Lift Yr. Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven!

In French usage, “polar” refers to crime fiction; by extension, musique de polar denotes the distinctive sound of French crime-film scores from the 1960s–70s and their modern continuations. Musically it blends cool-jazz harmonies, noir-ish vibraphone and brushed drums with tense ostinatos for double bass, tremolo electric guitar, Hammond/Clavinet riffs and small string sections. Composers often alternate sparse, minor‑key cues for surveillance and dread with funkier chase cues and melancholic themes, creating a palette that is both urban and intimate. Notable early exemplars include Michel Magne’s 1965–67 crime scores later compiled as “Polars,” and François de Roubaix’s airy, modernist crime themes; recent French crime films keep the tradition alive with updated orchestration and electronics.