Music

In 1995, when their first title Salva Mea was released, who would have believed that Faithless would retain the same urgency three decades later. Despite the vagaries of life…

Maxi Jazz passed away in London on December 23, 2022 at the age of 65. Vocal embodiment of Faithless, his tone is husky and cavernous. He intones his peaceful credo on "God Is A DJ": "Enemies becoming friends / When bitterness ends / This is my church". On the lesser-known "Mass Destruction", Maxi Jazz climbs onto a political platform with the blessing of his acolytes: "Whether long range missile or suicide bomber / Wicked mins is a weapon of mass destruction". Like Massive Attack, if the English group that played at the Lotto Arena in Antwerp (Belgium)yesterday remains an unstoppable dance machine, Rollo and Sister Bliss don't seek to lobotomize their audience but rather to awaken their conscience by taking them on a sound journey to the confines of trance. 

Back on stage since January 2024, after an eight-year absence, with this tour entitled "Champion Sound". Sister Bliss recently recalled that, despite his illness, Maxi had absolutely insisted on participating in the recording of "All Blessed," their seventh and final studio album to date. This series of concerts that crosses all of Europe is often experienced as a tribute to the memory of Maxi Jazz (all past frictions are erased) when he appears on the screens and we hear his voice during "Salva Mea" played right from the start just after a cover of Mory Kante's "Yeke Yeke". On the other hand, Faithless has not yet decided to include "I'm Not Alone (Rest Well Maxwell)", the second single (released in August) announcing the next album; a title on which Maxi Jazz meets other deceased like Amy Winehouse, Avicii, Tupac Shaker and of course Kurt Cobain. 

But in the end, today as yesterday, a Faithless concert (there are still seven of them on stage!) cannot be deciphered with words but is experienced with passion, without being afraid of getting your t-shirt wet. Just know that the group continues to alternate covers (surprisingly numerous by the way) by practicing the splits between "Love Will Tear Us Apart" by Joy Division and the always hypnotizing "Plastic Dreams" by Jaydee but without forgetting of course their emblematic titles such as "Insomnia", "Drifting Away", "God Is A DJ" or "We Come 1." And despite the irreplaceable absence of Maxi, the very young Amelia Fox (who attended the same school as Rollo's son!) and Nathan Ball (who can already be heard on certain tracks of "All Blessed") do better than fulfill their part of the contract. And to close the evening, their usual hypnotic crescendo of about ten minutes "Thank You" exhausts the most vigorous dancers...

(MH with AK - Photo: © Tanja De Prins/Music Belgium Photos)
Photo: Sister Bliss with Faithless on stage at the Lotto Arena in Antwerp (Belgium) on November 22, 2024

Next album: Champion Sound announced shortly and already preceded by two singles
Faithless on tour across Europe in Germany, Italy, Czech Republic, Poland, Austria, Italy and also notably:
November 29: Halle 622 - Zurich (Switzerland)
December 12: AFAS Live - Amsterdam (Netherlands)
June 19: Festival - Newport (Isle of Wight)
July 18: Castle - Ludlow (England)