Echoes of Obscurity and Isolation

Indicatif is a Kraftwerkian melody which came out of nowhere in 1980, becoming a staple of French radio for a few months only to disappear as abruptly as it arrived. The band—Moderne, from Tours, France—didn’t last much longer, vanishing into the ether the following year.

Delivered in French, the song’s lyrics carry a whimsical and eerie tone—a voice emanating from the TV in a lonely hotel room, flowing into your stream of consciousness. Familiar yet unsettling, it entertains you while seeming to mock your dependence on its company. Then, almost as quickly as it began, it delivers a melancholic farewell… and a bleak reminder that this cycle of loneliness will repeat.

Although their time was brief, the ghost of Moderne lingers. Rediscovered in the noughties, their two LPs were reissued as a double album, and Indicatif turned up on numerous compilation albums. An intriguing interview with lyricist Thierry Teyssou also surfaced on the record company’s website around this time. Today, a limited edition release of that album remains available to buy on Bandcamp.