The Offline - La grande évasion (Album)
Hamburg multi instrumentalist and producer The Offline returns this autumn with La grande évasion, his second full length album and perhaps his most expansive piece of world building yet. Out Friday 28 November via DeepMatter Records, the project explores escape in all its forms, drifting through memory, place, photography and inner travel. It is a record shaped by that timeless urge to break free and rediscover who we are.
“The great escape is an escape into music,” he explains. “It lets you travel simply through imagination, moving through chapters, emotions and influences, just like a real journey.”
The album’s first single, ‘Boulevard National’, brings us back to the sun bleached streets of Marseilles, continuing the thread from his 2024 Les Cigales EP. It blends Anatolian psych touches with West Coast surf energy, capturing the multicultural pulse of the city. Follow up track ‘Nikonos V’ nods to the analogue camera that first sparked The Offline project, an underwater film camera that always joins him on coastal wanderings (and was used for the album artwork). Sonically, it is breezy, warm and groove laden, echoing the likes of Khruangbin and Tommy Guerrero.
Things get more surreal on ‘Le trip’, a woozy, breakbeat tinged piece topped with a soaring sax improvisation from long time collaborator Kimo Eiserbeck. Sitting somewhere between boom bap, vintage Japanese jazz funk and BADBADNOTGOOD, it feels like a psychedelic detour through sound. For balance, ‘La belle en lumière’ offers the album’s emotional core, a romantic, horn led slow burn built from soft Rhodes chords and a gently rising groove.
The Offline, real name Felix Müller, began the project while travelling the French Atlantic coast with an analogue camera, later writing music to accompany the imagery he captured. His releases since then have formed a kind of cinematic universe: from debut EP En Clair Obscur, to the oceanic La couleur de la mer, to the Marseilles inspired Les Cigales. His work has earned support from BBCR6’s Huey Morgan and Deb Grant, Jazz FM’s Tony Minvielle, plus Rinse FM, NTS, Radio FIP and more.
La grande évasion looks set to be another step deeper into The Offline’s 60s 70s tinged, sample friendly, filmic cosmos, an invitation to escape, if only for a few tracks at a time.
The Offline sat down with Wordplay Magazine to answer our infamous 10 Questions:
1. Hey Felix, great to meet you! We’re loving your new album ‘La grande évasion - could you give us a bit of an insight into how the record came together?
Thanks so much, glad to hear that! I'm already starting with an idea of the direction the album could take. I try to write as many demos as possible, and before the actual production, I look at which pieces are strongest and fit well together.
2. The album specifically reflects on escapism, and the use of music, photography and film as methods of transporting to another place. How do these artforms relate to one another in your creative practice?
Since I try to make cinematic music, the different art forms are important. Images, whether moving or still, play an important role. This can be very concrete, such as a film or a photo book that inspires me, but often it is just an idea of a setting in my head while I am composing.
3. It feels like a great time for instrumental music at the moment - so much amazing stuff coming out from the likes of Surprise Chef, Sven Wunder and Khruangbin. Do you see yourself within a scene, and who are the artists in the instrumental groove and cinematic space you’re most excited about at the moment?
Oh yes, it's really amazing how much great instrumental music is coming out these days! Somehow, we are all part of the same scene, even though we are spread across the globe. And I am always very excited to hear new things, especially from the artists you mentioned, and, of course, also from the artists who release on DeepMatter, such as Sholto and Blue Earth Sound.
4. For new listeners, give us one sentence that you feel sums up your sound.
Haha, that's not so easy! Maybe something like a modern version of TV and film music from the 60s and 70s, with an analogue feel, reminiscent of those old funk and jazz albums hip-hop artists used to sample.
5. We saw that you just announced your debut tour as The Offline in 2026 (congratulations!) What can we expect from the live show, and what would you say your proudest moment to date is so far as an artist?
Thanks so much! I am really excited to have the opportunity to play live in so many cities in Europe. We are touring as a six-piece band and are currently developing our live show. The tour is called ‘La grande évasion’ (The Great Escape), which may give you an idea of what to expect.
My proudest moment was receiving a message on IG from a fan in which he describes his recent struggles. Somehow he discovered the album `La couleur de la mer` and had it on repeat for several weeks. It made him feel that there is a lot of good and beauty he hasn't discovered yet in this life. It gave him a sense of hope. As an artist, this is the highest honor you can get, helping someone in dark times with the music you’ve created. This is how the name „Pour Nael“ came about and the track is dedicated to him.
6. Do you have any specific advice for our readers who may be trying to play the mad game of music?
It sounds so cliché, but do what you feel like doing and what moves you. If you like the music, there will be someone somewhere in the world who will like it too. Don't make music for the algorithm. And the first release doesn't have to be perfect, the main thing is that people can hear it. Just keep on keepin’ on :-)
7. As mentioned earlier, outside of music we know you’re super into photography and cinematography, as well as skateboarding. As well as artists, are there any people in these other fields you feel like shouting out?
Oh, that's a good question. There are many skateboarders who are also involved in the arts, whether it's music, photography or painting. Tommy Guerreo, Ed Templeton and Ray Barbee have always been a huge inspiration to me.
When it comes to photography, definitely Martin Parr and the Magnum photographers.
8. What albums have been on heavy rotation on your playlists recently?
At the moment, I'm listening to a lot of old albums by Herbie Hancock, Azymuth and Donald Byrd, but also new rap albums. Lots of Alchemist records and Griselda stuff. Most recently, Hells Have Eyes 2 and 3 by Westside Gunn.
9. What’s your favourite thing to do outside of creating music?
Music takes up a large part of my time, but otherwise I spend time with my family and friends and skateboard whenever I can.
10. Name three things you can't live without when in the studio.
When I'm in the studio, I can't live without my Fender Jaguar guitar, Mellotron and coffee.