As a band, The Offline came about when composer and photographer Felix Müller wanted to create a sonic counterpart to the analogue visuals he shot with his video camera during travels along the French Atlantic coast. His images of the beach life on film inspired him to write songs matching the mood and feel of the visuals. To help bring his tracks to life, he enlisted a cast of talented players from his city of Hamburg, Germany, and The Offline were born.
The band’s debut album, En Clair-Obscur, is a journey along the shores of the French Atlantic. With each track named after a famous surf spot, The Offline captures in sound what Müller saw with his camera – harmony progressions, arrangements or soundscapes to create a certain mood. The music itself is drifting and atmospheric, with a cinematic edge and cinematic feel. The production is inspired by library music, hard funk, soul and the moody and dramatic soundtracks to 1960s and 1970s films composed by the likes of Brian Bennett, David Axelrod and Francois de Roubaix, and The Offline channel their passion for retro sounds into perfect melodies and harmonies.
With En Clair-Obscur, The Offline artfully mixes genres to create an unforgettable journey through cinematic soundscapes, layering lush melodies with guitars and electronics. It feels fresh, energetic and full of life, with songs that are both beautiful and calming. Notes of yesteryear with a cinematic touch, these songs marry the old and new, bringing together a sound that is truly timeless.
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