The Offline Announces new EP Les Cigales + new track 'Fumée' [Vinyl pre-order]
Prolific Hamburg-based composer The Offline returns, inviting listeners to join the cast of his ever-growing Mediterranean Cinematic Universe with new single ‘Fumée’. The single is the first taster of his forthcoming ‘Les Cigales’ EP, which builds upon the library-nodding, instrumental hip-hop blend explored on his acclaimed 2023 debut ‘La couleur de la mer’.
‘Fumée’ introduces part one of the narrative of ‘Les Cigales’, an EP that reflects upon life on the Mediterranean during the summer months. Balanced around alternating light and dark sections, and a captivating Rhodes theme that sits in a different time signature to the rolling drum groove, this purposeful instrumental begins to tell the story of two people on the search for each other, situating the listener in and around Marseille. Felix shares:
"As some may know, Hamburg is not known for the best weather, especially the winters, with little daylight, cold winds and rain lashing down on your face. Maybe that's why this longing for light, warmth and the sea is always a big part of my music - by composing the songs, I can be in these places."
‘Les Cigales’ takes its’ sonic cues from the structure of film and TV music from the 1960s and 70s, channelling the influence of film composers such as Francois de Roubaix and David Axelrod, whilst also sitting somewhere between the washed out, sun-soaked sonics of Surprise Chef and Robohands. As the EP unwinds, its narrative reflects a love story, full of longing, melancholy and drama, connecting with the story of Gyptis and Protis – the founding myth of Marseilles – whose love broke convention and welcomed the arrival of foreign people on French soil.
The project follows The Offline’s debut album ‘La couleur de la mer’, released in November 2023, which saw him create his own soundtrack to a film yet to be made. Inducing images of manorial, fog-swept villas at the seas edge, silhouetted sailing boats and cigar-chomping villains attempting to thwart the mission of an imaginary hero, the record is a masterfully composed sonic journey. ‘Les Cigales’ sees him continue to build upon a distinctive sound that moves from dramatic cues to fragile romanticism, incorporating psychedelic spaciness, retro soul and hip-hop sensibilities informed by his extensive record collection.
The Offline came to life when composer and photographer Felix Müller travelled the Atlantic coastline in the south of France with his analogue camera, capturing beach life on film. After returning to his native Hamburg, he started writing songs as the sonic counterpart to the analogue visuals. Debut EP ‘En Clair-Obscur’ captured the essence of his journey, and the feeling of a cool summer soundtrack. His music has seen support from Huey Morgan and Deb Grant (BBCR6), plus Somewhere Soul, Rinse FM, Radio FIP, Jazz FM and more, amassing millions of streams and selling hundreds of records.
