back Gallery Biography Bertrand Burgalat Hit Thing is honored to announce the international release of "Portrait-Robot", the new album by Bertrand Burgalat. Recorded last year in Berlin and Paris, "Portrait-Robot" is a journey into the center of the mind of one of France's most important contemporary and controversial artists. Burgalat is world renowned for his elaborate and sophisticated productions for his own Parisian label empire Tricatel, as well as working with artists such as Depeche Mode, EinstŸrzende Neubauten, Pizzicato Five, Laibach, Mick Harvey, Michel Houellebecq and Air. However, "Portrait-Robot" represents a significant shift from Bertrand's past musical endeavors, leaving listeners amazed at the scale of personal exploration and musical diversity, unlike anything ever to come out of France. "Portrait-Robot" features stunning lyrics written by Alfreda Benje, aka Alfie, who previously had only written for her husband, Robert Wyatt (who sang them for her onto Bertrand's answering machine for approval). It also features gorgeous texts by Tricatel's own chanteuse April March. Many unusual guests appear, but a main band throughout features longtime collaborators Toby Dammit, Peter von Poehl and Dana Schechter, giving the album a powerful continuity. The musical dynamic is grand, layered in psychedelic extremes, subtile disco humor, dreamy-bliss atmospheres, and moments of dire self-evaluation and confession. After multiple listens to this modern masterpiece, one can hardly be surprised at the worldwide interest emerging around Burgalat as the most elegantly complex young composer of our time. "Portrait-Robot's" unique album cover features a genuine "criminal" composite sketch of Bertrand produced by agents of the French equivalent of the FBI, based only on a physical description by novelist Elisabeth BarillŽ. Together, the combination of Burgalat's eye and brain medical scans, introspective lyrics, and a completely unparalleled approach to songwriting, recording and mixing, gives the listener an unusually rare focus into an artist. Hit Thing has packaged a deluxe edition of "Portrait-Robot". The CD features a double fold out digi-pack with a 24-page lyric and artwork booklet, as well as 2 bonus tracks and an animated video for "Spring Isn't Fair", all of which aren't available in the French edition. For the vinyl collectors, Hit Thing will also release a double-gatefold LP edition pressed on 150gram vinyl. back page top Gallery