Étienne de Crécy drops new track ‘Take It Back’, featuring Sports

French DJ, producer and perennial electronic artist Étienne de Crécy has today released a new track ‘Take It Back’, featuring US indie duo Sports. Neo-nostalgic and rhythmic, the band’s dream-pop vocals are backed by a signature, one-of-a-kind de Crécy composition, transporting the listener into a realm of euphoric serenity.

‘Take It Back’ follows November’s ‘World Away’, the first single to be released from de Crécy’s forthcoming sixth studio album, WARM UP. The return of the artist saw him collaborate with Alexis Taylor (Hot Chip) on the track. Here, de Crécy’s melodic mastery and prowess in diverse electronic production flawlessly combines with Taylor’s renowned hypnotic vocal. 

With this new album, WARM UP, Étienne de Crécy is taking bold steps. The man known for moving people on the dancefloor has crafted an album meant to be enjoyed at home during the day: the tracks are more chill than clubby, more organic than electronic, and warmer than metallic. Has he gone off into the deep end? It’s more likely the world has pushed him during the height of COVID – a time when beats weren’t exactly echoing through clubs – to create an album for home listening. It’s a shift in tempo. 

Another hallmark of the project is its collaborations. For each track, de Crécy invites an artist, often far-removed from his usual scene, having asked them to freely write a song based on the instrumental he shares – his only guiding principle. 

This has led the artist out of his comfort zone: from the world of clubs and the iconic cube that’s carried him high, from a dancefloor fired up by his sets, from an album where he would have total control, into a soundscape with deliberately blurred boundaries – even reflected on the album artwork’s typography – and with more unpredictability too. 

The lineup he brings together includes an array of surprising personalities, with musical influences spanning indie-pop to rap. Here, the DJ of heady, dizzying nights reinvents himself as a generous, curious host, sharing his infectious joy.

“I reached out to many artists, mostly English or American, whose work I admire and listen to at home. Most of them come from indie-rock backgrounds—not electronic music at all. My request probably caught some by surprise, especially within the younger US indie scene. For example, the band Sports was one of the first to respond.”

“During the travel restrictions, I had to start working remotely. I would send out instrumentals, and in return, receive vocal tracks. We occasionally managed to arrange recording sessions later on, but there are still some artists I’ve never met in person—everything was done over email.”

The album features collaborations with a diverse array of artists: Alexis Taylor (Hot Chip), Peter Von Poehl, Frank Leone, Master Peace, Olivia Merilahti, Sports, Sugar Pit, Kero Kero Bonito, Caroline Rose and Damon Albarn (Blur, Gorillaz). 

In March, de Crécy heads on a European headline tour, including a date at London’s XOYO on March 8th. Full dates below. Tickets available to purchase here.

Stream / Download here

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