Fatcat Records

To mark its 25th anniversary, Sketch Proposals, the pioneering debut album from Ensemble (Olivier Alary), has been reissued as a free digital release via FatCat Records. Originally released in 2000 on Aphex Twin’s Rephlex label, the newly remastered edition is now available on Bandcamp and all major streaming platforms.

First created in a North London flat in the late '90s, Sketch Proposals introduced Alary’s ambitious hybrid of IDM, shoegaze, and experimental pop—a singular sound that would soon lead to collaborations with Björk, Nick Knight, and a prolific film scoring career.

“That first record, rough as it was, ended up changing everything for me,” says Alary. “Looking back, I think that DIY spirit and the willingness to explore without a roadmap were exactly what made it work.”

“It’s a joy to celebrate this release 25 years on,” adds FatCat co-founder Alex Knight. “Olivier’s music arrived at a time of real experimentation and cross-pollination. Sketch Proposals still feels adventurous and emotionally resonant today.”

Alary’s roots in architecture and electroacoustic composition shaped a self-taught, intuitive approach to sound design. Created with a minimal setup—just a PC, a Yamaha DX11, a Korg MS-20, a Pro-One, and a guitar—the album captures a sense of discovery and momentum that defined the turn-of-the-century underground.

“London between 1997 and 2000 was such an exciting time,” Alary recalls. “The club and IDM scenes were thriving. We were imagining what pop could become—fractured, emotional, and forward-looking.”

Following the album’s original release on Rephlex, Alary was invited by Björk to collaborate on her albums Vespertine and Medúlla, contributing remixes and co-writing the track "Desired Constellation".

The 2025 digital reissue invites new and longtime listeners alike to revisit a landmark release that helped shape the sonic landscape of the early 2000s—and launched one of experimental music’s most quietly influential careers.