Opera Multi Steel - Les Passions Tristes

A masterclass in synth-pop elegance, medieval echoes, and ironic melancholy.

Following the funeral introspection of 2021’s D’une Pierre deux Tombes, the legendary French trio Opéra Multi Steel (OMS) returns with their thirteenth studio album, Les Passions Tristes. While the group remains fiercely faithful to the founding "synthetic and mechanical" sound that made them icons of the 1980s coldwave scene, this record leans further into the electro rhythms and sequences they’ve been exploring recently. It is a work of constancy—evolving their trademark sound without ever denying their origins.

The music here is notably more up-tempo, trading "frenzied melancholy" for a sophisticated, danceable energy. OMS has always excelled at balancing dark themes with a veil of irony, sprinkling tracks with referential sound effects tied to history, literature, and childhood. From the medieval hints of their recorders to the club-ready pulse of tracks like "Dites-nous" and "Le Soleil est parti," this album is a crucible of personal stories and lighthearted tragedy.