PRESS

"Again his very best yet! On the two subsequent albums he used various guest vocalists. They give his already strong music that little bit extra. On [Lost Locust] he is accompanied by his old Cruention bandmate Pierre Bastien, Isabelle Baumann, Pat Aubier and Blackjack Illuminist Records label boss Alexander Leonard Donat. They once again reinforce his fine hybrid of synthwave and pop, post-punk, shoegaze, dream pop and indie. There is more space for the guitar, which makes the music a bit heavier than normal. For the rest it is and remains wonderfully catchy music, with which he nestles somewhere between Laudanum, The Cure, Depeche Mode, Vlimmer, Clan Of Xymox, New Order and also Joy Division." - De Subjectivisten (NL)

"An always astonishing musical cosmos. [Lost Locust] is full of surprises and unexpected stylistic twists, [a] stirring album that you'll fall for again and again. It may be coincidence or intentional, but it seems as if Albain built the music around the guest vocals. With “Fluid Bodies” he takes the [wavier style] to the extreme. The song seems like a mix of Depeche Mode, The Cure and The Stranglers. What sounds quite unrealistic actually works excellently. [...] Despite its catchiness, Feu Follet doesn't want to sound too predictable and incorporates unusual sounds into the songs or even seems to flirt with sophisticated jazzy structures. [...] It's worth leaving the beaten path and just running cross-country." - Unter.Ton (GER)

"A wonderful world [...] a very diverse album, which exudes post punk, new wave, electro pop and although very atmospherically dreamy, also has a number of more grounded and solid moments that make it very enjoyable. [...] The new album opens with “Ghosts In The Machine”. A somewhat wistful wave song with a Cure reference and electronic arrangements that lift the song above the standard. Ideal to brace yourself for “Lost Locust”. [...] We dream on the beautiful “Living Without (Wedding Song)” where Isabelle B. Baumann [...] reminds me somewhat of Elena Fossi of Kirlian Camera. [Her] voice ripples sweetly, a bit like a plaster on an open wound. Pop potential for sure, without being usual radio pop." - Dark Entries (BEL)

"[W]onderful moments of 80s wave pop, but still has the weirdness and colorfulness [...] of the decade and also integrates the tones of the moon landing phase from the NASA control center in a confusing way. Confusingly beautiful!" - Amboss Mag (GER)

"An album certainly worthy of attention. [...] The area in which Feu Follet's music is located is the broad one of postpunk and synthwave [...] the atmosphere is melancholic and full of shadows, not too dissimilar to those that, at the time, we described when talking about "Zerschöpfung", the latest effort of the mentor Vlimmer/Donat. "On "Lost Locust", the electronic setting is enlivened by the significant presence of the guitar, the melodies are decidedly catchy, some undoubtedly suitable for the dancefloor." - Ver Sacrum (ITA)

"Feu Follet works in the world of cold wave, dark wave, and electro pop that owe a tip of the hat to artists like Bauhaus, The Cure, Depeche Mode, and Joy Division. Beautifully melancholic songs that soundtrack late nights, shadows, and flickering candles." - Complex Distractions (USA)

""Lost Locust" begins with a song which has that new wave vibe to it, as is the Vlimmer influence, and it just feels like a gothic dance party. There is definitely a retro sound to this cassette, somewhere between the 1980's and early 1990's. [...] Baumann closes out the cassette with a melodic trance song which wraps up everything else within this realm of sound rather nicely. [...] [B]eeps and boops [...] magical synths [...] very groovy [...] old school punk feel [...] a little bit like Ladytron [...] blissed out rock anthem way". - Raised By Cassettes (USA)

"[A] sonic bouquet of flowers. Musically, it's wave in all kinds of versions, synthpop elements and a subtle post-punk note go hand in hand and take the listener into an idiosyncratic [...] fantasy land. [T]he electronically playful “Living Without (Wedding Song)” is like a relaxed, dreamy synth trip. Isabelle Baumann's voice stands out here just as expressively as it makes the other two songs in which she is involved ("Glitter Effect", "As Ever") the highlights of this album." - musikreviews.de (GER)

