Review: Cedric Hanriot
Cedric Hanriot Presents: Time Is Color Vol. 2
Cedric Hanriot came into consciousness when his album Time is Color appeared on President Barack Obama‘s playlist in 2022. Just as impressive are his contributions to multiple Grammy winning artists such as Robert Glasper, Herbie Hancock, and others.
Time Is Color Vol. 2 – A Luminous World, the new album from Cedric Hanriot is quite bluntly, a journey. It’s a cutting edge jazz record in the style of Guru with clean productions and live instrumentation that puts on a different mask as each track passes.
At first glance, the album cover shows Cedric holding a keytar, that may have you guessing upbeat London pop or maybe even songs like West Coast artists Mofak or XL Middleton. You’d be wrong. Once you peel back the cover and get to the music. you discover that it’s a full grown adult acid jazz album seasoned with hip hop and cinematic journeys.
The trio consists of Cedric Hanriot on piano, Fender Rhodes and analog synths, Bertrand Beruard on bass, and Antonin Violot on drums. The album also features special guests such as U.S. vocalist Tony Moreau, UK saxophonist and rapper Soweto Kinch, American MC’s JSWISS and Charles X, saxophonist Braxton Cook, French narration by Arthur H and Cyrielle Clair, and trumpeter Eric Truffaz.
Time Is Color Vol. 2 – A Luminous World opens with piano work on Impermanence that segues into Luminous World Part 2 displaying a vibe similar to XTC‘s Oranges and Lemons that eventually diverges into a flowing drum and piano jazz shoegazing romp.
It’s then followed by a sophisticated return to an acid jazz suite called A Creative Mind that transports you to a hidden late night New York City lounge which serves as a good indicator that you can expect any of the songs to traverse through multiple genres.
Tracks like Comforting Glow or Whispers of Absence have incredible Herbie-esque piano solos that require the band to either keep up or get left behind and sometimes galloping along on a very intriguing highwire act. Tracks like the bonus track of Right Here Right Now drastically change faces multiple times like it’s a winding road with no guard rails.
Cedric spoke about the album indicating that, “In recent years, I have explored my spirituality in greater depth, thanks to numerous encounters, books, happy and unhappy experiences but also reflections. For some time now, quantum physics has been shedding scientific light on some of life’s mystical phenomena My belief is that quantum physics and spirituality are not antagonistic in nature, but rather speak of the same thing, a synchronized tautology of sorts, thus it became a critical catalyst for this album. We are Energy, Music is Energy and Life is magic! This album is dedicated to all the people who have enlightened me and continue to enlighten me on my spiritual path. I hope the music and vibrations on this album will resonate and bring you the best energies.”
That quote is perfectly encapsulated in the closing track La Barque Du Temps featuring Cyrielle Clair speaking in French and proclaiming her love “in the infinity of silence, in the infinity of consciousness, everything.”
Ultimately, Cedric Hanriot‘s Time Is Color Vol. 2 – A Luminous World is a full blown roller coaster ride through old school acid jazz, hip hop, electronica, lounge, and funk without ever looking for an apology. It’s truly a fantastic album that successfully goes on many adventurous journeys and excels at every location along the way. Throw on the headsets and go for the ride.
