Charlotte Gainsbourg: Hey Joe

A new track by Charlotte Gainsbourg, from the soundtrack of her forthcoming film Nymphomaniac.

The track was produced by Beck, who has been a regular collaborator with her since he worked with her on her 2009 IRM album.

Like much of her work, it is in English, and while the song is well known to the English-speaking music world through the Hendrix cover, there have also been many other versions over the decades, including interpretations by Deep Purple, Love, The Byrds and Patti Smith.

Meanwhile, there is also a well-known (In France at least!) French version was recorded by Johnny Hallyday.

Charlotte Gainsbourg's version also makes a musical nod towards one of her father's works, the track Cargo Culte from his 1971 Histoire de Melody Nelson album.

Her new film is by Danish director Lars Von Trier, and it is the third time she's featured in one of his films, having starred in 2011's Melancholia and 2009's Antichrist. Much of his work features sexually explicit scenes and this new film is seen as the third part of what has been referred to as his "Depression trilogy", a sequence of films that centre on characters suffering the consequences of depression of grief.

This film features her as the main character - named Joe -  recounting her life of erotic encounters. It has already been met with the kind of controversy that her father would no doubt have relished.

Von Trier's earlier 2000 film Dancer in the Dark featured Bjork, and won a Palme d'Or at Cannes, Bjork also getting a nomination for an Academy Award for best song for the track  I've Seen It All.

Charlotte has of course enjoyed the success in cinema that eluded her father. She has been working as an actress since 1984, and her career has so far seen her win a César in 1985 and five nominations since, including four for best actress. She also won the Cannes film festival award for best actress for her performance in Antichrist.

Her last full music release was the 2011 Stage Whisper double CD set.

Nymphomaniac is due to be released in January.

Charlotte Gainsbourg: Stage Whispers - Paradisco

Another track from Charlotte Gainsbourg's Stage Whispers album is being promoted as a single, with the track Paradisco getting the attention this time.

The double album was released in December and came out in the UK this week. It collects a number of previously unreleased outtakes and a live collection from a recent performance.

Gainsbourg appeared towards the end of last week on TV in the UK, quite a rare feat for a French artist, discussing art and commerce in the light of the success of the film The Artist on BBC1's This Week current affairs show.

She's also confirmed that a new album, her fifth, can be expected towards the end of this year, with an October release anticipated. Whether Beck is at the controls of this one, as he was with her last full album IRM and this track remains to be seen.

Meanwhile, there's a remix competition for the track Paradisco open until February 6. The winner will have their remix issued on Because music. A number of the remixes that have been submitted already are available to listen to at the site http://play.beatport.com/contests/beck-gainsbourg-paradisco/ and the original parts of the track are available to download.

The Winner will be announced on March 13.

Charlotte Gainsbourg - Stage Whisper: L'Hôtel Particulier

Although I mentioned it before it came out, and featured the track Terrible Angels when the video emerged, I thought the release of Charlotte Gainsbourg's Stage Whisper collection merited a more detailed mention.

The album is not entirely new material by any means, collecting live versions of tracks from her two most recent releases 5.55 and 2009's IRM.

The unreleased material continues the sound she developed with Beck, her collaborator on IRM, a cool and intelligent electro pop that has helped establish her as a credible artist in her own right rather than a singer in the shadow of her father's massive reputation.

The live material on disc two focuses on her two recent albums, and a cover of Dylan's Just Like a Woman, a track she recorded with Calexico for the 2007 I'm Not There biopic.

While interesting to hear the live versions, I can't help feel that with just a bit more the studio material could have stood up in its own right as a full new release. Eight tracks may have been not enough, but the quality here is superb and despite being described as 'out takes' they really are as good as anything she's ever released, as Terrible Angels, Paradisco or Memoir testify.

Instead of one double album that's an add-on to her discography, I can't help but think that there really should be two separate albums here, both of which would have their own merits.

Still, a fine release, and one that certainly keeps us waiting for a new album proper from Ms Gainsbourg.