"Catchy, between new-wave and post-punk touches, "Lost Locust" is as desired. [...] From the first seconds the presence of "Ghosts In The Machine" (ft. Vlimmer) wins the votes. The piece flickers, adorned with beautiful guitars and playful synths. [...] "Lost Locust" (ft. Vlimmer), rock and new-wave, continues without weakening. Dynamic, well decorated, it gives way to A Dream (ft. Pierre Bastien). Galloping before falling, a celestial creation of the best caliber. [I]t goes without saying that we include Feu Follet in our essentials section. "Fluid bodies" brings bite. This is followed by "Glitter Effect" (ft. Isabelle B. Baumann), with a superb female organ. Alert and sweet at the same time, an undeniable success. Then "Road To Glory" (ft. Pat Aubier), cold, between gritty guitars and well-distilled synths. [...] It comes to an end with "As Ever" (ft. Isabelle B. Baumann), the last spatial shot which consecrates it at the same time as it gently drops its intensity." - Muzzart (FRA)

"Dreamy scary" - Luminous Dash (BEL)

"[P]aints a post-apocalyptic landscape of a decaying city where lost souls come together for an uplifting sense of unity and bliss through dancing. [...] A dramatic mercurial fusion of multi-layered frequencies concocts an urgent surreal headspace that waxes and wanes on a buzzing and crackling bed of shifting drum patterns, undulating humming low ends, twinkly chimes, bright twisted swirls, and swelling droning riffs laced with distorted wistful weeping guitar melodies, to surround an aching vocal agony of alienated baritone broods, soft sentimental cries, and distant angsty echoes, with unpredictable sways of ever-changing dystopic moods." - White Light/White Heat (ITA)



PRESS RELEASE: English/Deutsch

On his 5th album in four years French electronic post-punk producer Alban Blaising expands his distinctive modular synthesizer sound to give more space to the guitar and create something more rock-oriented with the help of four guest vocalists. Besides Isabelle B. Baumann who is responsible for three dreamy vocal deliveries, you can hear Pat Aubier (singer of Blaising’s dark rock band Hercynia Silva), Pierre Bastien (an old friend of Blaising in his first band 25 years ago) and Blackjack Illuminist label boss Alexander Leonard Donat perfoming as Vlimmer.
Opener “Ghosts in the Machine” (feat. Vlimmer) directly outlines what it sounds like to transfer a late 70s/early 80s underground feeling into 2023. “A dramatic mercurial fusion of multi-layered frequencies concocts an urgent surreal headspace that waxes and wanes on a buzzing and crackling bed of shifting drum patterns, undulating humming low ends, twinkly chimes, bright twisted swirls, and swelling droning riffs laced with distorted wistful weeping guitar melodies, to surround an aching vocal agony of alienated baritone broods, soft sentimental cries, and distant angsty echoes, with unpredictable sways of ever-changing dystopic moods.” (Catt Gillette of White Light/White Heat)

Auf seinem fünften Album in vier Jahren erweitert der französische Electronic-Post-Punk-Produzent Alban Blaising seinen unverwechselbaren modularen Synthesizer-Sound, um der Gitarre mehr Raum zu geben und mit Hilfe von vier GastsängerInnen seinem funkelnden Synth-Outfit eine Rock-Aura zu verpassen. Neben Isabelle B. Baumann, die für drei verträumte Gesangsdarbietungen verantwortlich ist, sind Pat Aubier (Sänger von Blaisings Dark-Rock-Band Hercynia Silva), Pierre Bastien (ein alter Freund Blaisings, mit dem er vor 25 Jahren seine erste Band gründete) und Blackjack Illuminist-Labelchef Alexander Leonard Donat als Vlimmer zu hören.
Der Opener „Ghosts in the Machine“ (feat. Vlimmer)macht direkt klar, wie es sich anhört, ein Underground-Feeling der späten 70er/frühen 80er Jahre ins Jahr 2023 zu übertragen. „Eine dramatische, quicklebendige Verschmelzung vielschichtiger Frequenzen schafft einen dringenden, surrealen Raum, der zu- und abnimmt auf einer summenden und knisternden Oberfläche aus wechselnden Schlagzeugfiguren, wogenden Tiefen, funkelnden Glockenspielen, hellen Wirbeln und anschwellenden, dröhnenden Riffs, durchzogen von verzerrten, wehmütigen, weinenden Gitarrenmelodien, um eine schmerzende Stimme aus entfremdetem Bariton und sanften, sentimentalen Rufen zu umweben, während entfernte, angsty Echos in unvorhersehbaren Wellen ständig wechselnder dystopischer Stimmungen tönen.“ (Catt Gillette, White Light/White Heat)