I’m walking to the lakebed
And cocking my rifle
And pointing my barrel
I’m shooting the devil
Sololand, a DIY project conceived by artist Didier Landron (Sandcastle; Electrical Blue Pop), emerges from the shadowy fringes of Toulon, wielding a tightly wound coil of cold wave and gothic rock distilled in the clandestine glow of solitude. Like a restless ghost navigating neon-lit streets and phosphorescent motorways, Sololand (a portmanteau of “solo” and the first part of his name) siphons the spirit of early post-punk’s blue-tinged shadows that fall upon the ground as the sun sets on the horizon. In the project so far, we hear vocals reminiscent of Batcave-era Gothic rock, akin to those of Play Dead. There are also elements of the smoldering, nocturnal yearning found in The Sisters of Mercy, the driving rhythms characteristic of Killing Joke, and the Western guitar twang of Theatre of Hate and Death Cult. Overall, this combination creates a soundtrack for a compelling vision of existential drama fused with brooding narrative archetypes. such as the strange man in black who rides out alone across the wasteland.
“Creating, writing, and playing music by myself is something I’ve always had in mind and in me since I was a teenager (yes, I’m no longer one),” quips Landron about his choice to fly solo. “I’ve always had music playing in my brain, melodies bouncing on my skull including musical arrangements. It took decades before I made it real and was able to do it all by myself or so, especially because I can’t write music scores literally speaking and hire musicians to play parts. I can’t even describe with words the sounds I have in mind. Thus better doing it myself or striving to do it, including mixing.”
Desert Sick Song prowls with minimalist menace, a murder ballad thick with ambiguity and stripped-down dread. The track moves with the cautious tension of a rattlesnake through dry grasses; sparse, programmed beats underpin a stark bassline and guitars that tremble like heat-haze mirages. Echoes of Sisters of Mercy via First and Last and Always, and Talk About The Weather-era Red Lorry Yellow Lorry reverberate through the twilight, yet Landron’s baritone delivery adds an unmistakable aura of enigmatic menace, blurring reality with fevered visions.
In fact, this track is practically a noir film compressed into four intense minutes, a phantom road trip through American wastelands. Landron’s skillful arrangement delivers a teasing puzzle: Is this a duel with the devil or a final confrontation with the self? Mastered by Liam Remanjon, its vintage textures evoke scratchy film reels, the warm hiss of analog equipment lending a grainy intimacy to the spectral narrative.
“I wanted to write a story about everyday life with underlying violence, and when I see violence and darkness, unfortunately or not, I see it in the United States in a sticky, humid atmosphere, undoubtedly influenced by 50s thrillers and the fact that weapons are freely available,” Landron says. “However the lyrics are somewhat ambiguous and it’s not entirely clear who the protagonist is or who he’s shooting at. And I wanted it this way.”
Listen to Desert Sick Song below and order the track here.
Landon spoke with Post-Punk.com about the creation of the song, the single’s artwork and creative inspirations:
Describe the instrumentation and production style—what choices did you make to create a sense of haunting mystery and despair? I strived to find a minimalist sound and production to create a dark and cold atmosphere. For the guitar sound, I worked with very 80s-tinged elements with a Roland JC 120 amp, RAT distortion/overdrive, a small touch of echo and a little chorus. The bass is very stripped down. The drums, which are programmed, are deliberately simple and repetitive to create the rhythm of the protagonist through his journey by car and then walking on the dry lake.
Beyond music, what films, books, or visual arts strongly influence your songwriting and aesthetic?
Victor Hugo, Paul Auster, Jonathan Coe’s Welcome to the Club; Cioran’s aphorisms and Scandinavian thrillers. Paintings : Vermeer and Rembrandt. Cartier-Bresson, Clergue, Doisneau, Ronis. The aesthetic of Wings of Desire (Wim Wenders) and the tense, desert-like atmosphere of Sergio Leone’s films.
If you could select one novel or film that “Desert Sick Song” could soundtrack, what would it be and why?
I would pick Christopher Nolan’s Memento regarding the neo-noir monochrome psychological atmosphere and the main character’s amnesia and inability to form new memories resulting in something totally messy in his brain. I think Leonard Shelby could have been the main character of Desert Sick Song in some aspects.
Who created the single’s artwork? Explain the concept behind it and why you chose this imagery.
I did it. I wanted a cover made from a photo of a desert, but in France, there are no deserts! I searched through my photo archives and found some analogue photos taken during a trip to southern Spain, in Andalusia. The one used for the cover is a photo taken in the Spanish “desert” of Tabernas. A place that notably served as a filming location for Segio Leone’s spaghetti westerns.
Your lyrics mention darkness, despair, demons, and angels—what personal experiences or philosophical ideas drive these themes?
Life could be harsh and pointless. The world is unfair, humanity is unfair, and life sometimes seems absurd, but I also like the idea of making something positive and generous out of it, whatever the outcome. I’d like to make sure that I’m not gonna be buried amongst the narrow-minded with my free mind.
Are you currently working on additional songs, an EP, or a full album for Sololand? If so, what can listeners expect next?
I have material to release either a bunch of singles or an EP within a semester. I mostly need to work on writing lyrics and adding vocals. It’s not a matter of inspiration but rather a matter of having time and space to achieve it. However, I am wondering whether to release an instrumental version of a song in a few weeks before making a sung version. Either way, it’s pretty exciting!
Do you plan more singles, collaborations, or live performances? I’m gonna focus on finalizing a few songs first. Then I’ll start putting together a set so I can consider playing shows.
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