Ainsi soit je...

Ainsi soit je... (a play on ainsi soit-il, which can mean either "so be it" or "amen") is the second album by Mylène Farmer, released on March 18, 1988.^[1][2] It contains the hit singles "Sans contrefaçon", "Pourvu qu'elles soient douces" and "Sans logique". Generally well received by critics, it was very successful and is, to date, Farmer's second best-selling LP.

Ainsi soit je...
Studio album by Mylène Farmer
Released	18 March 1988
Studio	Studio Mega, Paris (France)
Genre	Synthpop, baroque pop, darkwave
Length	45:47
Label	Polydor
Producer	Laurent Boutonnat
Mylène Farmer chronology
Cendres de lune (1986) Ainsi soit je... (1988) En concert (1989)
Alternative cover
Promotional edition - Europe
Singles from Ainsi soit je...
"Sans contrefaçon" Released: 16 October 1987 "Ainsi soit je..." Released: 4 March 1988 "Pourvu qu'elles soient douces" Released: 12 September 1988 "Sans logique" Released: 20 February 1989

Background

After the success of the album Cendres de lune and the hits "Sans contrefaçon" and "Ainsi soit je...", Farmer had no problem releasing a second album that would be well received by the public, enabling her to consolidate her growing popularity, thus preventing her from slipping back into anonymity. The album took from five to six months to be finished.^[3] It was recorded at studio Mega, Avenue Maréchal-Maunoury, in Paris (XVIe arrondissement) under the leadership of Thierry Rogen, a renowned sound engineer who had already worked in particular with Michel Sardou.^[4]

The cover of the album shows Farmer turned sideways, accompanied by the puppet used in the music video for "Sans contrefaçon". The photographs of the booklet were made by Elsa Trillat.

The album was released in April 1988 and met great success, both critically and commercially.

Lyrics and music

The texts, which contain many literary references to famous authors (such as Baudelaire, Poe, etc.), were written by Mylène Farmer, except "L'Horloge" (a poem by Charles Baudelaire), "Déshabillez-moi" (originally sung in 1966 by Juliette Gréco) and "The Farmer's Conclusion" (which is an instrumental song). The album has a melancholy and sad tone, and deals with death, suicide, madness with gloomy and desperate texts. Sexual ambiguity, sodomy and provocation are also tackled.^[5][6]

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[7]

The album was generally well received in the media and remains sometimes considered as "one of the most successful",^[8] even the singer's "best album".^[6] When the album was released, the press said: "Mylène shows an imagination and a new maturity in these charming libertine poems and her synthetic hits containing literary references" (20 Ans).^[9] This "great" (Gaipied)^[10] and "successful" (Les Dernières Nouvelles d'Alsace)^[11] album has "an intellectual and musical universe always so creative" (Gaipied).^[12] Its songs were described as "powerful, sometimes catchy and often spellbinding compositions" (Paris Nuit),^[13] whose texts are "chiseled but perfectly licentious" (France Soir).^[14] The "poetic quality of the texts" and "the sense of the melody" (Le Télégramme)^[15] were also mentioned. Rock and Folk said this Laurent Boutonnat's production is "impeccable", demonstrating his "undoubted talent".^[16] According to Télé Poche, "the time of success has come for Mylène Farmer" with this album.^[17] The journalist Caroline Bee said this album is "an ambiguous, bright, romantic and beautifully produced gem".^[8] A review in Pan-European magazine Music & Media praised Ainsi soit je..., ranking it as "Album of the week", and added: "A first-class electro-based pop LP... That sophisticated sensuality! Laurent Boutonnat's production and compositions are flowing with a commerciabdity, comparable to the works of the Pet Shop Boys. Farmer... reveals the full palette of her caressing and dreamy voice."^[18]

Some criticisms were also made against Ainsi soit je... For example, according to L'Humanité, this album uses an "old-fashioned stylistic mannerism to reinvent poetry" (L'Humanité).^[19] Rock Land qualified this album as a "second collection of bad thoughts with a spectacular flippantly", whose "B-side is flat".^[20]

Commercial performance

In France, the album debuted at number 8 in April 1988, but it dropped to number 26 five months later. However, thanks to the successful single "Pourvu qu'elles soient douces" (number-one hit in December 1988), the album reached number one for two weeks in December 1988. The album managed to stay for eleven months in the top ten and about one year on the chart.^[21] On 29 June 1988, the album was certified Gold by the SNEP for 100,000 copies sold, then Platinum for 300,000 sales, then Double Platinum on 17 February 1989 for 600,000 sales, and eventually Diamond on 14 November 1989 for a minimum of 1,000,000 copies sold.^[22][23] The album was also released in Germany, where it reached number 47.^[24]

