"Enfants" is a 2008 single by

electronic music Electronic music broadly is a group of music genres that employ electronic musical instruments, circuitry-based music technology and software, or general-purpose electronics (such as personal computers) in its creation. It includes both music ...

producer

Ricardo Villalobos Ricardo Villalobos (born 6 August 1970) is a Chilean-born German electronic music producer and DJ. He is well known for his work in the minimal techno and microhouse genres, and is one of the most significant figures in the minimal techno scene. ...

. Though 17 minutes in length, the A-side, "Enfants (Chants)", has been described as a "remarkably catchy, hype-inducing DJ tool" by

Pitchfork Media ''Pitchfork'' (formerly ''Pitchfork Media'') is an American online music magazine founded in 1996 by Ryan Schreiber in Minneapolis. It originally covered Alternative rock, alternative and independent music, and expanded to cover genres includin ...

, and as a "great tool for DJs" by electronic music magazine

Resident Advisor ''Resident Advisor'' (also known as ''RA'') is an online music magazine and community platform established in 2001 and dedicated to showcasing electronic music, artists and events across the globe. Its editorial team provides news, music and ev ...

, due to its minimal changes over the course of the entire song.

Structure

The branding of "Enfants (Chants)" as a "

DJ tool A disc jockey, more commonly abbreviated as DJ, is a person who plays recorded music for an audience. Types of DJs include radio DJs (who host programs on music radio stations), club DJs (who work at nightclubs or music festivals), mobile D ...

" is due to its unusual structure, incorporating "no development over its seventeen minute length". The song is based on a repeating sample of "Baba Yaga La Sorcière", a track from Christian Vander's 1995 rework of his band

Magma Magma () is the molten or semi-molten natural material from which all igneous rocks are formed. Magma (sometimes colloquially but incorrectly referred to as ''lava'') is found beneath the surface of the Earth, and evidence of magmatism has also ...

's '' Mekanïk Destruktïw Kommandöh'' (1973). With the addition electronic drums and hi-hat, it "turns snippet of a prog rock classic into a

minimal techno Minimal techno is a subgenre of techno music. It is characterized by a stripped-down aesthetic that exploits the use of repetition and understated development. Minimal techno is thought to have been originally developed in the early 1990s by Detro ...

classic." The sample simply fades in at the beginning, and fades out at the piece's conclusion. The minimal development through the song invites seamless DJ mixing; Villalobos himself stated that "the idea is that anyone can mix whatever track into this track because it doesn't have too much melody, tones or harmony inside." The B-side, "Enfants (Tambours)", is a ten-minute "DJ tool" in a similar style, consisting of only percussion and bass.

Reception

"Enfants (Chants)" was released to much hype, and received generally positive reviews. It was given a 5 star rating by ''

DJ Magazine ''DJ Magazine'' (also known as ''DJ Mag'') is a British monthly magazine dedicated to electronic dance music and DJs. Founded in 1991, the magazine is adapted for distribution in the United Kingdom, the United States, Spain, France, Italy, Lati ...

'' and was rated 3.5/5 in a review by

. It was also featured in a number of "best of 2008" lists, including being named the 52nd best track of 2008 by

and a "Critical Beat" of 2008 in ''

The Wire ''The Wire'' is an American Crime fiction, crime Drama (film and television), drama television series created and primarily written by the American author and former police reporter David Simon for the cable network HBO. The series premiered o ...

'''s "2008 Rewind" issue. "Enfants (Chants)" was also featured on ''The Wires April 2008 "Office Ambience" chart, with reviews editor Derek Walmsley referring to the song as a "minimal techno masterpiece".

Track listing

References

External links

* {{authority control 2008 songs