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COLLECTION 5

2. 38
MUSIC
Album preview by Bénédicte Lelong
Artist: Château Marmont
Album: The Maze
Genre: Electro-Pop, Synthpop
Label: Chambre404
Origin: France
Release Date: May 2013
Members: Raphael Vialla, Julien Galinier,
Guillaume De Maria
 At a time when the French electronic/synthpop scene
needed to take a serious break from all the pseudo and
oftentimes overrated “big names” (not usually my thing to
point fingers but… Phoenix, Daft Punk, anyone??), Château
Marmont’s timing appeared to be quite perfect.
 The Maze is Château Marmont’s debut album. Its fresh
70’s synthpop sound will seduce you from the start with their
“Ouverture”. Contrary to what you might think, these guys
are no newbies. They’ve been around since 2005, remixing
artists like LaRoux. By the way, make yourself a huge favour
and go listen to their version of Quicksand.
Pre-tty sweet, if you ask me.
 I’ll confess that I didn’t know these
guys from Adam. At first I didn’t even
know they were French, much less what
kind of music they were making. They got
me at their band’s name, “Château Mar-
mont”. I mean, come on, even if you’ve
never set foot in this WeHo institution,
you have to have at least heard of it. From
John Belushi to Sofia Coppola and more
recently Lindsay Lohan, you know damn
well what Château Marmont brings to
mind: Hollywood, baby! Images started
rushing through my head… So yeah, that
was enough for me give this French trio a
chance.
 Proof that sometimes you just need to go
with your gut. Oh and a band’s name isn’t
to be taken lightly, as it can go a long way
to attract listeners into your net (I plead
guilty). From now on, I have my eyes on
them. Can’t wait to hear what they’ll do
next!
 Must-hear tracks: The Fall & Decline
of the Human Empire, The Maze, Receive
And Follow
Iconic American guru of pop Dick Clark once said “Music is the soundtrack of our lives”. Music IS everywhere.
We eat it for breakfast, breathe it on the dance floors and live it 24/7, MP3 players firmly glued to our ears. An
eclectic listener‘s paradise, our Musik Laden‘s motto is simple: “Open ears, open mind”. Satisfaction guaranteed.

3. 39
Artist: David Lynch
Album: The Big Dream
Genre: Electronica, Experimental Rock
Labels: Sacred Bones (US), Sunday Best (EU)
Origin: USA
Release Date: July 2013
Members: David Lynch
Artist: AlunaGeorge
Album: Body Music
Genre: Electronic, Pop, R’n’B
Label: Island
Origin: UK
Release Date: July 2013
Members: Aluna Francis, George Reid
 Coyotes… babies… shotguns… dreams… the moon…
heartbreak… Right off the bat, I had a feeling. The Big
Dream, David Lynch’s second studio album was gonna
be a bit strange (in the best way possible). Scratch that, it
was going to be 100% Lynchian… well, almost like a big
dream.
 Knowing some of his work as a director (I H.A.T.E.D.
Eraserhead but L.O.V.E.D. Twin Peaks and Mulholland
Drive, the latter for reasons I still can’t to this day fully
comprehend much less explain), I wasn’t exactly taken by
surprise. If you’re not familiar with Lynch’s films, chances
are The Big Dream will be a bit off-putting. Even though
you might not “get” everything that is said on this almost
spoken word record, you’ll appreciate how it sounds after
a few listens. And if you happen to have a sweet spot for
experimental rock/electronica, it’s an absolute must-have.
 Lynch’s nasal delivery makes the whole thing sound
even weirder than it already is. Not gonna lie though: this
man’s got skills. It’s simple: from track 1 The Big Dream
feels like you’re stuck inside a David Lynch movie (or
David Lynch’s head). Lynch can be obscure, his work often
crazy, unsettling, profoundly enigmatic yet disturbing(ly
beautiful). What dreams are made of…
 In order for you to ease into The Big Dream, first go
watch the minimalist video clip for “I’m waiting here” a bo-
nus track featuring Lykke Li. A road, one of Lynch’s most
prominent symbols throughout his films (Lost Highway
comes to mind), spreads before our eyes, an infinite strip of
asphalt running through dry and deserted lands, probably
somewhere in the Mojave Desert. If this doesn’t do the trick
and prep you for the Lynch Dimension that is this album,
I honestly don’t know what will…
 Must-hear tracks: The Big Dream, The Line It Curves,
I’m Waiting Here
 You know what they say: your body is a temple, treat
it accordingly? Well, when it comes to worshipping your
body and treating it like a temple, you should listen to what
Voltaire has to say (wut?). I’m dead serious, though. Start
with your ear, which is, according to this wise gentleman
“the avenue to the heart”. You honestly can’t go wrong tre-
ating your ears with AlunaGeorge’s debut album. Its soulful
goodness is ear candy. Period. George Reid R’n’B infused
beats are addictive, and Aluna Francis’ sweet vocals are
the cherry on top. If you are into that kind of sound and
were desperately looking for something that would not
sound like processed-cheese, sorry, I meant manufactured-
and-unoriginal-noise-with-a-lot-of-attitude-but-not-much-
else, don’t look any further.
 FYI, AlunaGeorge made it to #2 on the shortlist of the
“Sound of 2013” BBC poll, right behind the Haim sisters.
In the end, luck’s got nothing to do with AlunaGeorge’s
popular success. Talent does. Proof that the duo’s rapid
breakthrough is not a coincidence. They’re here to stay. All
I know is, this record is what my body had been craving for
all these years. Sure hits the spot.
 Damn, these Brits sure know how to make good music,
don’t they? (Watch your backs, Canadians!) Body music
was my jam this summer –as it was, I suspect, for many
other music lovers out there. And although winter is (al-
most) right around the corner, it’s no reason to put that kind
of sound on the back burner and start flooding your ears
with Xmas tunes just yet!
 Some say Aluna Francis is Aaliyah’s rightful successor,
or rather what Aaliyah would have sounded like if she
hadn’t left us so prematurely. You be the judge of that.
 Must-hear tracks: Lost & Found, Just a Touch, You
Know You Like It

