A major figure in early 20th century French music, Satie continues to inspire many artists today and remains fascinating for his nonconformity. “Satie shows us a blank road where everyone is free to leave their footprints. […] He likes to live where life is bustling; he has an instinct for good inns; he enjoys the climate.”

With these two sentences, Cocteau accurately evokes the atmosphere of this album. Airs à faire fuir, Danses de travers, Préludes flasques, Profondeur, Effronterie, and Désespoir agréable, among others, are very much in the vein of the “white road.” Allons-y Chochotte, Je te veux, La Diva de l’Empire with guest star Claron McFadden (soprano) and Gambades allow us to warmly enjoy the bustling life of the cabarets of Montmartre. To unexpectedly round off this album, the booklet reveals an unpublished text by the exceptional author Caroline Lamarche dedicated to Monsieur Satie.