With his album Mode, Patche stands out with his unique sound. Operating in an experimental playground that fuses dance, techno and krautrock, Patche offers us a rhythmic and frenetic avant-garde experience that seems to explore the back alleys of a smoky mental megalopolis at breakneck speed. The album progresses through repetitive motifs and subtle variations, relying on hypnosis rather than spectacular climaxes, which reinforces its immersive nature.
Rightly calling themselves ‘Montreal’s coolest geeks,’ Eliott Durocher Bundock, Étienne Dupré, Lévy Bourbonnais, Mandela Coupal-Dalgeish and JP Binard construct intriguing instrumental pieces using drum machines, acoustic drums and bass guitar, embellished with the occasional electronic voice. This combination creates a constant tension between mechanical rigour and organic energy, making the tracks equally effective for attentive listening and on the dance floor.
Several members of the band are also part of Mon Doux Saigneur, zouz, DUU and LUMIÈRE, to name but a few. This collective experience is evident in the precision of the execution and the overall coherence of the album, which avoids the pitfall of gratuitous experimentation. With Mode, Patche set out to dive deeper into electro nightlife, and I must say that the material is absolutely solid. The tracks flow seamlessly, exploring different electronic textures—sometimes raw, sometimes hypnotic—without ever losing their thread. For me, it’s one of the best albums of 2025. Mission accomplished.
