Sylvain Rifflet - Mechanics (2015)

French saxophonist and composer Sylvain Rifflet has his finger firmly set on the pulse of modern times. Working with his group Alphabet, he has masterminded an innovative and spell-binding brand of music in which the modernity of his jazz sound combines with the world of New York minimalism. Poets and writers of the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century often described the then-nascent ''industrial world'' and its machines as ''enemies of art.'' However some did not see progress as dehumanizing. Science fiction imagined a futuristic world, which inspired artists and writers such as Jules Verne and HG Wells. Rifflet's album Mechanics, with a cover illustration by Belgian comic book artist Francois Schuiten, journeys through forward looking and fantastical worlds.