Eh, bibi" is a single of Paulette Verlées recently released album "En Attendant". This song is perhaps the most personal track on the entire record for Paulette. For "En Attendant" she carefully selected the album's titles, with the ten consecutive tracks forming a quote from Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot—a subtle nod to the absurd and sometimes humorous play. Beckett's original sentence from "Waiting for Godot" reads “Eh, Didi” (referring to Vladimir), but Paulette chose to change one letter, so that the album carries a hidden dedication in this way. A musing melody to dream away, floating on the repetitive rhythm of the accompanying left hand. Her love for humor and absurdity is also evident in this album.
Should neoclassicism be limited to repetition and minimalism? This is the question Paulette asked herself while creating her new album En Attendant, where she explores the boundaries of romanticism. With Schumann and Brahms in mind, she sought out her own melodies, aiming to balance expression and emotion with the simplicity and restraint we have come to expect from her.
Live, Paulette is once again accompanied by her long-time collaborator Maaike on the cello, and this time, they’re performing completely wirelessly. This is chamber music at its finest, without amplification, beats, or loop stations—a fully acoustic concert perfect for daydreaming. And for those who find it hard to close their eyes, they can be swept away by the images and light displays projected behind them onto a unique backdrop of column-like curtains.
Previously, Paulette released the albums 'choses vues à droite et à gauche (sans lunettes)' and 'Les Barricades Mystérieuses' (V2 Records), both titles hinting at references to Erik Satie and François Couperin, respectively.
Paulette Verlée was recently invited in Music Matters on Klara by Tine De Donder to present her album, listen here. Besides airplay on Radio 1 and Klara, her beautiful music is also popular on streaming platforms, boasting over 2 million streams on Apple Music and Spotify. None other than Nils Frahm is a fan as well, having included Reprieve in his personal Spotify playlist. Last winter Paulette was a also guest on Bent Van Looy's radio show Culture Club, where she performed several live versions of her own work en a rework of Selah Sue.
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Eh, Bibi