Jun 17, 2024
Il Este Vilaine is a project of two Frenchmen from Paris and they describe their work as follows: Danceable yet sharp, rhythmic yet captivating, the first tracks of the electronic duo exude the masculine scent of a James Dean coming straight out of a backroom.
It was 2014 when I first came across them and their first EP - Scandale. I was immediately drawn to the album cover in particular, but after a few seconds of listening it was clear that I had stumbled upon something truly unique. At a time when the dance scene was being flooded by the tech / deep house wave, this was truly a "scandal". They delivered three great tracks with a darker feel and hypnotic atmosphere combining dark disco, punk and techno together. For me, it was the most played record at the time and it really rarely happened that I used all three tracks almost equally. Usually one, at most two from one EP.
But let's move on to the present, where I recently found out that Il Est Vilailne have released their first album already in 2021 on Dialect Recordings.
On first listen, all the memories associated with their first EP came back to me. Again, I have to appreciate the cover art and the overall visual aspect of their work, which complements the music perfectly and keeps a consistent line throughout.
On the album, the gentlemen keep their musical signature. This is definitely not just a dance club album. With a longer duration, they are able to reach their full potential here, alternating different tempos and moods throughout each track. But that doesn't mean, it's not a dance-floor oriented, quite the opposite. I can easily imagine playing absolutely most of the stuff. I'm going to repeat myself, but again I have to say that it doesn't happen often, almost not at all.
MR
