Enfants


"Enfants" is a 2008 single by electronic music producer Ricardo Villalobos. Though 17 minutes in length, the A-side, "Enfants ", has been described as a "remarkably catchy, hype-inducing DJ tool" by Pitchfork Media, and as a "great tool for DJs" by electronic music magazine Resident Advisor, due to its minimal changes over the course of the entire song.

Structure

The branding of "Enfants " as a "DJ tool" 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's Mekanïk Destruktïw Kommandöh. With the addition electronic drums and hi-hat, it "turns snippet of a prog rock classic into a minimal techno 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 ", is a ten-minute "DJ tool" in a similar style, consisting of only percussion and bass.

Reception

"Enfants " was released to much hype, and received generally positive reviews. It was given a 5 star rating by DJ Magazine and was rated 3.5/5 in a review by Resident Advisor. It was also featured in a number of "best of 2008" lists, including being named the 52nd best track of 2008 by Pitchfork Media and a "Critical Beat" of 2008 in The Wire's "2008 Rewind" issue. "Enfants " was also featured on The Wire's April 2008 "Office Ambience" chart, with reviews editor Derek Walmsley referring to the song as a "minimal techno masterpiece".

Track listing