Single Review: Marie Davidson & L’Œil Nu Embrace Genre-Bending Dark Disco Satire In ‘Renegade Breakdown’

 Marie Davidson & L’Œil Nu | Renegade Breakdown (single) | Ninja Tune

Single Release Date: 12 August, 2020

‘Renegade Breakdown’ Album Release Date: 25 September, 2020

From the moment she released her breakout album ‘Working Class Woman’ in 2018, Marie Davidson quickly made waves in the electronic music industry with her vastly unique take on techno and house. As a female producer in a unfairly oversaturated male-dominated industry, Davidson immediately became known for her no nonsense feminist attitude which she has expressed poignantly throughout her works; which is a bold and difficult feat when it comes to dance music – but Davidson has made her message clear through powerful, critically acclaimed club cuts.

Following the success of ‘Working Class Woman’, Davidson toured extensively throughout North America and Europe – but quickly found herself disillusioned and burned out by the touring lifestyle and club culture, with this being the catalyst to approach her sound in an entirely new manner.

Returning with a compelling new sound and entirely new take on her music, Davidson has teamed up with long time friends and collaborators from her days in the Montreal DIY scene. Her upcoming album ‘Renegade Breakdown’ is the work of the trio, arriving under the banner Marie Davidson & L’Œil Nu: made up of Davidson, Pierre Guerineau and Asaël R. Robitaille, the former two husband and wife, as well as partners in their project ‘Essaie pas‘. The first single release (and titular track) from the album is most definitely apt in giving us an example of what’s to come.

‘Renegade Breakdown’ is jolted by an immediate dance-inducing electronic pulse accompanied by slick, funk-style bass licks. Davidson’s direct and confrontational lyrical spoken word bites with dark humour and compliments the intense atmosphere created by the clever usage of 70’s fuelled disco leanings melded together with powerful, distorted guitar chords. Conjuring up soundtracks akin to tropes commonly associated with the campy nature of 80’s teen films which is enjoyable in and of itself, it comes across as quick-witted, fluid and cohesive.

The cynical commentary backs Davidson’s signature outspoken nature, directed at critics and an industry / system which consistently tries to break one down, especially women. The chorus in which Davidson sings in french is anthemic and joyfully upbeat, wittily contrasting the subject matter of the track; this genre-bending style is a beautifully refreshing change from Davidson’s previous album, with her work as part of the trio with L’Œil Nu opening a brand new chapter of possibility for the artists.

Rating: 8 / 10

Feature Image: Marie Davidson & L’Œil Nu by Jocelyn Michel