Les Cigales / En clair-obscur

Les Cigales takes its sonic cues from the structure of film and TV music from the 1960s and 70s, channeling the influence of film composers such as Francois de Roubaix and David Axelrod, while also sitting somewhere between the washed out, sun-soaked sonics of Surprise Chef and Robohands.

As the EP unwinds, its narrative reflects a love story, full of longing, melancholy, and drama, connecting with the story of Gyptis and Protis - the founding myth of Marseilles - whose love broke convention and welcomed the arrival of foreign people on French soil.

The project follows The Offline's debut album La couleur de la mer, released in November 2023, which saw him create his own soundtrack to a film yet to be made. Inducing images of manorial, fog-swept villas at the sea's edge, silhouetted sailing boats, and cigar-chomping villains attempting to thwart the mission of an imaginary hero, the record is a masterfully composed sonic journey.

Les Cigales sees him continue to build upon a distinctive sound that moves from dramatic cues to fragile romanticism, incorporating psychedelic spaciness, retro soul, and hip-hop sensibilities informed by his extensive record collection.