ADIEUX AU DANCEFLOOR by Marie Davidson
Genre: Minimal Synth
Favorite Tracks: “Interfaces,” “Le Femme Ecarlate,” “Planet Ego”
Nothing quite tunes in to human desire like dance music and its ability to entrance entire crowds. Whether it’s at a 1920s speakeasy, on stage, or in a Miami club, the dance floor is a place where our most primitive way of showing off takes hold. The dance floor is the soul of the party, so it’s important that the music is gripping, alive, and in the case of ADIEUX AU DANCEFLOOR, very dark. On her newest LP, Marie Davidson takes the postmodern nostalgia of electronic dance mixes and combines it with crisp production and poetic spoken word. The industrial eeriness and ambiance, layered underneath club-inspired rhythms, serve as a perfect landscape to explore sound while remaining anchored in something humans instinctively love. The result: ADIEUX AU DANCEFLOOR, an upbeat but shadowy LP that stands out amongst a flood of electronic music.
ADIEUX AU DANCEFLOOR is electronically minimalistic and gripping, able to explore the darkness of synth pop while maintaining an upbeat rhythm. Track one, entitled “I Dedicate My Life,” is the least dark of the bunch, and gives a great introduction into the world of fog and seduction that Marie Davidson creates on the LP. On “Interfaces,” she fuses reverberating techno atmospheres and bass heavy pop synths to create a haunting club rocker. Two tracks in, ADIEUX AU DANCEFLOOR establishes itself as something simple, but sometimes simplicity is what we love and remember the most; Grilled Cheese, Lemonade, and Minimalist Techno.
Although the album is consistent in its upbeat rhythm, the moments of spoken word throughout add an extra dimension of poetry to the music. Though bonded by a sparse, parallel structure, each track is distinct. On “Denial,” the spoken word takes the form of demonic hissing that nudges the LP along a more sinister path, all the while maintaining the record’s signature trance. While “Denial” is undeniably dark, ADIEUX AU DANCEFLOOR gets darker. “La Femme Ecarlate” combines sounds of violent club drums to a score of disturbing sine waves joined by French spoken word, providing a musical juxtaposition of emotions. The track leads to a climactic arrangement of sirens and booming drums, and after an intense dramatic peak, heads into more feel-good dance music territory.
On “Good Times,” a poetic voice sharply states, “No. I’m not scared any more,” in a way that seems strangely fitting for the brighter tone… leading to an instance of Marie Davidson’s intricate song crafting. She seems to go back and forth with herself , as the music constantly ebbs and flows between its dark and light sides. Although on the surface ADIEUX AU DANCEFLOOR is a club-inspired techno LP, it breems with subtle beauty embedded throughout. It’s magical and entrancing but dark and grimy, requiring several listens to appreciate it in its fullest.
The final track, “Adieu Au Dancefloor,” perfectly encapsulates the melancholic beauty heard throughout the LP, with the metallic bass, analog synth waves, and greater context of Marie’s sung vocals creating something that makes you want to cry and dance at the same time. It’s a dramatic end to a very well crafted and memorable LP, not just in dance or techno, but in the entirety of electronic music. ADIEUX AU DANCEFLOOR is a prime example how dance music can be both satisfyingly artistic and invigorating.
Verdict: Recommend
Parker Hutcheson
Parker Hutcheson is a writer and aspiring director from Fresno. Growing up, Parker had a pet wolf whom he had to set free into the wild, where he quickly found a pack to run with. He loved the wolf very much, and hopes you enjoy his articles.
