Ghostly Kisses, the duo comprised of French-Canadians Margaux Sauvé and Louis-Étienne Santais, capture ennui in all its debilitating states on their new album Darkroom. Despite this rather bleak subject matter, the art-pop group’s third full-length is equal parts enthralling and inspiring. Dashes of Sade, Portishead, and early Moby are scattered throughout, and Sauvé’s voice floats across the string-heavy compositions like an empathetic wraith. The duo unload complex instrumental arrangements and earworm melodies in equal doses, creating an album that works on both surface and gut levels.
To get further insight into the making of the record, we asked Sauvé and Santais to share some tracks that fit into the themes of their record. “Darkroom draws lyrical inspiration from messages and testimonies penned anonymously by our fans on our Box of Secrets,” they share, referring to a form on the group’s website asking fans such questions as “What are you most passionate about?” and “What was the most difficult moment of your life?” “Here are a few examples of songs that influenced the album’s creative musical direction, capturing a distinct blend of emotions. It seamlessly blends a cry-on-the-dancefloor ambiance with elements reminiscent of a dramatic opera.”
Check out the playlist and their words on each track below, and pre-order Darkroom before it arrives this Friday via Akira Records here.
Frou Frou, “Must Be Dreaming”
Margaux: “Must Be Dreaming” explores the power of imagination. We can imagine her being swept off her feet by someone who completely defies all the standards she’s set for herself, leaving her feeling as though the experience is dreamlike as she’d never ventured beyond her self-imposed boundaries and never experienced love without restraint. Her musical landscape is magical.
Louis: It’s a production that sounds very mature, in my opinion. The very light downbeat and garage breaks are so intricately weaved with the strings, synths, and vocals. It’s magical.
Massive Attack feat. Hope Sandoval, “The Spoils”
Margaux: The song was a classic inspiration for our music (especially for Darkroom) characterized by its slow, pulsating rhythm, lush instrumentation featuring a string ensemble, and rich production, creating a dreamlike ambiance. The lyrics are introspective and enigmatic, touching on universal themes of love, loss, and yearning.
Louis: “The Spoils” is a very delicate tune within Massive Attack’s catalog. It’s always been one of my personal favorites.
Romy, “Loveher”
Margaux: “Love Her” could be described as an emotional song to dance to, bringing a message of self-love and acceptance and serving as a heartfelt exploration of love and its complexities. Its lively and electronic essence served as inspiration for infusing a track with heightened energy without compromising its ethereal and emotional essence.
Louis: We’ve listened to Romy through The xx for years and have always been big fans of her laid-back and contained vocals. However, through her solo career, we’ve discovered a generally brighter and more energetic aspect of her artistry. It’s also very intimate and emotional at times, even when the kick is pounding hard.
RY X & Ólafur Arnalds, “Oceans”
Margaux: The collaboration between Ólafur Arnalds and RY X served as a source of inspiration for its perfect balance and blend of organic elements, piano melodies, airy vocals, and subtle electronic elements.
Louis: They’re two of our favorite artists reunited together. This piece was originally supposed to be a remix, but it took a life of its own. It’s an awesome demonstration of a refined sonic palette being matched with bouncy percussion and a deep, emotional vocal melody.
Bicep, “Apricots”
Louis: It took me a couple listens to begin to understand how well-crafted “Apricots” is. To me, it’s a weird blend of very hard, trashy drums with very deliberate and progressive synth arrangements and a killer use of a unique vocal sample. It’s kind of an ever-evolving progression without an obvious “drop.” The structure is weird in time of phrasing—it’s quite unique, in my opinion.
Margaux: It served as a significant source of inspiration for shaping the creative direction of Darkroom, to bring that dark electronic and dancing energy. Its dynamic blend of UK garage, electronic elements, and pulsating rhythms helped shape the rhythmic vision of songs like “Beneath the Clouds” and “Crimson.”
Björk, “Jóga”
Louis: “Jóga” is an ultimate classic. A genre-bending song that shaped a lot of modern electronic styles encompassing songwriting.
Enigma, “Sadeness – Pt. 1”
Louis: This song has been one of my favorite late-night walking songs forever now. I discovered Enigma as a teenager and have kept coming back to their unique style again and again. It inspired us to try and integrate Gregorian samples with contemporary electronic music. It inspired songs on Darkroom like “Golden Eyes" and “There’s No More Space.” I just didn’t have the guts to do it before Darkroom.
Caroline Polachek feat. Grimes & Dido, “Fly to You”
Margaux: Caroline Polachek’s body of work served as a genuine inspiration for Darkroom, particularly her innovative approach to crafting her own sound within pop compositions. “Fly to You” is a track that exudes both dreaminess and atmospheric depth and inspired the song “Within.”
Louis: Again, a combo of amazing artists on a song that features a blend of high-level songwriting backed by a soft, barely present yet highly energetic break. What’s not to love?
Yunè Pinku, “Trinity”
Margaux: Yunè Pinku’s work is so fresh and innovative. I really like the seamless production of her latest EP, BABYLON IX.
Louis: One of our most defining discoveries of 2023. It’s one artist that we didn’t even know [Darkroom co-producer] Oli Bayston had worked with, but that we were already in love with her sound.
Placebo, “Running Up That Hill”
Margaux: It's a compelling and atmospheric rendition that pays homage to the original while making its own bold statement. Always an inspiration.
Gracie Abrams, “Block Me Out”
Margaux: With delicate vocals and stripped-down instrumentation, Gracie Abrams creates an intimate atmosphere that allows the raw emotions of the lyrics to take center stage. This song inspired the stripped-down songs of Darkroom like “Carousel” and “Silver Screen.”
Louis: Very efficient songwriting and pure emotional delivery. It’s a great inspiration.
Taylor Swift, “This Is Me Trying”
Margaux: The lyrical storytelling, coupled with the stripped-down production and haunting melodies, creates an intimate atmosphere that invites listeners into her world of introspection and self-discovery, something that really inspired “Carousel.”
Lana Del Rey, “Video Games”
Margaux: “Video Games” is a captivating and atmospheric song that combines lush instrumentation with haunting vocals to create a nostalgic and dreamy ambiance, sultry voice, paired with the song’s melancholic melody and cinematic production that evokes a sense of wistfulness. It was the main inspiration for our song “Silver Screen.”
