Remarkable record of 1960’s French electronic library music, of a somewhat experimental bent. Cecil Leuter (whose birth name, implausibly, is Roger Roger) was a busy, ‘proper’ bandleader at the time, but it turns out he had a real knack for crafting wildly unusual electronic miniatures. Pop Electronique is full of them! Reissued on Fifth Dimension. France seems to be the secret kingdom of electronic music, experimental music and movie soundtrack music also known as library music. Roger Roger (1911 – 1995), one of the most prolific composers and bandleaders in this field, took a turn on the progressive side of the rather fresh electronic sounds back in 1969 under the pseudonym Cecil Leuter. His real name actually sounds even more like a malapropism but never mind this little strange aspect; let us go for the music.

The album starts quite harmless with instrumental tunes that could be performed by a typical dancehall band of the day just with creepy electronic noises added to the entire picture. The further you get through the whole record the more crazy the performances get. Except for a few percussions more and more bits and pieces of the songs get created on electronic instruments and sound sources. And by the end of the album your mind will be shackled by minimalistic melodies embedded in arrangements of hissing, chirping and bubbling sounds. There still is a steady groove and a sense for accessibility with the final tune but all in all this album in all its groundbreaking width should rather please folks into the more twisted and obscure late 60s experimental music and early electronics than pop fanatics. Acidheads are also welcome to let their minds move on this fantastic little oddity. This is all in all still music in the true sense of the word unlike some works by Roger's younger compatriot Pierre Henry from the “musique concrete” and experimental electronics field around the same time. Take a listen and trip through these strange lands of sound if you dare. The tracks are well performed and for this beautiful reissue everything has been well restored. Worth to be worshipped by 1960s underground freaks.