Montreal-based multidisciplinary artist Annie-Claude Deschênes, known as the outstanding frontwoman of Duchess Says and PyPy, shares the details of LES MANIÈRES DE TABLE, her first solo album. This joint release between Bonsound (Canada) and Italians Do It Better (rest of the world), which includes the singles MENACE MINIMALE and PHONES, is due out on April 5th and available for pre-order / pre-save now.
Inspired by the pioneers of electronic music, LES MANIÈRES DE TABLE is as danceable and melodic as it is disquieting and dystopian. Its songs were conceived during the lockdown to overcome inactivity, and were not originally intended for release. The album’s defining conceptual and aesthetic ideas began to develop organically as Annie-Claude was familiarizing herself with technologies such as drum machines and sequencers; through producing beats composed from samples of utensils, table etiquette became a source of inspiration, a form of conformity that she enjoyed experimenting with. Meanwhile, a fascination for surveillance cameras and other futuristic-looking, but already obsolete technologies integrated her visual universe.
Annie-Claude Deschênes’ experiments gradually evolved into a full-fledged project that proposes to set the table differently by deconstructing the social codes of politeness. LES MANIÈRES DE TABLE draws from a wide range of influences, notably Steve Reich’s minimalism, Kraftwerk’s synthetic textures, Herbie Hancock’s stylistic diversity and experimental cinema’s unconventional approach to narrative.
Pre-order / pre-save LES MANIÈRES DE TABLE now.
Known for her hypnotic presence and eccentric stage sets, Annie-Claude Deschênes delivers a live experience that takes the form of an improbable, experimental blend of minimal pop and cuisine, during which the audience is invited to interact with the artist using all of their senses. See the list below for all of her upcoming tour dates, which include album launch shows at the PHI Centre (Montreal) and Le Pantoum (Quebec City).
About Annie-Claude Deschênes
Multidisciplinarity is an integral part of Annie-Claude Deschênes’ creative process, who continues her perpetual personal quest of uniting music and performance art by bending the pre-established conventions of stage presence. A key figure on the Montreal independent music scene for almost twenty years, she made her mark as a singer, musician, songwriter, performer and visual artist with Duchess Says and PyPy, two bands that are renowned as much for their electrifying performances as for their artistic sensibility. Over the course of her career, she shared the stage with a number of internationally renowned bands, including The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Teenage Jesus and the Jerks, The Black Lips, The Hives, The Hot Snakes and Buzzcocks. Duchess Says and PyPy's extensive touring has taken her all over North America and Europe, playing venues and festivals (Primavera Fest, Eurockéennes de Belfort, OSHEAGA, Sled Island, etc.) as well as unconventional locations such as golf courses, factories and churches. Her exploratory approach to staging and sound design takes a new direction with the genesis of this solo project: the urgency that characterizes her work remains, but frustration and aggression give way to introspection and vulnerability. Annie-Claude Deschênes explores and reinvents herself under her own name, driven by a constant need to create outside of her comfort zone.
Tour dates
04/26/2024 - Montreal, QC - Centre PHI (album launch show)
05/02/2024 - Ottawa, ON - Club SAW
05/10/2024 - Chicoutimi, QC - CEM
05/11/2024 - Quebec City, QC - Le Pantoum (album launch show)