“Last One” – Cerrone and Christine and the Queens

If this sounds like quintessential Italo-disco there’s good reason: the artist known simply as Cerrone, a Frenchman with Italian parents, was a pioneer in the pulsating, glistening genre back in the late ’70s. After encountering Rahim Redcar (whose intermittent performing name is Christine and the Queens) when both participated in events during the 2024 Paris Olympics and Paralympics, Cerrone and Redcar came together this year to release a four-track EP in July called Catching Feelings.

“Last One” is a splendid example of what these two can do as a team, Cerrone with his dynamic and shimmering beats, Christine and the Queens with their impassioned vocals and intrinsic sense of drama. The chorus is a particular delight, the one-measure instrumental lead-ins to each lyrical line lending a syncopated feel to what is actually an on-the-beat melody. And while I’m not a groove-oriented listener (at all) I’m ongoingly impressed here by the diversity of sound and feel of Cerrone’s creations–this isn’t just a push-button backing track but a calculated mixture of unabashed electronics and drumming that sounds organic (Cerrone did begin musical life as a drummer so that might even be him with the sticks). That said, I also like the moment mid-song where the beat is stripped away, increasing the theatrics with a less-is-more gesture. Likewise I urge you not to miss the 10-ish-second fadeout, with its subtle assortment of shutdown sounds.

You can check out the EP, and buy it, via Bandcamp. And for those who may not have seen it, I’ll use the opportunity to send you to YouTube to see one of my all-time favorite videos: Christine and the Queens’ endlessly riveting performance of “Tilted.”

photo credit: Thomas Spault