Back in 2021 producer and musician Alban Blaising released the stunning Beneath the Earth under the name Feu Follet. The amazing album was a mixture of post-punk, dream pop, and dark wave with a fairy-tale twist that combined early 4AD vibes with colorful imagery for a singular musical experience. Blaising’s stunning production and engaging melodies were matched only by the list of amazing guest vocalists.
On July 29th Blaising returns as Feu Follet with the brand new LP IV, once again releasing with German label Blackjack Illuminist. IV is yet again a stunning work; pulsating rhythms, lovelorn melodies, and post-punk jaggedness all presented with guest vocalists and pristine production. This time around Feu Follet feels more like an album of its time. You could almost picture this stunning record sitting side by side records by The Sisters Of Mercy, Depeche Mode, The Cure, and Bauhaus in some record shop in 1982. It’s a transformative and transportive listening experience.
First single is the melancholy and hypnotic “Somebody Else”, featuring Vlimmer’s Alexander Donat on vocals. Touches of Depeche Mode, OMD, and New Order come through beautifully, with Donat adding a sense of urgency to the already gorgeous and longing track. Blaising builds from post-punk building blocks, but never relies on nostalgia to keep us around. We stay here in Feu Follet’s world because it’s one we are comfortable in; it feels like home.
Alexander Donat recently explained his take on the track and where he was coming from lyrically: “Somebody Else is the fictional story about a woman suffering from schizophrenia. She cannot rely on the things she sees and hears, she might be lying on a beach as well as on a street’s safety island, she might even be able to start a revolution – or simply stay at home with everything just happening in her head. The thought of seeing yourself walking outside your house was the basis of the lyrics, and the melancholy, yet mysterious sounds of Alban’s instrumental totally fit to it. While the chorus and the first two words (“Last night”) almost sound romantic, I added rather bleak lyrics. Praying that you’re NOT the person you see walking around must be among the bleakest and most disturbing things. It’s crazy what the mind can do to people, and, hopefully, I won’t ever experience any events like the ones in the lyrics. “
Listen to “Somebody Else” below. IV is out 7/29 via Blackjack Illuminist.
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