There’s a party in the night. Shameless attraction, dark magic, dancing, and musical possession all come out under the “Black Moonlight.” Featuring longtime collaborator Nile Rodgers along with former Duran Duran guitarists Andy Taylor and Warren Cuccurullo, “Black Moonlight” is the latest vignette on Duran Duran‘s upcoming 16th album Danse Macabre, out October 27.
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“Black Moonlight” continues Duran Duran’s monster mash-up of influential covers and new tracks inspired by Allhallows Eve. Riding on Rodgers’ devilishly hooked funk beats, Simon Le Bon dances through We’re going out tonight / Under the black moonlight / Dance to ’til we’re out of sight / Into the black moonlight / A love in the dead of night.
“‘Black Moonlight’ is a classic Duran Duran-Nile Rodgers collaboration,” said Le Bon in a statement. “When Nile started playing his guitar in the studio, he really inspired everyone with his riff, and the song just kind of wrote itself.”
Keyboardist Nick Rhodes added, “Nile Rodgers is a force of nature. When we get into a room, we start playing and magic happens. Nile always says that CHIC is his first band, and Duran Duran is his second. Thematically, I prefer the moon to the sun. Simon took the idea and ran with it.”
The 13-track album, a collection of songs inspired by Halloween and covers of songs that influenced the band throughout the decades, was inspired by a show Duran Duran played in Las Vegas, Nevada on October 31, 2022.
“We had decided to seize the moment to create a unique, special event—the temptation of using glorious gothic visuals set to a dark soundtrack of horror and humor was simply irresistible,” said Rhodes in a previous statement. “That evening inspired us to explore further and to make an album, using Halloween as the key theme. The record metamorphosed through a pure, organic process, and not only was it made faster than anything since our debut album. It has also resulted in something none of us could have ever predicted.”
The album features several new original songs, including the opening “Nightboat”—a newly rerecorded version of the same songs off their 1981 eponymous debut—along with the title track, “Black Moonlight,” “Love Voudou,” “Secret Oktober 31st,” and the closing “Confession in the Afterlife.” Danse Macabre is also filled with the band’s renditions of Talking Heads‘ 1977 hit “Psycho Killer,” featuring Måneskin’s Victoria De Angelis, along with The Rolling Stones’ “Paint It Black,” “Ghost Town” by The Specials, and Siouxsie and the Banshees‘ “Spellbound.”
[RELATED: Duran Duran Cover Talking Heads, Billie Eilish, and More on ‘Danse Macabre’]
Duran Duran also takes on Billie Eilish‘s 2019 song “Bury a Friend” and their reinterpretation of Rick James‘ 1981 hit “Super Freak” with “Super Lonely Freak.”
Along with Taylor, Rodgers, Cuccurullo, and De Angelis, Danse Macabre was also co-produced by Mr. Hudson, who previously co-wrote and co-produced the band’s 2015 album, Paper Gods.
“I hope you take a journey with us through the darker side of our inspirations into where we’re at in 2023,” said drummer Roger Taylor. “Maybe, you’ll leave with a deeper understanding of how Duran Duran got to this moment in time.”
‘Danse Macabre’ Track List:
- “Nightboat”
- “Black Moonlight”
- “Love Voudou”
- “Bury A Friend”
- “Supernature”
- “Danse Macabre”
- “Secret Oktober 31st”
- “Ghost Town”
- “Paint It Black”
- “Super Lonely Freak”
- “Spellbound”
- “Psycho Killer” (feat. Victoria De Angelis)
- “Confession in the Afterlife”
Photo: Stephanie Pistel / Courtesy of High Rise PR
