Animaux-machines is a piece that is very freely inspired by different theories of mechanistic approach to reality (Descartes’ theory according to which living beings are perfected machines, the mechanism of La Mettrie and Malebranche).

To these first sources of inspiration is added in mirror the world of automatons, of these precision machines which reproduce the movements and the attitudes of the living. By wandering randomly, through my readings, objects, memories of exhibitions, I tried to take up and develop the sound universe of living beings that express themselves as machines and of machines that acquire an organic voice…

Crying, screams and grunts are thus the result of dysfunctions in the “cogs” but also mechanical, haunting and repetitive songs.

The primary materials of the piece (bird songs, expressive glissandi, rhythmic continuos, timbre dust, repetitive loops) develop, disappear and reappear as in a cinematographic montage through five movements, five preludes that each propose a particular musical situation: Forgotten Birds, Mechanisms, Automated Birds, Carillon del dolore, Machine spirit.