After a seven-year hiatus, French electronic artist Croquet Club, AKA Jeremy Villecourt, releases his first full-length album 'Fugue in Twilight' on Anjunadeep's sister label Reflections.
The eight-track project is a departure from Jeremy’s previous, up-tempo releases. 'Fugue in Twilight' is slow-moving and reflective; created free of ego, comparison, chasing and striving. It’s a compelling and cinematic body of work that will cement Croquet Club’s reputation as a gifted, authentic and unique electronic music producer.
Jeremy started working on 'Fugue in Twilight' in early 2022. After so much time away from the Croquet Club project, he felt the pressure was off and expectations had dissipated. As he re-entered his studio and captured threads of ideas, he felt ready to return to the Croquet Club project for the right reasons; the ones he started with in the first place.
Jeremy treated his process delicately. Every day before he entered the studio, he meditated for close to an hour to turn inwards and reach a non-judgemental state of consciousness. This became a crucial part of the songwriting process.
He then channelled that energy into his creative process. “I’d get down to the studio, turn on the synthesiser or pick up the guitar, and start to play. And most of the time, I’d just play and nothing would happen. And sometimes something happened, and I’d record it.” He did this for about two months, saving threads of ideas, and reviewed everything all at once to see what had potential. “And then I made choices,” Jeremy says. “I deleted stuff, I kept some stuff, and when I had a batch of nice ideas, I worked an extra day on each one of them.”
This meticulous, self-assured and heartfelt process is what makes up the new album 'Fugue In Twilight'. The authenticity and purity seeps through every note, key and melody, pouring from one heart to another. The first single on the album is ‘Slowly’, about the human need for love, solace and intimacy. Jeremy layers his own vocals with hazy keys and nostalgic guitar, alongside lyrics about solitude and our relationship with ourselves.
Jeremy recorded the entire album as if it were live, playing every instrument himself without any loops. “It took a long time,” he says. “I had to write the music, write the lyrics, rehearse every instrument, record each part one by one, then mix it myself.”
Jeremy did it all himself for the experience. “It was like crossing the Atlantic Ocean on a rowing boat,” he says. “I could take the ferry, I could take the plane, but I chose to challenge myself and see how far I can go.”
Releases
March 25, 2024
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