Maximalists rejoice: Gaspard Augé, one half of the French electronic duo Justice, has announced his debut solo album Escapades. It’s out June 25th, and will include his April single “Force Majeure” as well as the new song “Hey!”
Escapades was made with French composer Victor le Masne, best known for his collaborations with Chilly Gonzales and Joseph Mount of Metronomy. Together, he and Augé worked in Paris, flitting between two different studios: Enterprise, where they used a synthesizer that had once belonged to English prog band Yes; and Motorbass Studios, which had been owned by their friend, Cassius’ Philippe Zdar, who unexpectedly died in 2019.
The goal, according to a statement, was an album that “reimagines European classical music for the 21st century.” As Augé put it, “I’ve always been obsessed with making larger than life music. Mostly because it’s more fun.”
You can hear some of that zest for size on the new single “Hey!”. Like its predecessor, this cut uses electronic music to celebrate an analog instrument. As “Force Majeure” paid tribute to crashing symbols, “Hey!” is an ode to the whirling strings of a violin.
The track comes with a short (less than one minute) video directed by Filip Nilsson. Filmed in Turkey, it shows a horseback rider charging through the gorgeous steppes, stooping to pluck a violin off the ground at incredible speed, and then whaling away on the instrument while clinging to the steed with his knees. “This is the first thing that came to my mind while recording the track,” said Augé, “a Mongolian horse rider playing the violin in the steppe, an epic ride with a far east feel. Filip Nilsson and the amazing rider Metin Yılmaz made that dream come true.” Check out the official video, as well as the full version of “Hey!” below.
While Augé has been working on his solo debut, his band Justice has managed to stay busy, mostly with cease and desist letters to Justin Bieber about him ripping off their logo.
Escapades Artwork:
Escapades Tracklist:
01. Welcome
02. Force Majeure
03. Rocambole
04. Europa
05. Pentacle
06. Hey!
07. Captain
08. Lacrimosa
09. Belladone
10. Casablanca
11. Vox
12. Rêverie
