PRESS REVIEWS :

"The French Gilles Rossire returns with his acclaimed project Oil 10. Several themes and stylistic contaminations in this album: technoid, idm, trance, modern & old electronica, each under the badge of sound research and positive listening impact. The beginning is rather eclectic and experimental, with some references to primeval analog electronics ("Is It Sex", "Wide Knowledge" and "Happy Mondays"); regular and dreaming obsessions. A more enigmatic future surfaces from the following tracks (i.e. "Dernier Jour"), synthetic geometries that smoothly continue, involving also astral pilgrimages. It keeps going this way on technoid beats of "Lost in Metropolis" - really engaging glimmering trance paths. More reflecting and existentialist "flight plans" ("On The Road") do not lack among the definite rhythms of the second part, soundtrack-ish trends and techno slashes clash in the Kraftwerkian "Stop". Totally hard-trance the hypnotic and shamanic "Le Bar". The travel ends between sonic sands and prophetic echoes of "Electric Angels", the specie wonders about its own destiny. A fluid result for the senses and effective for the body, Oil 10 is a machine that thinks and acts in tune with the universe. Picking up external signs with a deeper meaning..."

Twilight Zone

“Arena” is the third release in five years by French author Giles Rossire as Oil 10, after two releases on the Ant-Zen label. This was one of those albums acquired more or less at random, relying mostly on the label in which it was released (the French label Brume Records), and it was quite a pleasant surprise.
It begins as a something of a trance album, not pure trance but with marked trance influences: slower, more minimalistic than trance and somewhat more oppressive. Throughout the album, the sound evolves, incorporating elements from other sources (trance, techno, EBM and ambient as well as musical projects like Kraftwerk, Autechre and Pan Sonic come to mind) and shedding them back to be recovered as they are needed. Rossiere decomposes and re-structures all of them into a new whole, a novel and fluid hybrid musical structure.
“Arena” is a very elegant, interesting and intriguing hybrid of sonorities that gives away a sense of almost timelessness and grandiosity. It is an almost hypnotic album, in which two (apparently opposite) forces are at work: the beats induce the listener to motion while the melodies induce contemplation. In the end, they have a synergetic approach as one helps the other.
Ultimately, “Arena” is an excellent album whose style is hard to describe or pigeon-hole. Even if it has definite dancefloor-friendly structures, it still remains a very ambient album and, in a sense, it may also be possible to consider it as music adequate to movie soundtracks. Call it ‘Intelligent Ambient Music’ and move your body to it anyway.

T.D. [9/10] Connexion Bizarre

Well, this is an interesting change, vaguely industrial and somewhat removed from noise yet still within the confines of the term, OIL10 present us with a wet 'oily' sound that is consistent throughout the album, evenly paced in tempo with a distinct beat, some catchy hooks which left me whistling the tune afterward. Sounding similar to that of a heavier Orb, not particular heavy just competence from start to finish, nothing too taxing or in requirement of intense listening, relaxing all the way, one of those early morning albums, quirky, pleasant, electronic and inoffesive yet still dark and coupled with a proffesional sound this is one release not to miss.

Club Implant

Oil 10 is the work of French audio artist Gilles Rossire. Arena is Rossire's fourth album after five years of electronica production. Rossire's diverse range of influences (think FSOL, LFO, Autechre, Kraftwerk, fused with OMD, Depeche Mode and John Carpenter) place Oil 10's sound in a not-so-easy to categorize category.
With Arena, Gilles Rossire asks such timeless question as :"Is It Sex?" or is it love (the title of song #I), while exhibiting a "Wide Knowledge" (song #2's title) of analogue synthesis and technique. Mixing an IDM approach with film score-like structures, Oil 10 creates a soothingly organic texture capable of leading listeners on toward countless "Happy Mondays" (the title of song #3; See how this works?). So, if the hustle and bustle of modern life has got you down, perhaps it is time for you to spend your "Dernier Jour" (song #4) "Wavering" (song #5) hopelessly "Lost in Metropolis" (song #6), traveling headfirst "On the Road" (song #7) to nowhere and instead "Stop" (song #7), take a deep breath, make a detour for "Le Bar" (song #8), get trashed to the point of suicidal delusion, listen to Arena, release from the world of appearance and spend the rest of eternity flying amongst the "Electric Angles" (song #9). Oil 10 has put together something special with Arena, something well worth a listen or two before it's all over.