4. 40
Artist: aMinus
Album: Options
Genre: Electro-Pop, Synthpop
Label: Neopren
Origin: Germany
Release Date: October 2013
Member: Valentin Plessy
 aMinus is Valentin Plessy, one third of Berlin-based
French electro act Plateau Repas. I’ve never had the plea-
sure of meeting aMinus face-to-face, but I’m gonna go out
on a limb here and say that this guy is sex on legs.
 I can’t usually control (much less change) the way I’m
first going to respond to a particular artist or album, and
maybe it’s because I’m a girl, maybe not, but damn it if I
don’t like to get my (musical) kicks listening to a guy who
obviously knows how to use his organ (pun DEFINITELY
intended). A friend of mine introduced me to him recently
and I honestly couldn’t get past his voice. It just drew me
in. Sometimes when you’re new to an artist, a genre, an
album or even just a song, you need some time to get in the
zone, some sort of a guiding light, a je-ne-sais-quoi that’s
gonna warn your brain that this is it, The Stuff. Good Stuff.
 Plessy’s voice does take center stage on Options, his
sophomore record. Not that I’m complaining. Why? It just
oozes self-confidence. It’s strong, sexy, powerful and yes,
ultimately you just can’t get enough. Like the album itself,
it’s grounded and relatable (special mention to “Sick Twis-
ted Fuck” for its raw, in-your-face honesty). aMinus kinda
reminds me of Diamond Rings on his latest album, Free
Dimensional. There’s much worse, if you ask me.
 The lyrics are pretty straightforward: love, relationships,
life… who can’t identify with that? As for the music, if
you’re a fan of electro and synthpop, it will be love at first
listen, as they say. Nothing too fancy, but it sure as hell
gets the job done. Satisfaction guaranteed. Bottom line:
aMinus deserves a nice big A+ for Options (you must have
seen that one coming from a mile away, so for once I’m not
apologizing).
 Must-hear tracks: Cool Down, Don’t Mind Me Now,
I Can Try
Artist: The Limousines
Album: Hush
Genre: Indietronica, Electronic Rock
Label: Self-produced
Origin: USA
Release Date: June 2013
Members: Eric Victorino, Giovanni Giusti
 HUSH and listen up!
The first time I saw The Limousines live was quite some
time ago in Paris. The best part? For the life of me I can’t
seem to remember what band they were opening for…
that’s how good this Bay Area duo truly is! OK so the mega-
phone they used and their radiating (and madly contagious)
energy on stage might have something to do with my not so
temporary lapse in memory…
 Hush is The Limousines’ second LP. It’s also a label-
free, self-produced (in part thanks to a hella successful
Kickstarter campaign) little gem of an indietronic rock
record.
 Whatever you do, be sure to watch the video for Love Is
a Dog From Hell, their first single. Whether you like boys
or girls (or both!), you’ll be able to relate: love is a b*tch.
 Hush is solid from beginning to end. It acts like a
catharsis, exploring the ups and downs of relationships
with great beats and an addictive flow, forcing you to con-
front your feelings head on –preferably while dancing like
a mad man/woman. Yes, Hush will make you wanna move
your body. I tested that part for you as well. I’m usually not
a dancer, but even I couldn’t help it. Yeah, picture me in
the heart of a summer heat wave, writing this review while
dancing my *ss off… F.U.N. I swear!)
 Last but not least, Victorino and Giusti are so dedicated
to their fanbase that if you go to their website right now,
you can (almost) order yourself some Limousines to go.
For real. So bring them to your town, why don’t you? Video
clips and digital albums are just fine, but you haven’t really
had the full Limousines experience until you’ve been to
one of their shows. Trust me.
 Must-hear tracks: Bedbugs, Wrecking Ball, Hush

