Duran Duran released their sixteenth studio album, “Danse Macabre,” on October 27th with new tracks and original covers of songs by Billie Eilish, Talking Heads, The Rolling Stones, Siouxsie, The Banshees, and more featuring special guests Nile Rodgers, Mr. Hudson, Andy Taylor, and Warren Cuccurullo.
The focus track, “Psycho Killer,” featuring Victoria De Angelis of MÅNESKIN, is out now. The track is a cover of Talking Heads ‘Psycho Killer,’ revealing a fusion of neon keys, sweaty grooves, slick drums, and snappy vocal harmonies.
Always the ones to revel in the shadows, playing with artistic, aesthetic, and emotional extremes, the iconic UK quartet unearth bright melodies from darkness as they thread together new songs, themed covers, and reimagined versions of their own ‘spooky’ classics.
Catalyzed by one exceptional live performance that Duran Duran filmed in Las Vegas on October 31st last year, “Danse Macabre” is the soundtrack to their ultimate Halloween party. Included across the album’s thirteen tracks are Halloween covers of Billie Eilish’s ‘Bury A Friend,’ Talking Heads ‘Psycho Killer,’ The Rolling Stones ‘Paint It Black,’ the Rick James-inspired ‘Super Lonely Freak,’ Siouxsie and the Banshees’ ‘Spellbound,’ Cerrone’s ‘Supernature’ and The Specials’ ‘Ghost Town.’
The album also includes special collaborations with former Duran Duran band members Andy Taylor and Warren Cuccurullo, Nile Rodgers, and producers Josh Blair and Mr. Hudson.
Andy Taylor originally joined Duran Duran in 1980, co-writing and playing guitar on their first three studio albums: Duran Duran (1981), Rio (1982), and Seven and the Ragged Tiger (1983), before leaving the group to pursue a solo career. Sixteen years later, he returned for 2004’s Astronaut (2004) before parting company again with the other four original members in 2006.
With Andy’s departure, Warren Cuccurullo joined the band full-time in 1989, contributing both songwriting and guitar to the albums Big Thing (1988), Liberty (1990), The Wedding Album (1993), Thank You (1995), Medazzaland (1997) and Pop Trash (2000).
Fast forward to 2023; Andy Taylor and Warren Cuccurullo’s presence on “Danse Macabre” captures the true spirit of the album, a celebration of the raw energy and sense of fun that comes with friends making music together in a room.
But “Danse Macabre” is not just an album for Halloween… Elsewhere, ‘Black Moonlight’ sees the band’s timeless songwriting break into dance-rock glamour with the addition of Nile Rodgers and Andy Taylor on guitar, and the epic finale ‘Confession In The Afterlife’ finds Duran Duran reunited with producer, Mr. Hudson, once more.
The title track ‘Danse Macabre,’ which Billboard proclaimed “is like no Duran Duran song that came before it,” arrived with a stunning official music video brought to life with creative director Linc Gasking, showcasing cutting-edge, AI-driven techniques in a 3D animated masterpiece. Rolling Stone magazine described the video as a ‘graveyard smash.’
“I hope you take a journey with us through the darker side of our inspirations into where we’re at in 2023. Maybe you’ll leave with a deeper understanding of how Duran Duran got to this moment in time,” said Roger Taylor.
Danse Macabre arrives amidst a busy year of live activity that has already seen Duran Duran perform sold-out arena shows across the UK and Ireland. The band concluded their sold out FUTURE PAST headline arena tour across North America last month to rave reviews.
“Danse Macabre” follows a wave of landmark achievements for Duran Duran. Their 2022 introduction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame marked yet another career peak, with the year already having seen the band headline London’s Hyde Park, perform at the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Concert at Buckingham Palace, close the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games in their home town of Birmingham, and tour across North America, including sold-out shows at New York’s Madison Square Garden and three nights at the Hollywood Bowl.
The music is out now via Tape Modern for BMG, with artwork featuring images adapted from a collection of authentic vintage séance photos sourced by Nick Rhodes at auction. It is available on Black 2LP and CD, with a limited-edition Translucent Galaxy 2LP. The album is also available on high-resolution Blu-ray audio.
Listen to ‘Psycho Killer’ Featuring Victoria De Angelis on Spotify
