Active Suspension is a quietly brilliant little French label with a fondness for maverick electronica music. Though probably the most gentle record AS have released, it’s also the deepest, most inspired.

The Konki Duet appear to be a French/Japanese hybrid and the title is a play on the cover version within – Visage’s “Fade To Grey.” Barely off my stereo these past 2 months, it’s an intriguing quilt of smallbeat electronica, real strings, drums and exquisite vocal harmonies that puts me in mind of an eerier Mùm.

‘A Sigmund Freud Odissey’ features the broken souled vocal of one Orval Carlus Silelios – his name, a recommendation in itself to check this record out. My other favourite, ‘Cindy,’ is a surprising foot-to-the-floor, mangled-Bangles.

Lovely illustrations/knitting on the sleeve by Marie Daubert bring to mind Edward Gorey’s books. (http://www.piano-magic.co.uk/playlists-dec_04.html)