As always, collaboration brings the ripest fruits. And as Shakespeare so poetically declared, they are also the ones to fall first. In this case, to drop: French collective DAMde8 unveils their new project, an electropop album inspired by David Bowie, with each track reminding aspects of his life. ‘Major Jones’ and ‘Coco Dancing’ are the first drops from the record, collected into an EP featuring their respective instrumental versions.
But let’s rewind a little: DAMde8 are a French collective, featuring around 30 creatives and artists. A group of them, headed by producer and composer Denis Expert and arranger and composer Dan Burkhart, focused on developing kaleidoscopic, slightly retro tunes, echoing the electropop of the late 70s and 80s. All lyrics refer to Bowie, without even mentioning his name. Canadian singer Camille Miller (AKA Major Kami) takes a pivotal role in this, penning many songs herself and lending her magnificent, controlled vocals to the cause.
‘Major Jones’ opens the EP. Introduced by an intimate piano part, the track highlights Miller’s voice, bathed in short but wide reverbs. Slowly, it builds toward a more complete arrangement, with arpeggiate synthesizers and luscious harmonies coming to the rescue. ‘Coco Dancing’, on the other hand, is a more upbeat and bubbly offering, bordering disco and Italo disco influences before jumping back into electro-pop goodness.
Overall, this is a very interesting project. If what we hear in this ep is anything to go by, we are in for a real treat. Look out for the rest of the album, releasing in chunks from now till March 2023, including a guest appearance from Sarah Jay of Massive Attack.
Recommended! Catch the music video for ‘Major Jones’ on Youtube:
