Just in time for Halloween, Birmingham new-wave pop icons, Duran Duran, have released their sixteenth studio album, Danse Macabre. As the title suggests, this latest venture for the band is full of gothic tricks that is sure to treat both old fans and new.
Duran Duran have stitched together a collection of new songs, themed covers, and re-imagined versions of their older music in this exciting, 13-track album. The band, now made up of Simon Le Bon, Nick Rhodes, John Taylor and Roger Taylor, have teamed up with producer, Mr Hudson to create their most ambitious and unexpected album yet.
Keyboardist, Nick Rhodes spoke about the album’s conceptions, stating, “The song ‘Danse Macabre’ celebrates the joy and madness of Halloween. It is the title track of our forthcoming album… The idea was born out of a show we played in Las Vegas on October 31st, 2022. We had decided to seize the moment to create a unique, special event…the temptation of using glorious gothic visuals set to a dark soundtrack of horror and humour was simply irresistible.”
The band’s legendary status has allowed them to collaborate with some of music’s newest and oldest talents. Long time collaborator, producer and guitarist, Nile Rogers, features on the album with the record ‘Black Moonlight‘.
In an interview with Duran Duran, Nile Rogers said, “The great thing about working with Duran Duran is that I’ve been there really almost from the beginning. I’ve been able to see that artistic arc, so I always say to myself ‘How do I take that next step?’“.
A relatively new face to the music scene, but one that has packed a punch, is Victoria de Angelis of Italian modern rock band Måneskin, who features as the bassist on Duran Duran’s cover of Talking Head’s ‘Psycho Killer‘. The unlikely bass duo of John Taylor and Victoria de Angelis has breathed new life into the Talking Heads classic.
“I’m so grateful and honoured,” Victoria stated in an Instagram post, “It was so much fun recording together with John and he was so sweet to me and encouraged me to express myself and play it my own way.”
Not only have Duran Duran collaborated with old and new, but they have also chosen to cover rock classics and gothic modern pop hits. Heard on the album is The Rolling Stones’ ‘Paint It, Black’ and Billie Eilish’s gothic anthem, ‘bury a friend’.
Adding to his previous comments, Nick Rhodes said, “The record metamorphosed through a pure, organic process, and not only was it made faster than anything since our debut album, it has also resulted in something none of us could have ever predicted. Emotion, mood, style and attitude have always been at the heart of Duran Duran’s DNA, we search for light in the darkness and darkness in the light, and I feel we have somehow managed to capture the essence of all of that in this project.”
You can purchase or stream the album here.
