Bleep

Press Release

PAN presents Baiser Mortel, the original soundtrack to the acclaimed theatrical performance of the same name. Staged at the Bourse de Commerce – Pinault Collection over three days last October, the original production – collaboratively realized by composer and director Low Jack, composer and rapper Lala &ce, choreographer Cecilia Bengolea with costumes designed by Marine Serre and Oriana Bekka as creative director and co- director of the performance – merged ballet and urban folklore; sound art and soap opera. A modern-day danse macabre, Baiser Mortel (trans. “The Kiss of Death”) cast Lala &ce in the title role. Unfolding over thirteen songs, the musical narrative follows Death as she navigates the realm of the living, and the encounters – desire, romance, spiritual awakening, and adventure – which validate the human experience.

“I brought in people who are close to me personally and musically in order to tell a story that speaks to humanity,” Lala &ce says in a video uploaded to Bourse de Commerce – Pinault Collection’s YouTube channel. Performers Jäde, Rad Cartier, BabySolo33, and Le Diouck joined Lala &ce on stage and in the booth at La Place – Centre Culturel Hip Hop in Paris, where the official soundtrack was recorded.

A sonic representation of the musical’s themes, Baiser Mortel the album – produced by Low Jack and written by Lala &ce with artwork by Pierre Debusschere – moves through the distorted strings of its opening track, “Goûter” and gathers sonic and lyrical intensity on each successive song. “Lune,” the melancholically autotuned midpoint of the album, marks the beginning of the musical’s second act and sets the tone for its tragic resolution. Mechanical sounds mix with sonic influences spanning the Global South throughout the album, honoring both Low Jack and Lala &ce’s musical heritage and influences, while developing a new musical lexicon that defies comparison.

As a theatrical production, Baiser Mortel represents a departure for both artists. A veteran of Parisian subculture, Low Jack’s collaboration with Lala &ce represents a new model of artistic mentorship based not on age but on experience, with each artist leaving a distinct signature on the work.

Low Jack Philippe Hallais is a French composer of electronic music. Born in 1985 in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, Hallais lives and works in Paris, where he has served as a co-director of Editions Gravats / Les Disques De La Bretagne along with Jean Carval since 2014. Playing on the use of sound clichés and media folklores, Low Jack’s music is inspired by the multiplicity of musical languages associated with underground subcultures. He has made six albums, five of which are under the pseudonym Low Jack: Garifuna Variations (L.I.E.S., 2014); Sewing Machine (In Paradisum, 2015); Lighthouse Stories (Modern Love, 2016); Riddims du Lieu-dit (Editions Gravats, 2018); Jingles du Lieu-dit (Editions Gravats, 2019). The sixth album, An American Hero (Modern Love, 2017), was released under the artist’s real name. Past commissions include the Ina GRM, the Musée du Quai Branly, the Fondation Ricard in Paris and the Société des Arts in Geneva.

Lala &ce Born in 1994 in Lyon, France, Lala &ce moved to London in 2017. An avant-gardist, LGBTQ+ symbol and icon of female empowerment in the French rap milieu, her nonchalant phrasing is complemented by immaculate sonic production. Her first solo project, Le son d’après, was released in July 2019. In 2021, Lala &ce released her debut album, Everything Tasteful, which moves between the genres of cloud rap, R’n’B, trap and afrobeat.