DVTR – “Les Olympiques”
I still remember that growing up, every four years the Summer Olympics brought a sense of wonder. Watch these superhuman athletes do impossible physical feats! Cheer on your favorite country! As the years go by though, that charm seems to have worn off. What was once a wondrous display of what the human body is capable of now feels insignificant in the face of everything else that is happening in the world. While I’ll nonchalantly avoid Olympics-themed news nowadays, more talented folks than I have a better solution: why not turn those feelings into a sweaty rager?
Demi Lune and Jean Divorce, the two singers who make up Vietnamese-Quebecoise synth-punk duo DVTR, make those feelings very clear on their latest song, “Les Olympiques.” In French, the two commiserate over energetic guitars, passionately declaring their disregard for the French Olympics. Peppering their insults with slights at the international distraction (“Une facture balancée / Aux prolétaires et aux jeunes mamans / Qui n’ont ni le temps ni l’envie / De mater des Apollons / À la télévision / Alors que la maison brûle”), it’s a fiery interpretation of that “This is fine” meme rolled up into a crowd chant-worthy track. Even when the duo shout “Piquent piquent piquent piquent / Dans la poche du peuple et se / Piquent piquent piquent aux stéroïdes” almost out of nowhere, it feels cathartic to just let loose. “Les Olympiques” is a sonic middle-finger to one of world’s most watched events, and I can imagine the track killing it at live shows long after the ceremonies have ended.
Also, don’t miss out on the duo’s great Jean-Vital Joliat-directed video for the track, which could easily be misinterpreted as a nationalistic Canadian film on first watch if you don’t speak French (guilty).
Catch DVTR on their current Canadian tour in August:
3 August, 2024 | Osheaga, Montréal, CAN
10 August, 2024 | Osisko en lumière, Rouyn-Noranda, CAN
14 August, 2024 | Festival de la chanson de Granby, Granby, CAN
24 August, 2024 | Festival de la poutine, Drummondville, CAN
6 Sept, 2024 | Pré-Denises du Lac, Peribonka, CAN
Artist pages: Bandcamp | Instagram | Spotify | Website
Li-Wei Chu is the chief editor of From the Intercom. When he’s not editing drafts and searching for new artists to cover for the website, he loves watching cult films, cooking, and listening to his ever-growing collection of vinyl records. You can follow him on LetterBoxd and make fun of his taste in movies here!