Leda Ensemble was founded in Berlin by Timothée Demoury (electric guitar) and Ben Niran (balafon), with the aim of creating a unique musical universe through the fusion of West African music, rock, and instrumental folk. Their collaborative experimentation led to the release of Westings in 2021, a debut six-track EP that laid the foundations for a distinctive musical language and instrumental style, a crossroads of genres, from African influences to pop sensibilities and the power of post-rock, venturing off the beaten path and sometimes reminiscent of the Constellation Records catalog.
The Leda Ensemble quartet was formed in 2023 around Timothée Demoury (Grand Ressac, Bocage), who wanted to revive the project with new compositions rooted in African trance. He surrounded himself with talented musicians to further explore the project and, above all, to bring it to life in a live setting. The four musicians found common ground in the minimalist and effective nature of the compositions, the sonic universe created by the choice of timbres and an openness to experimentation, and the dreamlike and timeless dimension of the spoken texts.
Rosa Rubino (double bass), Baptiste Ruhlmann (marimba), Julien Grégoire (drums), and Timothée Demoury (electric guitar, vocals), hailing from diverse musical backgrounds—from indie pop-rock to contemporary music, from traditional and world music to improvised jazz—represent, as a quartet, a promise of musical richness, an alchemy of accomplished musicians.
Leda Ensemble tells stories guided by melodies whose repetition gives free rein to the imagination: we take flight through the twists and turns of sound, free to dream of the colors and shapes of blended landscapes, somewhere in the Malian countryside, or perhaps in the Margeride mountains? We gather to be swept away by the dance of the marimba's wooden tines, the deep resonance of the double bass, the shimmering vibration of the cymbals, and the textured sounds of the electric guitar.
This is a contemporary and amplified music project, inspired by the melodic and rhythmic codes of West African blues, tinged with Western influences through the instrumentation and the cultural background of the musicians who make up the ensemble. The original compositions incorporate references to blues, jazz, and rock, and develop groove, trance, and Afro elements. They are also open to a contemporary approach to sonic exploration.
There are few solos or brass instruments in this new project! Leda Ensemble is far removed from the clichés of Afrobeat, even though the Nigerian rhythm is integrated and mastered. The focus here is rather on showcasing the four instruments of the quartet. The guitar, of course, often restrained, has the unique ability to emerge at just the right moment, with melodic or metrical touches. The drums drive forward, maintaining the groove, laying down the foundations, while also allowing for detours inspired by free jazz and improvised music. The double bass establishes the foundation of the acoustic and harmonic space of the pieces, anchoring the meter and tempo of the dance, creating a rhythmic discourse in conjunction with the drums. Through simple, repetitive lines, a trance-like sensation takes hold, in a gradual evolution between crescendos and moments of calm. The bowed playing, interwoven with the sounds of the other instruments, allows unheard-of timbres to emerge. The sound of the marimba evokes the traditional balafon while playing with the techniques and conventions of contemporary Western music. Guitar and marimba take on what are called 'accompaniments' in Mandinka music, parts formerly played by the traditional balafon. Leda Ensemble thus offers a re-evaluation of these aspects of West African music.
Finally, to enrich the band's performance, storytelling pieces are woven into their live set. These original texts, narrated and largely written by Timothée, take us into stories that oscillate between warmth and coldness—tales that could just as easily have originated in our Western world as in the hot countries of Africa or the tropics. A pagan shepherd's tale, a magical, pseudo-African story, a ghetto story set in our contemporary world…
Leda Ensemble is a demanding, hybrid project that is winning over a wide audience!