Industrial Nation

Simplistic analog beats, sci-fi themes and infectious rhythms come together as the lasted work of French artist, Gilles Rossire ‘s project, Oil 10. Being his fourth release, and a drastic change from the predecessors, Arena provides a more dance floor kind of quality (especially with “Lost in Metropolis”) and almost a Dr. Who sounding soundtrack. Mixtures of IDM, Techno, ambient, and trance are prevalent, but individually representative genres of the unique Oil 10 sound. Robotic vocal samples are distributed throughout the CD, Usually saying the title of the song, like ”Wide Knowledge” or “Is it Sex?”. We heard this in the previous album Links, but not to the extent that is on Arena. The minimalism and lucidness of Oil 10 is powerful and highly addictive. 5/5

Slug Magazine

A due anni dal precedente “Links” ritorna con questo nuovo “Arena” Gilles Rossire, unica mente del progetto Oil 10. Le chiavi di lettura del nuovo lavoro sono due: una riguarda il passato, l’altra, ovviamente, il presente e il futuro. Per spiegare il sound di Oil 10 infatti non si può che partire dal passato, e cioè dagli ultimi lavori prodotti da casa Ant-zen, il che già lascia un discreto marchio sul sound in questione: ricerca sonora, particolare cura per le ritmiche e nel caso di Gilles una forte attenzione alla melodie. L’altra chiave di lettura riguarda “Le Bar”, uno dei nuovi brani, composto per la colonna sonora di una film (“Brocéliande”), che traccia un altro segno sul suono che Oil 10 propone.

L’album si caratterizza inoltre per un avvicinamento alle ritmiche da dance floor, la stessa “Le Bar” o “Lost In Metropolis”, a cui si aggiungono canzoni costruite per ricreare un’atmosfera da cinema rarefatta e futurista, come in “Wide Knowledge”. Rimane sempre presente la componente di ricerca, che in “Arena” sembra volersi fondere in un sound calibrato e melodico, in modo da non risultare difficile; il risultato però è altalenante, a volte tutto funziona come nei brani appena citati, in altri momenti invece il suono scorre superficiale, senza né coinvolgere né interessare realmente.
“Arena” ha dei buoni spunti, possiede un suono curato e attento, ma non sempre risulta abbastanza valido da poter spiccare tra le produzioni del settore.

Kronic

In the current music scene where fusion of genres and multitude of postmodern references seem to perform a never-ending ritual of chasing its own tail, Oil 10 comes as a refreshing treat.

This latest album on Brume is a continuation of Oil 10 style; arena is an exploration of pure electro themes that are immediately captivating with their nobility and romanticism, possessing that perfect taste without falling into cheap sentimentalism or tongue-in-cheek sleaziness. album's cover design is the most fitting visual representation, an immediate immersion into Oil 10 aura.

Oil 10 has always possessed a perfectly refined style; this time around Gilles stresses his more whimsical nature, adopting more expressive melodies and treated vocal samples. Arena comes across as a lighter and more dancier album, due to the less aggressive contrasts between minimalism and added playful touch that does not obscure, but only emphasizes the timeless elegancy of sci-fi feel. I have always admired in Oil 10 its contrast of robotic, self-imposed strictness (stroboscope flashes of beats, charming melodic angularity, and rough rhythmic edges) and coolest analog melodies, without any trace of self-indulgent pathos.

Any listener would recognize Oil 10's simplicity as properties of succinct style that is both expressive and meticulously constructed. Underneath arena's perceived simplicity one will find plenty of subtleties - from carefree summertime quirkiness of "dernier jour" (much in the vein of older albums with gentle rhythmic irregularities and dreamlike nature of analog instruments) to unbelievably addictive retro-futuristic "lost in metropolis" that with its more orchestrated "busy" feel and processed vocals immediately brings up the visuals from tarô rin's picture with its complex fusion of 30's and sci-fi. these ideas are taken even further in cinematic "stop [universal]" with its almost epic feel. And of course, "wide knowledge" is probably the most moving track on the album with wavering delicate line throughout, enveloped in deep, sensual darkness.

Recently french labels have displayed a great deal of energy and taste, focusing on multitude of subgenres in darker electronic music. with Oil 10, Brume opens a number of doors that might have been closed for this label before.

