production seems to try and obscure the fact a good pop song is buried beneath the industrial rubble. "Not to Worry", on the other hand, is a fine example of how Straeteman's production and rapper Reazun's second guestspot lift the song to both epic and trippy proportions in ways that recall triphop's finest hour.
Like many ambitious producers, Straetemans still lacks the skill to turn his many flights of fancy into a coherent substance of consistent quality. It's something that will have to grow along the way. Do not misstake this for a mediocre record however. Storm Murale shows great promise. Even if this album does not fully satisfy from start to finish, it does leave you wondering in what directions Straetemans will steer his project next. Tududuh has the potential to keep listeners engaged over the course of several albums as they progress, digress and dig deeper into their own musical background and identity. It's a matter of sitting back and letting the narrative unfold itself.
>>>Watch the video for "Change Of Seasons", taken from Storm Murale, below<<<