5. 41
Artist: CFCF
Album: Music For Objects
Genre: Electronic
Label: Paper Bag Records
Origin: Canada
Release Date: July 2013
Members: Michael Silver
 Let’s skip the chitchat and begin at the beginning i.e.
the title of this album: “Music For Objects”. Yes, each of
the 8 tracks that comprise CFCF’s 6th EP is named after
an object. Nope, CFCF, aka Michael Silver (yet another
Canadian), probably didn’t make this record while having
breakfast (a BOWL of cereals and a GLASS of milk, thank
you), his KEYS in his pocket, a CAMERA strapped around
his neck, a LAMP shining in the background, PERFUME
permeating the air…
 Silver is another one of these über-talented artists whose
multi-layered and incredibly cinematic creations have an
almost immediate effect on me (and hopefully very soon on
you too). His music, for some possibly quite obscure rea-
son, never fails to make me feel closer to my surroundings.
Nature… my desk, my mug, my pen, my notebook even.
Somehow you feel connected, in tune with your world. It’s
a weird sensation, a whole body experience. It just makes
you feel things, you know?
 The piano? The sax? You can’t always pinpoint exactly
what you love about a particular track, but you just do.
Ever had that feeling? It’s like a chemical reaction that
happens when a given sound travels from your ears to your
brain. Not exactly something that can easily be explained
or described.
 If this experimental, part house-y (Keys) part jazzy (Ca-
mera) EP is any indication –and if it was ultimately up to
me- I’d put Silver on a pedestal next to composers of Philip
Glass’ caliber. Also, I secretly want him to, someday, re-
cord the entire soundtrack to a film, any film. Sooner rather
than later. I’m pretty sure that even if the movie turns out to
be a monumental crapfest, in the end it won’t be, but only
because CFCF made the music.
 Must-hear tracks: Bowl, Keys, Ring
Artist: Soft Metals
Album: Lenses
Genre: Electronic
Label: Captured Tracks
Origin: USA
Release Date: July 2013
Members: Patricia Hall, Ian Hicks
 Never heard of boy-girl synthpop duo Soft Lenses?
Curious to know what they sound like? My advice: “forget”
(but not really) about the title track and go straight to song
#8, Interobserver. The close-to-8-minutes instrumental
track off of the band’s second LP, is a thing of beauty and it
plays like an endless rêverie. The kind that 1) seems never
ending (duh) and that 2) you, as music freaks, don’t EVER
want to end.
 Surely you’re familiar with South L.A.’s very busy freeway
interchange, the one that looks like a gigantic knot? Well,
press play, close your eyes and picture it at night from up
above: the relentless comings and goings of cars, the sleep-
lessness of the city as a whole. Yes, sometimes I do like to
let my mind wander. The awesome news is, this record lends
itself quite perfectly to musings of all sorts. The reason I’m
talking about the City of Angels is because Lenses was born
after Soft Metals relocated from Portland to L.A.
 If you like to abandon yourself to the music, to let go of
all control, to let your imagination roam free, Lenses was
made for you. Besides it’s basically how Hicks and Hall
(a couple both on and off stage) came up with the album
in the first place: jam sessions and improvisation. And
that’s exactly why I have this almost physical attraction to
70’s and 80’s inspired synthpop, down tempo and electro-
nic music in general: all you ever need to do is close your
eyes and let yourself go. Completely. I’m so obsessed with
Interobserver I could have written a whole spiel about how
it makes me feel deep inside. Lucky for you I didn’t.
 Needless to say that if you like Portishead or The Chro-
matics, giving Lenses a listen won’t take you too far out of
your comfort zone. Au contraire, you’ll feel right at home.
 Must-hear tracks: Interobserver, No Turning Point,
On a Cloud

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