Noir Désir (Dark Desire) is a completely atypical music band from the french scene. It signs at Barclay in 1987 and becomes
one of the seldom group member of a "major" (one of the big edition firms) while still conserving their "indep" style (independent, which does not listen to all the wishes of the editors will). After 6 studio albums ("Where do you want I look at" - 1987, "Could you please give the soul back (to the one it belongs to)" - 1989, "Cement under the plains" - 1990, "Tostaky" - 1992, "666.667 Club" - 1996 and "Visages, faces" - 2002), and more than fifteen years of existence. Dark Desire imposes itself as one of the best french rock band. But beside this characteristical powerful and wild
music, it is a kind of ideology too - and even mainly ?- a kind of dark vision of life and dreams of better future. Dark Desire is one of the most engaged group, fighting among other (but not only) against racism and for the respect of human rights. This engagement has it's influence in the lyrics, most of them signed "Bernard Cantat", vocals. Fascism, zero-tolerance, ultra capitalism, fight for power are denunciate by "Dark Dez". During the victory of music in 2002 rewarding their new album, for the first time, the group members accepted to present themself, but not for figuration. No, by the way of a public read letter, which has now become famous, Drak Desire scolded Jean-Marie Messier, their "PDG camerades to all of them or almost", directing notably Universal at that time, a company including their edition firm (Barclay), on the global politics of the enterprise and certain of his spoken words. Those texts, this strong and real engagement were signs of a straightness, a kind of integrity model for numberous people. An utopy too maybe, but wasn't it better to
believe in beautiful futures than in tasteless realities ? Those songs and actions were what in which a lot of us wanted to believe, and still want to. Until the end of July 2003, time at which the horrible drama took place in Vilnius. Marie Trintignant died after a violent dispute with Bertrand Cantat, his partner. For thousands of fans, this tragical event was a terrible change. This is the point at which the Dark Desire dilemma began. On one hand their were the unavoidable reality : could we admit what happened ? No, of course not. Had we accepted if it was somebody else that Bertrand Cantat ? No. So why should have he have a treatment of favor ? But this is not all : accepting this fact, this was against the ideology of his groups itself, endorsed by the band and Cantat himself. On the other hand there are those texts, written by him who has become this criminal. To believe in those text anymore results in a kind of ill-feeling, because we know what the author did, despite the fact that they want to transmit a right message, and true things : tolerance, freedom, equality, respect, notions which have become mythical and which are not anymore believed in, but that everyone would like to be present again. But knowing what happened, those words have no meaning anymore, the ideas sound wrong. What shall be done ? Just take one's look away from Cantat and Dark Desire and throw those valuable texts to the trashcan ? Or should they be conserved and behold them as before, hence giving faith to a killer ? Dilemma. Dilemma ? It is really not sure in fact. Why should we link all those elements together ? In contrary, there is a need to dissociate those aspects and not mix them up. On one hand we have this drama in Vilnius, on the other hand music, lyrics and solidarity actions. What is the relationship between those two sides ? There is none. Even more : this music, those texts, this engagement are the work of Dark Desire, this means the achievement of all a goup. Are we then allowed to push some kind of responsibility of the other members in the death of Marie Trintignant ? Finally, the fact that Bertrand Cantat committed this crime which is dramatical and unreparable ould not imply that the ideas he defended and in which we believed become wrong. And it is not because it is still listen to Dark Desire, and that some of the sentences still are extatic, that we forgive or endorse his act, or even that we give some credit to the idea of killing somebody. This fatidic night in Vilnius has ovisouly broken an important point in the relationship with Dark Desire. However, it is without any hesitation that I got the new public album and that I listened to the magnificient lyrics in which I believe. Those words are sounding correct again, and the ideas are still true.