Rétro: Les Rita Mitsouko - Les Amants

A truly classic song that I'd actually forgotten about until I re-watched Les Amants du Pont-Neuf the other week.

The films is an absolute gem, and while I saw it years ago, it was so long ago that I'd forgotten how good it was.

It was made by Leos Carax, a director who's always had a good feel for music in his films, and this track featured at the close of the movie.

I love the way Les Rita Misouko made a sound that was both rooted in French traditional music but at the same time totally modern. I reckon a listener from 1900's France would have immediately understood their music.

the track came from their 1993 Système D album, their fourth. The band were a duo of vocalist Catherine Ringer and guitarist Fred Chichin. The band began in the early 80s, releasing their first self-titled album in 1985 which produced their first hit, Marcia Baila.

They combined elements of jazz, cabaret and chanson in their work, but with a punk rock flair. They went on to release seven albums until 2007's Variéty, which also saw an English version released.

The unexpected death of Fred Chichin from cancer in 2007 meant an end to the band, although Catherine Ringer continues to perform as a solo artist.

Scott Walker: Pola X

With the release of the new album Bish Bosch by Scott Walker this week, another excuse to reflect on his involvement with French culture.

Walker was involved in the soundtrack for the 1999 Leos Carax movie Pola X, later releasing a CD of his work, along with additional tracks by other artists featured, including Sonic Youth and Smog.

The film starred Guillaume Depardieu, Yekaterina Golubeva and Catherine Deneuve. It was based on a novel by Herman Melville entitled Pierre: or, The Ambiguities, the acronym of which gives the film its title.

It explores the relationship between a man played by Depardieu and his mother, his fiancée and a woman he finds out is his sister.

A longer version of the film, made into three parts and entitled Pierre ou les ambiguïtés was shown on Arte in 2001.

Carax had already established his reputation as one of France's most significant directors with his 1991 film Les Amants du Pont-Neuf. He had already made the films Boy Meets Girl in '84 and bad Blood in '86. His most recent film was 2012's Holy Motors.