Track listing

#	Title	Length	Writer(s)	Composer(s)	Notes
1	"L'Horloge"	5:03	Charles Baudelaire	Laurent Boutonnat	Adaptation of the poem of the same name by Charles Baudelaire, from Les Fleurs du mal. The music begins and ends with the sound of a clock pendulum, as well as cries of a baby. The words evoke the passage of time which leads to death. A male voice repeatedly says, "Souviens-toi!" (the French for "Remember", itself spoken in the song as well).[25] Performed during the 1989, 2019 tours and never on television.
2	"Sans contrefaçon"	4:07	Mylène Farmer	Boutonnat	Performed during the 1989, 1996, 1999, 2006, 2009, 2013, 2019 and 2023 tours and 16 times on television.
3	"Allan"	4:46	Farmer	Boutonnat	Performed during the 1989 tour and one time on television.
4	"Pourvu qu'elles soient douces"	4:52	Farmer	Boutonnat	Performed during the 1989, 1999, 2009 and 2019 tours and 12 times on television.
5	"La Ronde triste"	4:13	Farmer	Boutonnat	Although the title is in French, the lyrics are in English. The song discusses suicide and death, while a male voice repeatedly says, "Don't cry". It was never performed on stage, but was once on television (Domicile A2, 15 December 1987, Antenne 2). It served as the B-side of "Sans contrefaçon".[26]
6	"Ainsi soit je..."	6:18	Farmer	Boutonnat	Performed during the 1989, 1996, 2009 and 2019 tours and 12 times on television.
7	"Sans logique"	4:30	Farmer	Boutonnat	Performed during the 1989 and 2019 tours and five times on television.
8	"Jardin de Vienne"	5:17	Farmer	Boutonnat	Opens with a few notes of Richard Wagner's opera Tannhäuser. The lyrics discuss a young boy who hanged himself in a garden in Vienna. In the refrain, the death is seen as a release.[27] Performed during the 1989 tour, but never on television.
9	"Déshabillez-moi"	3:45	Robert Nyel	Gaby Verlor	Performed during the 1989 and 2006 tours and twice on television.
10	"The Farmer's Conclusion"	2:15	—	Boutonnat	A wordless piece with the cries of various animals, mixed with Farmer's sighs. The title is a play on Farmer's last name and is a humorous reply to journalists who sometimes give her that name in a literal way.[28] Never performed on stage, nor on television.

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1988–90) Peak position European Albums (Top 100)[29] 10 French Albums (SNEP)[30] 1 German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[24] 47

Year-end charts Chart (1988) Position European Top 100 Albums (Music & Media)[31] 71 French Albums (SNEP)[32] 2 Chart (1989) Position European Top 100 Albums (Music & Media)[33] 16

Certifications and sales

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Belgium (BRMA)[34]	Gold	25,000*
France (SNEP)[22]	Diamond	1,500,000[35]
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[36]	Gold	25,000^
Summaries
Worldwide	—	1,800,000[37]
* Sales figures based on certification alone. ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Personnel

• Mylène Farmer – lead vocals
• Laurent Boutonnat – keyboards, synthesizer, producer
• Thierry Rogen – sound, mixing, programming
• Slim Pezin – guitar
• Bernard Paganotti – bass
• Pol Ramirez del Più  (a pseudonym for Farmer and Boutonnat) – pan flute, shakuhachi
• Les Moines Fous du Tibet  (a pseudonym for Farmer and Boutonnat) – background vocals
• Frédéric Rousseau – programming
• Bertrand Le Page / Polygram Music – editions (tracks 1–8, 10), Intersong Paris editions (track 9)
• André Perriat (Top Master) – mastering, engraving
• Elsa Trillat – photo
• Jean-Paul Théodule – model
• Benoît Lestang – puppet
• Bertrand Le Page – management
• Recorded and mixed at Studio Mega

Release history

Date	Label	Region	Format	Catalog
1988	Polydor	France	CD	835654-2
			Picture CD
			12"	835564-1
			Cassette	835465-4
			Collector edition	?
		Allemagne	CD	835564-1
			12"	835564-2
		Canada	12"	835564-1
			Promo 12"
			Cassette	835564-4
		Italy	Cassette	835564-4
		Japan	CD	POCP1001
			Promo CD
		Korea	12"	RG2039
		Netherlands	Cassette	835564-4
		Spain	12"	835564-1
1994	Polygram	France	CD	8355642
1998	Polygram France			835564
2005	Polydor		Digital	—
2005	Universal		CD - Digipack	9828262

Formats

France 12" CD CD – Picture disc Cassette CD – Digipack (since 2005) Other countries Collector edition – Promo – Europe (Germany, Italy, UK, Spain)1 12" – Spain 12" – Korea 12" – Canada 12" – Germany

12" – Promo – Canada CD – Germany CD – Japan CD – Taïwan CD – Promo – Japan Cassette – Netherlands Cassette – Italy Cassette – Canada 1 Contains the CD maxi for "Sans contrefaçon", the CD single for "Ainsi soit je...", the biography of Farmer translated into the language of the country, a documentary on video cassette and a lighter.