For their debut album “Serenades And Damnation”, DEAD CHIC continues to explore the elements that have defined the band’s identity so far. From the very first notes, there’s no doubt it’s DEAD CHIC : cinematic flights, vast landscapes, humidity, anger and class. It’s dark and it’s chic.
The ghost of Ennio Morricone still haunts the tracks, shaken up by fuzz, sonic explosions and incantations. However, the band pushes the envelope even further, exploring unexpected horizons by drawing, in particular, from Latin culture to create creeping armies of percussion, evoking a night of procession during the Day of the Dead in Mexico. DEAD CHIC also looks eastward, inviting Istanbul singer Tuğçe Şenoğul on a languorous and epic track, “Mirage”.
Listening to the 11 tracks, it is clear that this diversity of influences is a leitmotif for the band, which draws from these sounds to create their own blend, their own codes, seeking to free themselves from a well-digested Western rock heritage.
The live recording at the Black Box studio (a true rock temple), captured by Peter Deimel, translates the quartet’s fervor. The recording is magnified by Flavien Van Landuyt, who delivers powerful mixes, highlighting the band’s strong choices.
The listener finds themselves in the midst of the studio session with the four musicians, punctuated by a few exchanges heard here and there between takes, bearing witness to a precise and precious moment.
DEAD CHIC thus delivers an intense, rich, and suprising debut album. From the depths to the highest peaks, “Serenades And Damnation”, is an immersive journey, an epic that has something sacred about it, in its intensity and fervor.
DEAD CHIC originated from the collaboration between Andy Balcon and Damien Félix. They met during tours with their respective bands (Heymoonshaker and Catfish) a few years ago, crossing paths regularly on the road and meeting backstage to discuss music, idols, and a hypothetical collaboration. A few years passed withoutthem crossing paths again. In the fall of 2020, they reconnected. Before talking about musical influences, Andy and Damien exchanged visual references, illustrations, landscapes, which became the foundation and guiding line of their work. The idea of working together then became serious and after a few exchanges, “Too Far Gone” their first track, was born in January 2022.
They were later joined by Rémi Ferbus on drums (Kimberose, Mélissa Laveaux…), who knew Andy well from accompanying him a few years earlier and Mathis Akengin on keyboards, Damien’s accomplice in Catfish.
Over the years, tours, and travels, the musicians honed their skills, enriched their culture, and affirmed their personalities. The association of the four immediately sparked. A few days after their first rehearsals in January 2022, the four members of DEAD CHIC recorded a live session for their first concert, the “Bastion Session”. The dates followed, and the band amazed with their intense and explosive sets. In March 2023, they released their studio EP “The Venus Ballroom” enthusiastically received by critics and a growing audience. In early 2024, they released the live version of the same EP, with the addition of the track “Pain Love Joy”.
In just over two years of existence, DEAD CHIC has made a mark with each appearance. There is no doubt it will be the same with this debut album “Serenades And Damnation”, which they will play throughout France and abroad starting in the fall of 2024.
Dead Chic will perform an acoustic duo showcase at Rough Trade West, London on 12th November at 5pm. Info here
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