''Blitz'' is the 11th studio album of French singer
Étienne Daho
Étienne Daho (; ; born 14 January 1956) is a French singer-songwriter. He has released a number of synth-driven and rock- surf influenced pop hit singles since 1981.
Career
Daho was born in Oran, French Algeria. He sings in a low, whispery vo ...
, released on November 17, 2017.
Background
The psychedelically-inspired album was written and recorded in London, with the "Blitz" of the title referring the city's climate after the Brexit vote and terrorist attacks. In addition to long-time collaborators Fabien Waltmann and Jean-Louis Piérot, Daho recorded with musicians from The Unloved (composer/producers
David Holmes and
Keefus Ciancia
Keefus Ciancia is an American film and television composer, music producer, and musician. He has won an Ivor Novello Award, BAFTA, and a BMI Film & TV Award. He has composed and produced music for ''True Detective'', ''Killing Eve'', '' London S ...
and singer Jade Vincent), whom he had met upon the release of their first album.
Themes
The album's touchpoints are both personal and public: "Le jardin" (The Garden) is a tribute to his sister Jeanne, who died in 2016, while "Chambre 29" (Room 29) is dedicated to
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1965. Gaining an early following as one of the first British psychedelic music, psychedelic groups, they were distinguished by their extended compositions, sonic experiments ...
founder
Syd Barrett
Roger Keith "Syd" Barrett (6 January 1946 – 7 July 2006) was an English singer, guitarist and songwriter who co-founded the rock band Pink Floyd in 1965. Until his departure in 1968, he was Pink Floyd's frontman and primary songwriter, ...
. "Les flocons de l'été" (The Flakes of Summer) evokes the month of August 2013, which Daho spent in a hospital room, nearly dying of peritonitis. The album's cover photo, where he appears dressed in leather and cap, surrounded by scrolls of smoke, was inspired by the Marlon Brando's performance in
The Wild One
''The Wild One'' is a 1953 American crime film directed by László Benedek and produced by Stanley Kramer. The picture is most noted for the character of Johnny Strabler, portrayed by Marlon Brando, whose persona became a cultural icon of the ...
and Charlotte Rampling in
The Night Porter
''The Night Porter'' () is a 1974 Italian erotic psychological war drama film co-written and directed by Liliana Cavani. It stars Dirk Bogarde and Charlotte Rampling, with Philippe Leroy, Gabriele Ferzetti and Isa Miranda in supporting roles. ...
.
References
{{Authority control
Étienne Daho albums
2017 albums
Albums produced by Keefus Ciancia