Anton / Seven

C’est haut, très haut, que nous emmène Oil 10 avec son quatrième album, et ce dès la pochette se partageant entre nappe blanche onirique et teintes ocres intemporelles, entre espace vierge et nuages, appel explicite à la rêverie d’un album définitivement tourné vers le ciel –entendez par là l’univers vaporeux des vies immatérielles, vies rêvées, vies de fiction, vies parallèles.
Arène atypique s’il en est, que cet "Arena" qui abrite plus d’harmonie que de combats, et dont le sable –celui du marchand de sommeil, sans doute- sera plutôt foulé par le pas des amateurs de rythmiques efficaces et de compositions douces et entraînantes, prêts à s’enfoncer dans le dédales des compositions de Gilles Rossire, et éventuellement s’y laisser perdre ("Lost in Metropolis").
Les sons s’accumulent, les mélodies se démultiplient ("Stop [Universal] et ses différentes stratifications rythmiques et mélodiques), des motifs reviennent ("Is it Sex ?" et ses samples spatiaux dont les échos semblent se perdre dans l’infini), des nappes s’installent ("Wavering et sa longue nappe non rythmée), les rythmes portent le tout sans faille (comme sur "Happy Mondays" avec sa rythmique implacable soutenant une mélodie Kraftwerkienne très entraînante), et au final, le tout relève d’un véritable travail de composition millimétré (d’ailleurs, un titre comme "Lost in Metropolis", véritable clou de l’album, n’est pas sans rappeler Jean-Michel Jarre au meilleur de sa forme).
A l’écoute de cet excellent album, on ne peut en tout cas que se féliciter du retour des sonorités analogiques, de la chaleur et de la douceur qui émane de cette musique électronique, pourtant si souvent taxée de froideur. Rien de glacial chez Oil 10, rien de figé, les mélodies aériennes et les rythmiques lourdes se révèlent des créatures vaporeuses, complexes et changeantes, au pouvoir suggestif indéniable –ce n’est pas un hasard si le titre "Le Bar" a été utilisé sur la B.O du Film "Brocéliande".
En cette arène musicale, véritable château dans le ciel, outre un grand plaisir sensoriel, vous trouverez sans doute le point de départ idéal pour une très haute rêverie éveillée.

Célia Schneebeli / le fantastique

Oil 10 fait partie de ces groupes qui ont une musique inclassable et intemporelle, et qui, même après des centaines d’heures d’écoute ne perdent ni en intérêt ni en plaisir. Dans la musique électronique on a pu connaître ça avec Kraftwerk, DAF, Nitzer Ebb et quelques autres. J’ai la sensation que le même destin est promis à Oil 10. Peut être et même certainement qu’il n’ aura pas la chance de profiter de la même diffusion que ces glorieux aîné, mais les traces laissées derrière lui seront je le pense indélébiles.
Avant d’arriver a bon port chez Brume records, Oil 10 a connu les sirènes de feu Noise Museum, mais également un petit transfert le temps d’un vinyle également du coté de chez Vacuum et de Hymen. Le devenir très encourageant de Brume records devrait enfin consolider le succès que mérite Oil 10.
Avec Arena, Gilles Rossire nous ressert sa bonne vielle formule magique : une production parfaite avec un mastering toujours aussi propre, le grain et les sonorités sont toujours tellement riches et personnifiés, on reconnaitrait un morceau de Oil 10 parmi un millier d’autres. L’ambiance est cinématographique, on passe d’un morceau à l’autre du "Metropolis" de Fritz Lang au "Bunker de la dernière rafale" de Caro et Jeunet. Une musique dite instrumentale se doit d’évoquer ce genre de sensations, et Oil 10 y excelle, j’en veux pour preuve le morceau "le bar" fut retenu pour la BO du film mystico fantastique "Broceliance". Alors bien sûr on se prend à rêver d’entendre des morceaux comme "Lost in metropolis" dans la BO du film des années 50 "Planete interdite"ou encore "Is it sex" dans le prochain film de Darren Aranofsky ou même de David Lynch pourquoi pas.
Je pense que cela doit commencer à se sentir que j’aime beaucoup ce disque... Inutile d’en rajouter donc. A se procurer absolument.

Dogme / Axesscode

Alors que certains s'échinent à travailler leurs sons tels des orfèvres, leur donnant une forme précise, abrasive, rugueuse, toujours finement ciselée, Oil 10 se permet en toute désinvolture de rendre les siens malléables, élastiques, sorte de bulles de savon en apesanteur mais dont le mouvement serait totalement maîtrisé. Le résultat fait ainsi fî de tous repères et se débarrasse avec aisance de toutes les étiquettes et appelations connues. On pourra s'essayer à qualifier "Arena" d'electronica, mais le ton est bien plus ludique que ce à quoi le genre nous a habitué, et va, l'air de rien, puiser dans des sonorités new wave et synthétiques labellisées 80's.
Avec "Dernier Jour" et "Lost in Metropolis", l'album prend un virage et nous entraîne vers des ambiances cinématographiques SF aux sonorités en apparence désuettes, mais sur lesquelles les ombres de Carpenter et Kraftwerk planent sagement. Gilles Rossire joue avec une aisance déconcertante avec des ambiances captivantes et, si les clins d'œils et références que recèlent l'album sont nombreuses, il faut justement y pénétrer comme dans une immense arène, dont chaque recoin est parfaitement maîtrisé par notre hôte. Un quatrième album plus personnel que jamais, et bien trop court.

