Title: L.E.S. Douze Volume 2 
Artist: Le String Noise 
Label: Nouveau Electric 
Formats: CD, Digital 
Release date: April 17, 2020 

The Stone is a Lower East Side experimental music venue that has no bar and allows no speaking – the music is the sole focus. It was in this environment that artist-in-residence Louis Michot and the three other members of Le String Noise recorded their latest release, L.E.S. Douze Volume 2. The ensemble is a collaboration between fiddler and vocalist Louis Michot of Lost Bayou Ramblers, violinists Pauline Kim and Conrad Harris of String Noise, and cellist and vocalist Leyla McCalla, alumna of the Carolina Chocolate Drops and Our Native Daughters.  

L.E.S. Douze Volume 2 is the second release from a series of 12 live recordings made during Michot’s residency in the spring of 2016. The tracks blend the avant-garde style of downtown NYC with the more traditional sounds of Louisiana and Haiti. Kim and Harris contribute minimalist compositions characteristic of String Noise while Michot adds Cajun fiddle numbers and Haitian-American McCalla brings Haitian Creole tunes.  

This second addition to the L.E.S. Douze (Lower East Side dozen) series is at once folksy and urban, showcasing the diverse backgrounds of the musicians in Le String Noise while also demonstrating the artistry that results from their collaboration. 

Reviewed by Chloe McCormick