vocal

September 25 marks a turning point. After laying the groundwork with a series of captivating singles, Courant d’air finally unveils her debut album: Virevol. A fleeting, invented word, its very name promises a break from the beaten path to embrace the unknown.

Led by Célestine de Williencourt, this project stands out as a sonic exploration freed from traditional constraints. Moving beyond the boundaries of standard songwriting, this Art Pop figure creates her tracks through improvised loops—layering vocal lines, electronic arrangements, and woodwinds. Alone on stage with her looper, synthesizers, Balkan kaval, and transverse flutes, she carves out a singular universe where the acoustic and the synthetic intertwine.

An Architecture Between Intimacy and Instinct
Virevol does more than assemble ten original compositions; it builds a space of rich contrasts. From the rhythmic emancipation chant driven by flutes (Celle qui fleurit) to the claustrophobic, metallic echoes of a locked room (Inside our house), and the raw poetry inspired by Alain Damasio (Chaoskin, A Walk through the storm), the album constantly oscillates between minimalism and intensity.

Throughout it all, the voice remains the ultimate common thread. By turns a whispered breath, human percussion, or a hazy vocal pad, it leads the listener through stripped-back ambient pieces and luminous alternative pop soundscapes. Closing the record, the previously unreleased track Ce qui flamboie seals the journey: a simple, poignant invitation to gather around what truly matters, far from artificial lights.

Drawing inspiration as much from Steve Reich as from Björk, Camille, or Leïla Martial, Courant d’air delivers with Virevol a work that is alive, demanding, and deeply free.

Behind the Courant d’air project lies Célestine de Williencourt, a sound explorer. This versatile musician approaches the voice as an instrument in its own right, a malleable texture that blends with flutes, the Balkan kaval, percussion and synthetic soundscapes.

Alone on stage with her machines and looper, she crafts a unique aesthetic guided by instinct and improvisation. Her approach, at the crossroads of alternative pop, jazz and chanson, echoes the boldness of artists such as Björk and Camille. Through distinctive rhythmic structures and meticulous attention to breathing, Courant d’air offers a constantly evolving musical journey, unbound by traditional formats.

Virevol: a manifesto of freedom
The artist’s debut album, entitled Virevol (due for release on 25 September 2026), has a resolutely independent identity. This neologism evokes a tipping point – the precise moment when one chooses to break free from the rules to face the unknown. Across ten original tracks, the project unfolds a strong identity in which the vocals oscillate between pure improvisation and whispered confidences.

A sound that straddles the intimate and the wild
This album is built around contrasts. Courant d’air lays bare its vulnerabilities and certainties within a raw creation, influenced by the work of Björk, Camille and Leïla Martial. The vocals serve as the backbone of the whole, guiding the listener from stripped-back ambient pieces to more intimate or incisive pop tracks. A dialogue thus emerges between the acoustic elements — percussion, breaths and flutes — and the electronic arrangements, where the synthesiser gains in depth.