Feu Follet – Beneath The Earth (Album – Blackjack Illuminist Records)
Genre/Influences: Wave-Pop.
Format: Digital, CD, Cassette.
Background/Info: This is the third album released by French artist Alban Blaising aka Feu Follet. The work is based on a comic book, which is accompanying the release. This already was done with the previous work “La Forêt Oubliée”.
Content: Compared to previous productions, this album features vocals by guest singers. The songs are still driven by 80s influences creating a kind of Electro/Wave-Pop sound. The vintage sound treatments are awakening good-old memories while I noticed a few psychedelic elements.
+ + + : Feu Follet appears to be a project in evolution and I have to admit the addition of vocals –even featuring some sensual female backings, is a real bonus. The songs are more accomplished, which is also true for the writing. I like the analogue-like sound treatments and effects emerging at a few tracks. Label mates Vlimmer and XTR Human also had a helping hand in releasing this work.
– – – : This is an easy listening album, but without absolute highlights. I’m missing a few explicit melody lines and/or dancefloor orientated songs.
Conclusion: This work sounds as an interesting progression and I’m sure the true potential of Feu Follet still has to come through.
Best songs: “Journey”, “A Light Underground”.
Rate: (6 ½).
Artist: www.facebook.com/FeuFollet54
Label: www.facebook.com/Blackjack.Illuminist
About Feu Follet
Feu Follet is the project of Alban Blaising from Nancy, France, mixing coldwave, synthwave, post-punk and dream pop. The mainly instrumental debut Le Champ Des Morts appeared on Blackjack Illuminist Records in 2019 and was reviewed on Side-Line in December 2019. The second album “La Forêt Oubliée” (2020), released with a comic book as an audio-visual package, followed in July 2020.
“Beneath The Earth” was released by Blackjack Illuminist Records on 12 March 2021 as a download, on CD and, in limited editions bundled with the printed comic, on CD and cassette, as announced in Blackjack Illuminist Records announces 3rd album by French post-punk project Feu Follet. The comic works as a prequel to “La Forêt Oubliée” and follows the fox from that story. The nine tracks are “Back To The Sun” and “Stone Eater” with Pat Aubier, “A Light Underground”, “With You” and “The Tree” with Alexander Leonard Donat of Vlimmer, “Fox And Shaman” and “Journey” with Isabelle.B Baumann, “Falling” with Natacha Lubin and “World Fell Apart” with Johannes Stabel of XTR Human. Blaising wrote, performed and produced the album and drew the artwork; each guest wrote and sang their own lyrics; Blaising and Donat mixed and Donat mastered the record.
The fourth album IV (2022) dropped the narrative concept and was reviewed on Side-Line in September 2022; “Lost Locust” (2023) and Swamps Of Sadness (2025), reviewed in November 2025, followed on the same label. “Beneath The Earth” is the first Feu Follet album with guest vocalists on every track.
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