Yes, I know it’s been a while. The thing is, August is already a desert in terms of new releases in France, and for some reason this year was especially slow during the summer months—blame it on the heatwave, I guess. Sometimes it actually felt like walking underwater.
This doesn’t mean festival season didn’t go according to plan; 2022 was the first year since “before” that we actually had loads of stuff going on; still, with the ongoing low morale and overwhelming tiredness (I maintain that we should all go to sleep for a couple of months) it doesn’t look like true excitement returned to pre-pandemic levels. It’s like things are normal-ish on the surface but reality has irrevocably shifted. Even most press releases navigate this thin line between despair and alienation.
But the much-dreaded/awaited rentrée is finally here, and so is the usual cream of the crop (or crème de la crème, if we want to remain within the French theme): some of the new tracks below are actually pretty danceable too—and with the crazy energy prices expected for the winter months you’ll need all the physical warm-up you can get.
Magnolia releases Make Me Dance EP
For everyone craving that sweet French nu-house as a back-to-school treat, Paris-based Magnolia‘s new Make Me Dance EP is exactly what you need. The four-track release was recorded over the past year with Robin Rivoal (guitar) and Fabien Forte (bass), and its deliciously retro-disco mood is set to hypnotise you on a first listen and push you directly to the dance floor. The master, of course, is gloriously analog. Check it out above via The Disco Express’s bandcamp, where you can get the EP on digital format.
La Femme share clip for “Sacatela,” announce album
Looks like we’re not gonna have to wait another five years for a new La Femme album. In fact, it’s only been a year since Paradigmes and Marlon, Sacha, & co. have already announced that a brand new LP will be released as early as November. Titled Teatro Lúcido, the upcoming album is previewed by Spanish-sung single and video “Sacatela” that sparks in slight melancholy while staying faithful to La Femme’s signature sound. Check it out above; Teatro Lúcido is now up for pre-order via the band’s official website.
Jean Michel Jarre unveils “BRUTALISM” from upcoming new LP
It’s the 22nd album of a career spanning over five decades, and that has both inspired and adapted to the ever-changing face of electronic music. Jean Michel Jarre‘s new album OXYMORE is due out on October 21st and judging from the first single “BRUTALISM” it’s set to once again defy the limits of what you can do with synthesisers, showing how the musician and producer manages to always remain surprisingly fresh and relevant—this is the father of the French Touch, after all. Check out “BRUTALISM” above.
Ottis Coeur share new single “Labrador”
The newest addition to the Howlin Banana Records roster, duo Ottis Coeur have started to make music together during the first 2020 lockdown in a garage in the Loire Atlantique. After a couple of singles and a debut EP released last November, they are now sharing “Labrador,” a fuzz-filled energetic track whose unveiling coincided with their appearance at legendary festival Rock En Seine last August. Check it out above.
We Want Sounds announce Biensüre’s debut LP
I’m still to receive an email from We Want Sounds that doesn’t get my immediate and undivided attention. Although better known by its fantastic rereleases and anthologies, the French label will be putting out the debut LP from Marseille-based Biensüre, a project led by Kurdish singer Hakan Toprak. Mixing retro-disco with Mediterranean-tainted synths, the groove-filled album comes highly recommended for anyone fond of East-meets-West danceable rhythms. Check out the video for single “Eyvah Eyvah” above.
The Bonjour Motherfuckers playlist just keeps getting better and better, so if you need a proper sampler to decide what to buy/stream, you’ve come to the right place.
