I always felt there was something of the womb in minimal techno--something embryonic, something liquid; the feeling of closed warm space, attenuated noises from the outside filtering in, the wash of the amniotic fluid. The ping of the ultrasound. Dub echoes of the uterus. OK it is possible to take a metaphor too far, but here we are with Marc Leclair's Musique pour 3 femmes enceintes (Music for 3 Pregnant Women). Originally a 2006 CD-release on the limited imprint of Montreal's groundbreaking Mutek Festival, the record was inspired by the cosmic occurrence of three of Marc's friends becoming pregnant within days of each other.

Under the Akufen moniker, Marc put out some great records at the turn of the millennium that still slap. Clicks 'n cuts, micro-sampling, pads to die for. There was always a particular intricacy to Marc's music and a warmth as well. With Musique pour 3 femmes enceintes he created a grand suite that sits alongside Morgan Geist's Driving Memoirs as a singular album-length conceptual statement of electronic music. The programming is stunning; like the best minimalism of that era your ears slide along, constantly finding new sounds amid the flotsam.

In Sheep’s Clothing Hi-Fi and Community Music are reissuing the CD-only album on vinyl, in time for its 20th anniversary. Like all of Marc's music it grows richer with every revisit. The suite is divided into tracks ostensibly marking days during gestation. "1er jour" (first day) has a crunchy beat that feels like a pulse, never mind that that will come in a later trimester. Electronics fizz and pop, a frenzied cell division? By the 33rd day ("33e jour") we're in clicks 'n cuts minimalism, reveling in the intricacy of Marc's programming. "64e jour" is deep emotional moodiness developing into water and bird calls on the "85e jour". By the "114e jour" acoustic guitar folds in reaching a sort of climax on the "150e jour"-- a lovely bit of guitar counterpoint recalling Pat Metheny's classic work with Steve Reich. A distorted cooldown and church bells serve as a prelude to the chill minimalism of "180e jour". Whorled pads and echoing acoustic guitar, "205e jour" is a mood change before the gorgeous summa of "236e jour". A month to go before showtime. This is such a special record, composed with thought and care and it deserves to be more widely known.

Musique pour 3 femmes enceintes is available for pre-order from Bandcamp HERE as well as from ISCHIFI HERE