Duran Duran released their highly anticipated sixteenth full-length, “Danse Macabre”, on October 27th, via Tape Modern/BMG. Victoria De Angelis of Måneskin appears on the album’s focus track, a cover of Talking Heads’ ‘Psycho Killer’, unleashing a collision of neon keys, sweaty grooves, slick drums, and snappy vocal harmonies.
“The first time I met Vic, I asked her who her bass inspirations were,” bassist John Taylor remembers. “Right away, she said, ‘Tina Weymouth!’ I said, ‘Me too.’ When the idea of covering ‘Psycho Killer’ came up, I thought, ‘I’m going to call Vic’. She loved the idea, naturally!”
Victoria De Angelis adds, “I got a call from John…saying he was working on a cover of ‘Psycho Killer’, and he wanted to ask me first about playing on it. It was insane being asked by one of the greatest bass players ever to play one of my favorite songs with Duran Duran. Absolutely insane. I’m so grateful and honored, 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. I’ll always remember that day.”
Always ones to revel in the shadows, playing with artistic, aesthetic, and emotional extremes, the iconic UK quartet unearth bright melodies from darkness as they thread together new songs, themed covers, and newly reimagined versions of their own ‘spooky’ classics.
Catalyzed by one special live performance that Duran Duran filmed in Las Vegas on October 31 of last year, Danse Macabreis the soundtrack to their ultimate Halloween party. Included across the album’s 13 tracks are Halloween covers of Billie Eilish’s ‘Bury A Friend’, Talking Heads’ ‘Psycho Killer’, The Rolling Stones’ ‘Paint It Black’, the Rick James-inspired ‘Super Lonely Freak’, Siouxsie and the Banshees’ ‘Spellbound’, Cerrone’s ‘Supernature’ and The Specials’ ‘Ghost Town’.
The album also includes special collaborations with former Duran Duran band members Andy Taylor and Warren Cuccurullo, Nile Rodgers, and producers Josh Blair and Mr. Hudson.
Andy Taylor originally joined Duran Duran in 1980, co-writing and playing guitar on their first three studio albums: “Duran Duran” (1981), “Rio” (1982), and “Seven and the Ragged Tiger” (1983), before leaving the group to pursue a solo career. 16 years later he returned for 2004’s “Astronaut”, before parting company once again with the other four original members in 2006.
With Andy’s departure, Warren Cuccurullo joined the band full time in 1989, contributing both song writing and guitars to the albums “Big Thing” (1988), “Liberty” (1990), “The Wedding Album” (1993), “Thank You” (1995), “Medazzaland” (1997) and “Pop Trash” (2000).
Fast forward to 2023 and Andy Taylor and Warren Cuccurullo’s presence on “Danse Macabre” captures the true spirit of the album, a celebration of the raw energy and sense of fun that comes when friends make music together in a room.
But “Danse Macabre” is not just an album for Halloween… Elsewhere, ‘Black Moonlight’ sees the band’s timeless song writing break into dance-rock glamor with the addition of Nile Rodgers and Andy Taylor on guitar, where epic coda ‘Confession In The Afterlife’ finds Duran Duran reunited with producer Mr. Hudson anew. Title track ‘Danse Macabre’, which Billboard proclaimed, “is like no Duran Duran song that came before it,” arrived with a stunning official music video, brought to life with creative director Linc Gasking, showcasing cutting-edge, AI-driven techniques in a 3D animated masterpiece that, in previous times, would have demanded an entire team, over a year and a substantial budget to produce. Rolling Stone magazine described the video as a ‘graveyard smash’.
“Danse Macabre”, is out now via Tape Modern for BMG and can be order HERE. It includes artwork featuring images adapted from a collection of authentic vintage séance photos sourced by Nick Rhodes at auction. It is available on Black 2LP and CD, with a limited-edition Translucent Galaxy 2LP. The album is also available on high res Blu-ray audio.
“Danse Macabre” Track List:
- Nightboat
- Black Moonlight
- Love Voudou
- Bury A Friend
- Supernature
- Danse Macabre
- Secret Oktober 31st
- Ghost Town
- Paint It Black
- Super Lonely Freak
- Spellbound
- Psycho Killer (feat. Victoria De Angelis)
- Confession in the Afterlife
