Set for release on March 27th via Chloé Caillet’s vinyl-focused SMIILEWAX imprint.
Photo credit: Jen Cardini – Official
Jen Cardini will release ‘petit monstre,’ their first solo project since the 1990s, on March 27th, 2026. The record also inaugurates SMIILEWAX, a new vinyl-focused sub-imprint from Chloé Caillet’s SMIILE RECORDS.
The three-track EP introduces SMIILEWAX as a platform dedicated to club-oriented records designed for the dancefloor. With ‘petit monstre,’ Cardini presents a concise statement that bridges decades of club culture while focusing on rhythm and physicality.
Reflecting on the title, Cardini explains: “petit monstre is French for little, cheeky troublemaker, and I’ve been a proud little monster since 1974, very much still active.” The phrase captures both the playful tone of the record and the long trajectory behind the artist’s work in electronic music.
The EP opens with the original version of ‘petit monstre’, a stripped-back and percussive cut shaped by the rhythmic approach that has defined Cardini’s recent DJ sets. The second track, ‘petit monstre on acid’, references the sounds that informed their earliest years behind the decks, leaning into raw acid textures.
Closing the record, ‘petit drumapella’ focuses on groove and drum patterns, nodding to the influence of the New York underground club scene. Across its three versions, the EP moves between classic references and contemporary club functionality, creating a record designed for modern sound systems.
Pre-order ‘petit monstre’ here.
