Laurent Garnier will release a new album in May.
33 Tours Et Puis S’en Vont is the culmination of two years living in “an era of doubt and uncertainty,” Garnier says, referring to the pandemic. It’s the French artist’s first album in eight years and his most dancefloor-oriented yet, a “total mastery of house, techno, and beyond is on full display,” we’re told.
In a statement, Garnier likened the album to his first, Shot In The Dark, “except that this time around, I have a much better idea of the direction I’m heading in.”
“It’s a return to my roots, a tribute to the dancefloor and to techno music, in all its forms,” Garnier continued. “Even though I like to tag my music #UncontemporaryTechno, I think this is probably the most dancefloor and most contemporary album I’ve ever made because it looks straight ahead, and it also looks back over my shoulder at my entire career, something that I’ve always been keen to avoid up until now.”
Alongside the album, Garnier has announced that he will discontinue regular touring. You can read parts of his statement below.
“March 2020, the world came to a complete standstill. For the first time in my 33-year career, my Saturday nights were reduced to playing DJ sets in the garden to entertain the neighbours, stuck at home like me. Overnight, the world switched to a dystopian era. For me, this primarily manifested itself in a visceral rejection of techno! This music, which, in my eyes, had always embodied the sound of the future, no longer made any sense in these uncertain times. I then slipped into an oh-so-fun period of self-doubt and overthinking: would I be able to go back to DJ-ing when everything returned to normal? Would I still be relevant? At my age? What did I have left to say, to build, to stand for, to contribute? for whom? why? how?!
“After months of questioning, I went cold turkey: missing loud noise, missing massive sound systems, missing sweaty night clubs, missing sharing my music with others, missing crowds of people, missing human contact, missing everyone! But as working nights with no sleep became a distant memory, the constant chatter in my brain gradually loosened its grip. I began to feel the need for techno, and I was starting to get itchy feet. It was the right time for me to switch my machines back on.
“The global situation made me reassess what’s important and helped me face up to some truths: becoming a dusty, old jukebox has never been an option, and so as my “swinging” sixties draw nearer, the time has come for me to consider my life as a touring DJ differently. But that doesn’t mean abandoning the decks for good. And so, after the next few months, which I’m hoping will be full of excitement around the release of this album, the end of 2024 will mark an important turning point in my career where you won’t see me playing the same weekend in three different cities anymore.
“Although I might start visiting some countries, cities, and festivals for the very last time sometime soon, I would like to make things clear: I will remain a DJ for the rest of my life, because being a DJ is, above all, a visceral need for me to share the music I love, no matter what, in one way or another.”
Garnier is one of electronic music’s best-known acts. You can read more about him in his XLR8R feature here, and check out his XLR8R podcast here.
Tracklisting
01. Tales from the real world feat. Alan Watts (vocal version)
02. Liebe grüße aus Cucuron
03. In your phase feat. 22Carbone
04. Reviens la nuit (original mix)
05. Saturn Drive Triplex feat. Alan Vega
06. Sado miso
07. Au clair de ta lune
08. Sake stars fever
09. Multiple tributes (to multiple people, for multiple reasons)
10.…et puis s’en va!
33 Tours Et Puis S’en Von LP will land on May 25. You can pre-order here.
