- Though he debuted on Luciano's Cadenza label in 2007, Petre Inspirescu made his name through intricately sculpted minimal releases on the [a:rpia:r] label he runs with fellow Romanians Raresh and Rhadoo. His first two albums, 2009's Intr-o Seara Organica... and 2012's Grădina Onirică, found the producer mixing organic, minimal tones with jazzy touches and modern classical. Inspirescu's tracks seemed to sprawl while maintaining a natural sense of balance. They were cohesive, bound tightly by an internal logic that fit both the dance floor and late-evening downtime.
For Vin Ploile, Inspirescu further explores his interest in shimmering, methodical downtempo. Noted as his first foray into "ambient music," the album isn't necessarily far from some of the classically oriented compositions of his past, but there's a stronger sense of distance and repose to the timbres here. (You might recognize the last two tracks, which appeared on Mule Musiq's Enjoy the Silence Vol. 3 compilation in 2014.) It's an album of slow, muted moments that nonetheless stir your attention.
Inspirescu made these tracks almost entirely with live instruments. Live keys glimmer against hushed pads and distant bird warbles in "Delir 2." In "Delir 3," hand drums patter around soft piano as something metal knocks away in the background. Deep sub-bass contrasts with faint trumpet and slow drums in the late-night jazz waltz of "Delir 4"—that is, until "Delir 5"'s acoustic guitar slides out from the weirdly elegant bliss to transform it into something like a Cuban folk song. For "Delir 7," cowbells clank over what sounds like synthesized slide guitar and a blush of black noise.
It's so easy to get lost in the sly complexity of Vin Ploile that it's impossible to pick out individual highlights. Selecting favorite tracks or repeating segments just isn't the way to hear Vin Ploile; it's best heard as one long aural drift. It seems like Inspirescu wanted his patiently produced album to resemble a solemn symphony for deep, lazy nights and forest treks. Vin Ploile is an endlessly enjoyable sojourn.
Tracklist01. Delir 1
02. Delir 2
03. Delir 3
04. Delir 4
05. Delir 5
06. Delir 6
07. Delir 7
08. Lumiere
09. Pan'la Glezne