Le Boeuf Brothers: In Praise of Shadows

Twin brothers Remy and Pascal Le Boeuf deftly blend elements of electronica with touches of indie rock and sophisticated jazz writing on this genre-defying project. Joined by a young crew of likeminded musicians in guitarist Nir Felder, bassist Linda Oh, tenor saxophonist Mike Ruby and drummer Henry Cole, the brothers create their own provocative niche, inspired by such renegade electronic artists as Aphex Twin and Squarepusher. Keyboardist Pascal (who studied electronic music production at Berklee) dabbles in unique timbres, textures and remixes, but beneath the experimental veneer is some substantial writing, as on “Fire Dancing Dreams,” “Two Worlds,” the dynamic “D2D,” the intriguing “Circles” and the harmonically sophisticated, lightly swinging title track. Remy, an accomplished alto saxophonist, tweaked the proceedings with intriguing arrangements for the Myth String Quartet that were added to the music after the initial recording session. The album also takes the “enhanced CD” concept to the next level, allowing listeners to manipulate the tracks on their computers and make their own remixes, which the brothers encourage fans to submit to their website.