A play on the French expression Au Coeur, meaning “to the heart”, Franck Zaragoza’s moniker is a quiet distillation of his equally quiet sound. Don’t be fooled though – we mean quiet as in subtle, delicate, profound, because for all his brooding simplicity, the producer/composer certainly has something to say.

His fourth LP as Ocoeur is Reversed, a dark and expressive nine-tracker that blends solo piano compositions with strings and modern sound design. And yet, it’s not what you would expect from your typical – seemingly ubiquitous – classical meets electronica album: its depths seem to know no bounds as openers Flxo and Chance visit soundscapes that at times could be wind, ocean, or earth. Timeless swells with piano and dubby beats, while the album’s most classic number comes in
the form of Souffle, French for “breath”, and true to its name, the piece is so effortless it could be gently breathing.

Overall, Reversed is sinuous and organic, absorbing its listener in entirely the way a melancholic album should, morphing and evolving on every listen – the ideal accompaniment to the kind of grey morning I imagine inspired the music.