Ask the DJ: Margaux Avril - 10 Tracks to Dance & Cry at The Same Time

Ask the DJ: Margaux Avril – 10 Tracks To Dance & Cry To At The Same Time

Young Parisian, Margaux Avril, decided against the advice of A&R labels executives, who had asked her to sign a contract designed last century (pre-digital era), to write and sing cheesy French songs.

Completely free and surrounded by an agile bunch of passionate people – on the creative side, Dennis Brown (the British half of the Postaal duo), Fhin, new blood on the French electro scene, and house godfather Alex Gopher (mastering) – Avril’s latest release is Drifting’, the natural electro pop follow-up to ‘Soon’ from her first French pop album.

“It is about the relationship you have with yourself that influences the other relationships in your life: with the ones you love, with passing time. By drifting from yourself you drift from what surrounds you,” says Avril of ‘Drifting’ – listen HERE – “The way we navigate through life’s obstacles, choices we make. It talks about melancholy, nostalgia, and learning. The flow of a life that prevails, in which we let ourselves go and against which we sometimes fight, memories that we keep preciously, or we need to let go.2

As for her playlist, “I often dance, and I have to say I sometimes have reasons to cry. And vice versa. Check out my selection to do both at the same time.”

1. Postaal – ‘Darkness’

“It has this melancholic tone, hard lyrics on life but still joyful and throbbing.”

2. Fhin – ‘Holy Drops’

“Soft, ambiguous, with a subtil progression and a mood that fits all kinds of situations.”

3. French 79 – ‘Diamond Veins’

“It’s very sensual, mysterious too, and makes you want to dance or to drive fast on a road at night.”

4. Arcade Fire – ‘Rebellion (Lies)’

“Always so amazed by their ability to create songs so federative, that also have different moods within the same song, that tells stories, that touches you, that makes you want to cry and dance too.”

5. Giorgio Moroder & Joe Esposito – ‘Lady, Lady’

“Could you resist dancing a slow on this song, that has such a ‘80s disco mood?”

6. Christine & The Queens – ‘Ugly-Pretty’

“The perfect balance between a pop song and an electronic sound, that has some hope in its darkness.”

7. Fred Nevché – ‘Le besoin de la nuit’

“I’ve just discovered that brilliant track, produced by French 79 (who also produced the first remix of my song ‘Drifting’). Perfect electro tunes with subtle touch of vocals and piano. I would like it to last forever!”

8. James Blake – ‘Retrograde’

“Electronic, soulful, melancholic, beautiful, dreamy and addictive. Light and darkness.”

9. Marcus Marr & Chet Faker – ‘Birthday Card’

“It’s sexy, throbbing, languorous and makes you dance too.”

10. Kerala Dust – ‘Maria’

“Once again, an incredible balance between electronic and acoustic, dance and contemplation, joy and tears.”

‘Drifting’ is out now, listen to a remix by French 79 HERE.

You can listen to all Ask the DJ playlists on the FMS Magazine Spotify CHANNEL.

Find Margaux Avril’s playlist below and HERE.

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