« Relentlessly, day and night, in the century in which we live
Like we do raisins, we squash men,
And gold comes out of the press » Victor Hugo
While the world is collapsing into general indifference, Yalta Club has revisited the myth of Midas and dreamt up the soundtrack of a kingdom condemned by its own excess. Wide-eyed pop which tells of the doubts and contradictions of the times we live in, and fuses the madness of LCD Soundsystem, the colored rage of M.I.A. and the delicate darkness of Xavier Dolan.
Their new EP « ΜΙΔΑΣ » (Midas) tells the story of an Eldorado which has become a golden cage, a dream that has turend into a nightmare. Florent Livet – partner of Philippe ‘Cassius’ Zdar on Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix - and Pavle Kovacevic - arranger of Sébastien Tellier’s ‘My God Is Blue’ – were the sonic architects of this work. The production is ambitious using organic sounds from all over the world : Latin percussion, surdo, balafon, West African and Native American choirs, Indian tablas... Ignited by their crazy nights in Berlin, the band spent their time experimenting on TR-606, Jupiter 8, Juno. All these organic and electronic experiments were applied for the same purpose: To find their true color, a singular texture, in short - an identity.
We last left Yalta Club 3 years ago with their first, light album (Atmosphériques, 2013), where we see how they played with the juxtaposition of “happy” music and globally-aware – though distanced - lyrics. The tempos have slowed down, the atmosphere is heavier, with more introspective and meaningful lyrics. It’s the new signature-sound of a band that is now at ease with themselves, leaving behind teenage complexes. And as soon as ‘Exile’ starts, the conclusion is clear as day: Something has changed. ‘The Door’, second track off the EP, pushes it even further with the delicate subject of sexual abuse. Has Yalta Club grown up? If that means being more lucid with a stronger character, then yes they have. But their hunger for music is like that of a child -- pure and tireless. The last song ‘LOVE’, written after the Paris attacks in January 2015, is the most obvious example. It’s a naive, yet overwhelming cry: “Why can’t we just love each other?”
On stage, Yalta Club, alongside their new guitarist, are out to find the carefree nature they had lost, so as to create an air bubble, independent of space and time, as if the world were ending tomorrow.
Is the party over yet?
That remains to be seen…