You almost do feel like “a lone crusader in a dangerous world,” that is, if you’re listening to Parisian analog duo Night Riders‘s first full-length release Future Noir via French DIY imprint Svn Sns Rcrds.
Filled with muted synths murmuring menacingly beneath Charlotte Leclerc’s brooding croon, the entire LP is an black ice-filled journey that oscillates between minimalist drum machines and strangely dance-adverse (yet obviously disco-tinged) basslines. But the occasional robo-funk moments that appear in between Pacemaker-esque beats and monotone synths just end up being strange glimpses into a mechanical world that runs on cold-hearted clockwork, even despite the lingering warmth of Leclerc’s sly lilt and all-too-human sighs.
And though our high school-level French is failing us now, there’s no need to translate what what she’s saying in order to feel the intense undercurrent of torrential fury and fervent gloom driving Future Noir. From the somber space-dirge of the eponymous title track to the wonky, synth pop-infused “Adieu Mon Capitaine”, the entire release pulses with the kind of angst-ridden urgency that can only come from a record written and recorded in 10 days.
Stream the exclusive US premiere below. Order the LP here.
