Thursday 24 January 2013

Rétro: Les Rita Mitsouko - Les Amants


A truly classic song that I'd actually forgotten about until I re-watched Les Amants du Pont-Neuf the other week.

The films is an absolute gem, and while I saw it years ago, it was so long ago that I'd forgotten how good it was.

It was made by Leos Carax, a director who's always had a good feel for music in his films, and this track featured at the close of the movie.

I love the way Les Rita Misouko made a sound that was both rooted in French traditional music but at the same time totally modern. I reckon a listener from 1900's France would have immediately understood their music.

the track came from their 1993 Système D album, their fourth. The band were a duo of vocalist Catherine Ringer and guitarist Fred Chichin. The band began in the early 80s, releasing their first self-titled album in 1985 which produced their first hit, Marcia Baila.

They combined elements of jazz, cabaret and chanson in their work, but with a punk rock flair. They went on to release seven albums until 2007's Variéty, which also saw an English version released.

The unexpected death of Fred Chichin from cancer in 2007 meant an end to the band, although Catherine Ringer continues to perform as a solo artist.



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