Malik Djoudi

Back in the day, he used to sing in English in the underground groups Moon Pallas and Kim Tim. Born to Algerian and Vietnamese parents, Malik Djoudi recently made the switch back to his mother tongue. Strangely enough, there’s a good chance that he’s going to reach a larger audience by singing in French – even abroad! There’s no need to understand the language Michel Houellebecq to give in to his androgynous voice that effortlessly hits the high notes. And there’s no need to know the lyrics by heart to succumb to his laid-back, romantic synth-pop. It’s best to just let yourself be carried away by his tracks that, despite minimal instrumentals, fill the space and send sensual imagery right to your mind.

Just like his compatriot Sébastien Tellier who sung for joy celebrating the body (with his album Sexuality, produced by one half of Daft Punk), Malik’s ethereal vocals glide over sober electronic instrumentals that are often mind-blowing or even more so energetic. Playing live he has a penchant for covering Kim Wilde’s hit Cambodia, without straying into a techno-pop revival. His approach to the genre shows a true signature style that’s unique. Set to a backdrop of electronic beats, clever guitar riffs and dark bass synths, his voice drives you to dance – imagine you’ve got one foot inside a club, the other inside a private lounge. Stylish and heavily seductive, his playfully entitled songs like Un (French for “one”) sound just as good live as they do on record. His partner in crime shares his time between the keyboard and bass, while the singer himself hops around from the guitar to his equipment, succeeding in doing his little pop gems justice.