European musician Tristan Bechet has made a name for himself throughout his years of hard work as a composer in the film scoring industry. Achieving notable status, Bechet has scored music for several short films as well as the critically acclaimed film, Where the Wild Things Are. As an artist, Bechet’s knowledge is well versed, as he is famous for creating the Tomb Raider soundtrack and has composed music for valuable brands such as Nike, Dior and Givenchy.


While Bechet has numerous collaborations in composition, he has maintained his career as a musician being the frontman of the rock band Flux Information Sciences and a member of the electronic rock duo Services. Now, Bechet brings forward his first solo project under the name of TRZTN. Although it is a highly collaborative piece, Royal Dagger Ballet is a full-length album that displays alternative electronic, lo-fi and pop influences. The piece in all reflects TRZTN’s experimental goals and intentions to explore something new for his first project as an individual producer.

The opening track of the album, “Black Exit,” featuring Interpol’s lead guitarist/singer, Paul Banks, is the piece that brought together the inspiration for beginning this project. In an interview with Glide Magazine, TRZTN speaks about being inspired by Banks’ voice for a specific riff he wrote, and it wasn’t until a full year due to busy schedules that the two completed the track. This product was worth the wait, and it gave TRZTN the idea to give each collaborator creative power in writing their own lyrics. “Black Exit” gives off a classic rock vibe while remaining experimental and edgy due to Banks’ slightly distorted vocals.

The next track, “Ruby’s Wheel,” opens with an echoic synth melody that quickly evolves into an energetic, pop atmosphere atop layered vocals that create a fuller orchestral sound to the vocals sung by Tibetan-born artist Yesh. Following these female vocals, listeners move to listen to Japanese artist Eiko Hara on “Metal Sky,” who brings forth a passionate and dramatic airy sound to TRZTN’s mysterious synth building beat. Hara’s Japanese lyrics come together beautifully as the song escalates into a melodic and full-bodied chorus, with the vocals fading in and out through the blend of rising synthesizers.

“Mirage” and “Crosswinds” are two heavy, electronic, slowly escalating tracks featuring deep male vocals by Jonathan Bree and Estrael Boiso. Bree’s soothing vocals on “Mirage” fit swiftly into the production as his voice blends into the high pitched vocal echos that are added to the beat. Bree’s message expresses his feelings of living in an oasis and being mesmerized by the beauty of another. In “Crosswinds,” Boiso’s lyrics similarly create a vision of expression, with his message reflecting on understanding and desire. This beat is less of the industrial pop sound people have grown accustomed to hearing and focuses more on the use of orchestral strings in electronica.

The next tracks, such as “Hieroglyphics,” “Nighttime Rebound” and “Rockers,” take people into the mind of each of his collaborators, as TRZTN worked with several female vocalists to embed his productions with an extra instrument envisioned for his sound. Listeners follow the album to hear a lot of industrial pop influence along with airy, drawn-out, and high pitched vocals.

TRZTN did leave two songs vocal-less to focus solely on the instrumental aspect of the production. “Astra” represents TRZTN’s dubstep influence with a slight rock undertone; it is a highly experimental electronic track that will take the listener by surprise. The closing track of the album, matching the title “Royal Dagger Ballet,” is the final ballet of this production. It sets the tone of a theatrical experience through sound, taking the audience on a silent story as they listen to the mysterious low and high toned breathes in the introduction. This final song reflects TRZTN’s work as a musical composer, giving the listeners a truly haunting and intriguing cinematic experience.

In all, Royal Dagger Ballet not only reflects TRZTN’s wide range of skill in musical talent but also tells the stories of multiple artists’ collaborations. This piece does an amazing job in telling the story of who TRZTN is as a solo artist, while also reflecting on the talents of other artists, but remaining true to his distinct sound. Not only that, but it has opened up his work and fanbase to an entirely new audience of electronic music and sound.