Au Carrefour (meaning ‘at the crossover’ in French) is the latest release of Margate-based pop/alternative artist Sisyphes, who on their own, wrote, performed, mixed, and mastered this beautiful sunset of a storytelling jazz-like track.
With touches of French synthwave, nods to shoegaze through wavy guitars and synths, and featured elements from the avantpop worlds of Stereolab, Broadcast and Julien Gasc and others, Sisyphes masterfully surrounds us with instruments and voices that all seem to take over the room you’re in when you listen with headphones.
The synths float easily above your head, while they sing seemingly behind you, cozily soothing our cares away with harmonies and texturally diverse percussion pulls us forward, making sure we’re paying attention. It also carries a vintage feel to it, embracing us with a tinge of nostalgia, and bittersweet memories.
“It’s about a 30-year old man looking back at his life, walking melancholically along a landscape including Margate sunset, still oceans and frozen mountains, enjoying a moment of beautiful stillness while procrastinating the inevitable questions that will determine his path in life,” says Sisyphus, of the story behind the song.
“The literal translation (at the crossover) doesn’t really capture the spirit of the track.” Luckily, they do a great job of filling in where the translation misses out with their lyricism, instrumentation, and production work, really offering us a vivid painting of the sky the old man looks at sadly, making us wish we too, we there to see it, and maybe to give the man a hug.
Written by Yannick Mirko
FOLLOW SISYPHES:
