Marie Davidson

Last updated
Marie Davidson
Marie-davidson-beaches-brew-2025.jpg
Davidson performing in 2025
Background information
Birth nameMarie Davidson
Born1987 (age 3738) [1]
Origin Montreal, Canada
Genres
Occupations
  • Singer
  • musician
  • record producer
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • synthesizer
  • violin
Years active2007–present
Labels

Marie Davidson (born 1987) [1] is a Canadian electronic musician and producer from Montreal. [5]

Contents

Career

Davidson was part of the duo Les Momies de Palerme, along with Xarah Dion. [1] Their album, Brûlez ce coeur, was released on Constellation Records in 2010. She has collaborated with various other musicians including Matana Roberts (on her project Coin Coin Chapter One: Gens de couleur libres ) and David Kristian, and she was part of the orchestral project Land of Kush. [1]

She is also one half of the minimal wave duo Essaie pas, [6] a duo she formed with her partner, Pierre Guerineau. [7] [8] The duo were longlisted for the 2016 Polaris Music Prize for their album Demain est une autre nuit. [9]

Her third solo album, Adieux au dancefloor, was named by Pitchfork as one of "The 20 Best Electronic Albums of 2016". [10] The album is themed around Davidson's ambivalent feelings towards dance music and club culture. [11] She released Working Class Woman on Ninja Tune in 2018. [4] She released Renegade Breakdown on Ninja Tune in 2020, [12] and City of Clowns in 2025.

City of Clowns was shortlisted for the 2025 Polaris Music Prize. [13]

Musical style

Davidson's music has been labelled as techno [2] [1] and minimal wave, [1] with AllMusic's Paul Simpson describing it as "cold, hypnotic minimal wave with analog synthesizers and drum machines, showcasing her intimate yet detached lyrics that are more often spoken than sung." [1] Pitchfork critic Sophie Kemp has stated that the sound of Working Class Woman is "somewhere between spoken word electroclash of Miss Kittin and the dreamy dissonance of Julee Cruise." [14]

Discography

Studio albums

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Simpson, Paul. "Marie Davidson: Biography". AllMusic . Retrieved 15 January 2017.
  2. 1 2 Wei, Whitney (17 October 2018). "Techno workaholic Marie Davidson: 'I'm a total maniac who is very hard on myself'". The Guardian . Retrieved 5 December 2018.
  3. "Marie Davidson: Album Discography". AllMusic . Retrieved 5 October 2018.
  4. 1 2 Wilson, Scott (30 August 2018). "Marie Davidson joins Ninja Tune for new album, Working Class Woman". Fact . Retrieved 5 December 2018.
  5. Twells, John (4 October 2017). "Marie Davidson's politically-charged techno has a unique Québecois twist". Fact . Retrieved 5 December 2018.
  6. Pelly, Jenn (February 5, 2016). ""Retox" by Essaie Pas Review". Pitchfork . Retrieved 15 July 2017.
  7. Lester, Paul (22 January 2016). "New band of the week: Essaie Pas (No 87)". The Guardian . Retrieved 15 January 2017.
  8. "La new wave et l'electro ont fait leur Riliz Party". Ouest-France (in French). 14 May 2016. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
  9. "Polaris Music Prize unveils long list of albums in Whitehorse". Edmonton Journal , June 15, 2016.
  10. Sherburne, Philip (8 December 2016). "The 20 Best Electronic Albums of 2016". Pitchfork . Retrieved 15 January 2017.
  11. Lozano, Kevin (15 October 2016). "Marie Davidon: Adieux Au Dancefloor Album Review". Pitchfork . Retrieved 15 January 2017.
  12. "Renegade Breakdown, by Marie Davidson & L'Œil Nu". Marie Davidson. Retrieved 2021-02-03.
  13. Gregory, Allie (July 10, 2025). "Polaris Music Prize Reveals 2025 Short List". Exclaim! . Retrieved July 10, 2025.
  14. Kemp, Sophie (10 October 2020). "Marie Davidson: Working Class Woman". Pitchfork . Retrieved 25 March 2020.
  15. McDermott, Patrick D. (26 March 2014). "Stream: Marie Davidson, "Perte d'identité"". The Fader . Retrieved 15 July 2017.
  16. James, Matt (21 April 2015). "Marie Davidson: Un Autre Voyage". PopMatters . Retrieved 15 July 2017.
  17. Darville, Jordan (7 October 2016). "Why Marie Davidson Made A Cathartic Minimal Dance Record". The Fader . Retrieved 15 July 2017.
  18. Slingerland, Calum (30 August 2018). "Marie Davidson Announces 'Working Class Woman' LP". Exclaim! . Retrieved 5 December 2018.
  19. Christian Eede (2020-08-12). "Marie Davidson Reveals New Album, 'Renegade Breakdown'". The Quietus.