TRUCS

The bells worn around the necks of animals in the same herd are tuned to each other. While this may sound like a racket, it creates a very distinctive sound that allows shepherds to recognize their livestock in the mountains (in this case, the Béarn mountains) by the sound they make. The bells are chosen and arranged to create a living orchestra with its own distinctive sound. But can we really call it music?

It is these objects, both cultural and heritage items, that Alexis Toussaint & Romain Colautti (drummer & bassist of the group Artús) have chosen to explore in TRUCS. They exploit their musicality without forgetting their symbolic significance.

In terms of form, the project naturally revolves around a very specific percussion setup: two prepared drum kits side by side, two string tambourines, then a first set of cowbells placed on stands for each of the musicians, as well as a second set suspended together in the form of a tree, like a suspended herd.All elements are processed by electronic devices in order to create different spaces for the instruments and give a harmonic dimension to the percussion (borrowed from Pyrenean music). Rhythms from Gascon dance music are also featured. The aim is to create a show that can be adapted to any type of venue by being as self-sufficient as possible (for example, a simple power outlet would suffice).

Essentially, TRUCS mainly evokes Pyrenean transhumance, with all that it entails in terms of physical difficulties, isolation, dealing with the unexpected in a herd, and contemplation of nature. It also refers to the sacredness of cowbells for shepherds, traditionally passed down from father to son. And why TRUCS? Truc in Occitan means a blow, a collision, and is also the name given to a very specific type of cowbell.