Il Est Vilaine

It’s been ten years since Il Est Vilaine first lit up dancefloors with their sleazy, rock-tinged electro sound—one that owes more to New York’s Bush Tetras or Tokyo’s YMO than to Pont-Aven’s fest-noz. The duo met in Paris, not Saint-Malo, and from there—following in the footsteps of the Kill The DJ crew before them—they’ve reinvented the fusion of new wave and techno, disco and surf rock, much to the delight of those who (still) dance like Ian Curtis.
Since Scandale, their first maxi released on Dialect Recordings, and Surf Rider on Lumière Noire, the duo has carved out a serious reputation. They could have stayed the course, cruising down the highway of club culture—but their free spirit and mischievous eclecticism had other plans. With their 2021 debut album Les Mystères de Lorient—a lavish synthesis of their shared musical DNA, from Devo to DAF to Christophe’s rock era—they proved just how effortlessly they move between genres.
After a post-pandemic pause and a handful of appearances, Il Est Vilaine saddled up again in 2024 to celebrate their 10th anniversary with Kool Menthol, an irresistibly disco-infused EP, and a memorable show at Le Sample in Bagnolet. Then, in today’s unpredictable digital landscape, “Surf Rider”—the classic released 10 years ago—came boomeranging back online. Used by choreographer Martha Nichols and amplified by the intensity of her dancers, the track regained its
hypnotic power and even caught the attention of filmmaker Paolo Sorrentino, who made it a recurring motif in La Grazia, his new film
unveiled at the 2025 Venice Film Festival.
All signs point to great energy for their upcoming album, slated for release in 2026!