Description
ARBRE is a collective consisting of three focused musicians: Melusine Chappuis sings and plays keyboards, Paul Butscher sings, plays flugelhorn and keys, and Xavier Almeida plays drums. The three are constantly evolving, both individually and as a band, as their album history already documents. Their clear and airy sound is underpinned by clever grooves and compact interplay. Despite its lightness, the music becomes dense, raw, intricate and touching. The fragility of the tracks and songs is given solid roots, anchored in the depths of the sea: they form a mysterious and precise ecosystem of sound and groove.
The instrumentation carefully balances analogue and electronic elements. The vocals alternate between English and French, coming from two different places, both stylistically and emotionally. ARBRE's rhythms are multi-layered, and the melodies are clear and purposeful, with an indie pop flair.
There is much to discover on ARBRE's third album, Wrap a Tear in Cellophane, its cosmos being carefully developed by the band over a long period of time. Despite all its energy, the music addresses human fragility and develops a precise yet relaxed, instinctive power. ARBRE does not present its musical language as art for art's sake, but rather to convey a message: community and compassion are essential for coexistence on the planet. ARBRE works explicitly as a collective, in which all decisions, whether artistic or otherwise, are made jointly by all members. The decision to think and act together is an essential and consequential value that the three musicians consciously cultivate, demonstrating that making music together clearly transcends the individual and can unleash a greater power.
Paul Butscher: flugelhorn, vocals, synth
Melusine Chappuis: keys, vocals, electronics
Xavier Almeida: drums
Recorded September 2025 by Antoine Estoppey at Blend Studio, Lutry
Produced by ARBRE & Nik Bartsch
