Via these new visuals, the French composer announces her upcoming album, Le Cirque de Consolation.
Leonie Pernet is a singer, composer and multi-instrumentalist from France. Making her first appearances on the underground electronic scene, she released her critically-acclaimed debut solo record, Crave, in 2018. She now returns with Le Cirque de Consolation, a double negative of Crave, celebrating a new outlook on life and her family history. “This record parallels my life’s journey,” she says. “It reflects what has happened in my life since Crave came out and how I feel today. There’s still a lot of melancholy, but a lot more sunshine and light. In four years, I’ve become sober, which has saved me; I’ve worked a lot on my voice, which is a part of a desire to speak, to address my audience more directly, and also a more pronounced pop desire.”
The new album, which will be released November 19, is “decidedly non-western, political and poetic, rooted in self-discovery and connection with other humans.” Blending African and Oriental percussion with synthesizers and drum-machines, Léonie mixes different genres to deliver harsh, experimental electronics. The raw soundscape is then softened by her vocals through somber, organic and quiet moments, sung in both French and English.
The video for “Hard Billy,” which is already out, exemplifies the French artist’s creative statement. This is a techno-infused anthem with a touch of irreverence in its DNA. It dabbles in West African aesthetics, featuring dancers from Burkina Faso, Mali, Togo and The Ivory Coast moving to the frantic rhythms of the drums in a quasi-mystical mood with boundless celebratory energy.
Le Cirque de Consolation by Léonie Pernet, available on November 19 via InFiné and CryBaby.
Listen to “Hard Billy” in our Songs of the Week playlist on Spotify and Deezer.