Christophe Labussière / Prémonition.fr

Les ambiances aériennes et étirées d’Oil 10 sont en mutation. Si « Links » imposait un beat minimaliste au profit des atmosphères aériennes, « Arena » met en avant la recherche d’un rythme évident auquel se raccrocher. Mais loin de chercher une quelconque reconnaissance des dancefloors, le rythme n’est ici qu’ossature flagrante des morceaux et construit l’ambivalence
d’Oil 10 : aériennes, les volutes électroniques fussent très haut, circonvolutions nébuleuses mais cristallines (« Wide Knowledge ») et le rythme sourd nous rappelle à la Terre, sorte d’étirement entre nos pieds cloués au sol et nos oreilles qui cherchent à capter les ondes stratosphériques. Honneur aux pionniers, les sonorités fleurent bon les années 80 et l’approche analogique d’un Kraftwerk prend la consistance d’un pacman psychopathe sur « Happy Mondays » ou le diptyque « Wavering » et « Lost in Metropolis », introduction vrombienne vers un dédale sonore dans les rues sombres de l’univers de Blade Runner, hymne en puissance et imparable.
Si la mutation a eu lieu, point d’altération fondamentale de la chaîne mais modification en finesse de l’esprit : Oil 10 conserve son principe ambiant, bulles numériques en suspension, mais le renforce d’une trame rythmique racée. L’ensemble gagne en efficacité et « Arena » est un tour de force moderne emprunt de classicisme, rythmé mais fondamentalement atmosphérique. Une synthèse délectable.

Nikö / Obskure

Following relatively quickly "Links", Oil10 is back with a fourth album and changes label again, this time releasing "Arena" on Flint Glass's Brume Records. For his new album, the Paris-based Gille Rossire actually didn't change only his label, but decided to walk a slightly different path from the Links one, signing with "Arena" an album which proves to be both more rhythmic and compact.

If one could have perceived an evolution toward a more easily accessible sound between "Metastases" and "Links", the step is even bigger between the two latest CDs, since this time, Oil10 packs the arena with 100% of beat driven tracks (with the exception of the short transitionnal "Wavering"). May it be the opening and pounding "Is it sex?" or a calmer piece such as "Dernier jour", Gilles Rossire has chosen this time to leave the beatless material in its drawer and to serve his analogic sounds served with beats. However, the overall Oil10 sound hasn't changed, and "Arena" is still made of infectious clear analog pads (reminding me sometimes of Clock DVA or their recent avatar >Vision of Excess's "Sensitive Disruption"), thrown in together with relatively bassy but clear drumbeats and long stretched background scapes.

Catchy like a beefy Squaremeter track, the average Oil10 piece on "Arena" is not without similarities with the current sound of this project by Panacea, buth has a thicker and more usually analog sounds, making of this album something which flows extremely easily and doesn't get long to appreciate. Add to this that Oil10 has spread the use of computerized voices (present only on one track on "Links") to a big chunk of "Arena", including the trademarked dancefloor filler "Lost in Metropolis" and you get something sweet and addictive like good coffee. Maybe not the most subtle album that Oil10 could have come up with, "Arena" is something that screams for success and recognition, any fan of the new melodic semi-industrial trend started by >Mlada Fronta & co will drool over this album.

Nicholas Chevreux / Recycle your Ears

Gilles Rossire Aka OIL 10 published relizy on leyblakh Noise Museum, Hymen and Vacuum, but its quite strong and stylish work it let out in the present year on new French leyble Brume Records. Industrial eclecticism, embiyentnyy futurism and postkraftverkovskaya electronics - of such parts consists the alloy of sinewy and intelligent album "Arena". Crystal clear instrument high-tech Sound with rare vocal semplami, the memory melodies, inventive sintezatornye sounds and to sequence, a constant dynamics and the fresh formulation of classical tekhnominimalizma KRAFTWERK separate this work against the background of others of electro -relizov last time. Frenchman also considered club aspect, and therefore immediately several of his tracks will wonderfully work on tantspolakh (for example, "Happy Mondays", "Stop [ Universal ]", "Is It Sex?" and especially manifesto "Lost In metropolis"). To it is noticeable the fact that the same tracks excellently obey also in other vital situations. Original music without the words causes the stormiest emotions, because melody in OIL 10 to the rarity catching, emotional and adjusted. In spite of the obvious influences, nothing similar to 4 on the scene in recent years it heard. Actually Gilles Rossire found for itself the gold vein: if it further continues to make music in this key, then it awaits great success both among the worshippers AUTECHRE and the admirers NOISE UNIT, KRAFTWERK, CLOCK DVA and LASSIGUE BENDTHAUS. My special recommendations. One of the nails of autumn-winter season! [ 10 marks ]

vAlien/DJ Commando LABELLA