The Offline - Les Cigales EP
Prolific Hamburg-based composer-producer The Offline (AKA Felix Müller) share’s his brand nee EP ‘Les Cigales’ – the follow up to his acclaimed 2023 debut album ‘La couleur de la mer’.
The EP builds upon the psychedelic spaciness, retro soul and hip-hop sensibilities established on the previous record, but with a sharp focus on storytelling. Singles ‘Fumée’, ‘Les Amis’ and ‘Un long été chaud’ established the narrative of a love story between two friends, mirroring 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.
Accompanied by a series of music videos that can be watched here, The Offline’s ear for auditory storytelling has been finely honed on this expertly crafted EP, which 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. However, the influences don’t stop here - The Offline’s love for hip-hop shines through too, with subtle nods to the work of MF Doom and The Alchemist. On the record, he shares:
“The EP transports the listener to the Mediterranean coastline of France. 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."
Early singles ‘Fumée’ and ‘Les Amis’ found support from Jamie Cullum on BBC Radio 2, as well as various shows across Jazz FM, Rinse FM and NTS in the UK, whilst also being picked up by Radio FIP in France. These tracks perhaps best personify what The Offline’s sound is all about, featuring breezy guitar tones, haunting vibraphone embellishments, and bopping hip-hop shuffles. Title track ‘Les Cigales’ provides an emphatic peak to the record, with crunchy guitar lines giving way to a bold horn fanfare. On the track, The Offline shares:
“Les Cigales is about the sound of crickets that can be heard everywhere in the pine forests of southern France. The track begins with suspenseful accents and moves into a rolling beat with a distorted wah-wah guitar until the melody is finally taken over by the horns. This track was inspired by The Alchemist, and I could imagine Action Bronson or Westside Gunn rapping over it."
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.
