Toulouse’s Slift are explorers first and musicians second. Their blend of space rock and nearly metallic psychedelia immediately engages the senses in the same way that a ’50s pulp sci-fi book cover might, with each 10-minute odyssey guided by a trio of musicians so locked in with each other that the listener’s mind never wanders. Although they’ve made some headway when it comes to airplay-friendly song lengths on their fourth and latest album, Fantasia, the title alone confirms that this isn’t at the expense of the imaginative worlds they built from guitar, bass, and drums to momentarily remove us from the chaos of our own.
Fantasia also happens to be the band’s most lyrically grounded record yet, with the trio evolving from the science fiction short stories of 2024’s Ilion into a very-2026 sentiment of being unable to look away from the atrocities around us that very much look like those prophesied by Asimov three quarters of a century ago. With frontman Jean Fossat’s vocals hardened into a gravely texture recalling Oh Sees’ recent foray into punkier material, and engineering from Converge’s Kurt Ballou adding a bit more edge, songs like early single “The Day of Execution” feel like an urgent rallying cry just as much as they do stoner-metal ballads of a fictional, far-off world.
Ahead of the record’s release tomorrow via Sub Pop, Fossat shared with us what he and bandmates Rémi Fossat and Canek Flores were reading, playing, or otherwise experiencing to expand their consciousness during the record’s making. Read on for his words, and pre-order Fantasia here.
Fictions by Jorge Luis Borges
This collection of short stories is magical. It opens doors in our minds that we never knew existed, and it raises more questions than it answers.
Outer Wilds
Rémi and [our videographer] Guthio are huge fans of the game. They encouraged me to play it, and although I still haven't finished it, it’s a game that brings us together and holds a special place in our story. The soundtrack, composed by Andrew Prahlow, is absolutely beautiful. I could just as easily have mentioned Ocarina of Time.
The Pyrenees
We grew up (and still live) at the foot of the mountains. The snow-capped rocky peaks and high-altitude meadows feel almost mystical to us. Whenever we’re in the mountains, our minds shift into a contemplative state, and that sense of wonder fuels our imagination. Standing among these giants of stone makes us feel very small.
Driving
I love thinking about music while driving. If I’m stuck on an idea, sometimes all I need to do is get in the car. After a while, the solution comes to me.
The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien
This world, through both the books and the films, has been incredibly important to us. I like to think of our band as a kind of Fellowship of the Ring, trying to fight the forces of evil through music. Our love of travel, and therefore of touring, was probably born in the Shire alongside Bilbo and Frodo.
