OohLaLA London Releases Mixtape
Featuring Moodoïd, Mélissa Laveaux, Tomorrow’s World + Lescop, First Night Is Now Sold Out
A big celebration of new French music 21st, 22nd + 24th October at Village Underground
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OohLaLA has released a mixtape of all nine acts playing their inaugural London event in October 2013. OohLaLA is a big celebration of new French music, happening at East London’s Village Underground on the 21st, 22nd and 24th October 2013, featuring a range of Gallic talent from the legendary Dominique A to Tomorrow’s World’s cinematic pop and Moodoïd’s dreamlike psych rock.
Listen to the OohLaLA mixtape here as curated by The Line of Best Fit, starting with the atmospheric ‘Drive’ by Air and ex-NYPC collaboration, Tomorrow’s World:
Additionally we’re thrilled to report that the first night of OohlaLA has now sold out, the 21st October event stars polemic Parisian post rockers ≠ FAUVE, electronic songwriter Petit Fantôme (also of François and The Atlas Mountains), and Tame Impala-endorsed Moodoïd with a dj set from Stereolab’s Laetitia Sadier.
Tickets are still available for the 22nd October featuring the influential experimental songwriter Dominique A, the Interpol-esque Rover and genre-meshing riot grrrl Mélissa Laveaux plus The Line of Best Fit DJs.
And on the 24th October, OohLaLA welcomes Savages label mate and no wave disco artist Lescop to the Village Underground, alongside Jean Benoit Dunkel and Lou Hayter’s noirish Tomorrow’s World, 80s electro pop from Christine and The Queens and The Quietus DJs.
Get OohlaLA tickets at Billetto HERE.
RSVP to the Facebook event.
Watch the stylish trailer to OohLaLA! London:
Read on for full details on each act, alongside video and mp3 links for more info.
Monday 21st October – plus Laetitia Sadier DJ set – SOLD OUT
≠FAUVE
Parisian band ≠ FAUVE are quite the zeitgeisty phenomenon in France right now. They’re similar aesthetically to British Sea Power and MONEY, also sonically reminiscent of Mogwai (but with more overt hip hop influences). ≠ FAUVE is an open collective that operates on various formats (music, videos, visuals, web, etc.) to put forth and share their common intention and belief: tell of the starkness of modern human relations, refuse defeat, have the right to weakness, the almighty power of words and the never-ending quest for love with a big L (whichever that may be).
Watch the intense mini film for ‘Blizzard’, as realised by Noki Powlonski and ≠ FAUVE:
Petit Fantôme
Petit Fantôme is the eclectic solo project of Pierre Loustaunau (Crane Angels, François & the Atlas Mountains). His songs are made of odds and ends, full of poetic moments plundering the depths of his soul and wrapped in well-crafted pop melodies. During this hazy, sometimes shoegazey voyage, Petit Fantôme pays homage to influences as diverse as Do Say Make Think, John Frusciante and The Notwist.
Stream ‘Yallah EP’ in all it’s full kaleidoscopic glory: http://petitfantome.bandcamp.com/album/yallah
Mixing psychedelic with world music, the songs of newcomer Moodoïd (aka Pablo Padovani, son of cult jazz player Jean-Marc Padovani and guitarist for Melody’s Echo Chamber) evoke the tropicalism of Os Mutantes, the dreamy atmospheres of Connan Mockasin and the freedom of 70s French prog rock bands like Gong. Moodoïd’s first EP, featuring the acid-fried ‘Je Suis La Montagne’ as mixed by Kevin Parker is out now on Third Side Records.
Check out the brilliantly kaleidoscopic video for ‘De Folie Pure’:
Tuesday 22 October – plus The Line of Best Fit DJs
Dominique A
Dominique A is widely viewed as being the one of the most innovative French songwriters of recent years and subsequently an inspiration for a whole new musical generation including François & The Atlas Mountains, Françoiz Breut and Yann Tiersen. He was one of the first modern French musicians to find a new voice outside of the traditional constraints of ‘la grande chanson’ and to encourage others that it was possible to make music that reflected their tastes and feelings using the French language. His musical achievements were officially acknowledged by today’s French music industry when he won Best Male Artist at this year’s Victoires de la Musique (France’s Brits).
Watch the recent video for ‘Rendez-nous La Lumiere’, taken from ‘Vers Les Lueurs’:
Rover
Some might say that Rover has the appeal of a Gallic Paul Banks or Spencer Krug, his intense new wave music providing the perfect compliment for his darkly poetic lyrics and distinctive octave-scaling voice. The French release of his debut eponymous album earlier this year brought much acclaim for the young songwriter, with the record charting at an all time high for a brand new artist.
Watch the dramatic video for elegant album track ‘Queens Of The Fools’:
Melissa Laveaux
Born to Haitian parents in Montreal, Mélissa Laveaux moved to France six years ago when she signed to No Format (also home to Chilly Gonzales). Laveaux’s style is self-assured: a combination of folk, indie, tribal percussion, her signature percussive finger-style blues guitar all topped with her rich and gritty vocals. ‘Dying Is A Wild Night’ is an elegant record executed with the depth of a well-seasoned artist and production values of Santigold or Goldfrapp.
Watch album track ‘Pretty Girls’, as performed live at Point Ephemere, Paris:
Thursday 24 October – plus The Quietus DJs
Lescop
Lescop released his cooly understated debut album via Pop Noire in the UK this summer, with his sleek mix of no wave disco and post punk fast gaining the adoration of The Quietus, Time Out and The Fly. Lescop already had a credible reputation amongst savvy music lovers in his homeland, with ‘Lescop’ provoking a smattering of critical applause from the likes of Les Inrockuptibles, Libération, and Tsugi.
Watch the video for album standout, ‘La Nuit Américaine’, as hailed by The Quietus as one of their tracks of 2013. This clip was directed by Sylvie Verheyde and is an extended cinematic exploration of the track, based on an idea by Lescop:
Tomorrow’s World
Tomorrow’s World make noirish cinematic pop, a joint venture between London-based singer and musician Lou Hayter and Jean-Benoit Dunckel of Air. Their eponymous debut album stalks the hinterland of Ballardian aesthetics, industrial electronics and soulful pop, being released earlier this year through Paris-based Naïve Records.
Watch the classy video for ‘Drive’:
Christine and The Queens
Fresh from appearing at The Great Escape and releasing EP ‘Nuit 17 à 52? on Because in June, Christine and The Queens makes alluring electronic pop music sparkling with superstar charisma. Sonically she combines the vulnerability of Bat For Lashes, Lykke Li’s pop nous and Prince’s funkiness, all making for a great live show where Christine slinks and slides across the stage like a female Michael Jackson.
Watch the video for ‘Narcissus Is Back’:
More about OohLaLA!
Founded in 2009 by Sylvain Taillet (head of A&R for French label Barclay/Universal Music France), OohLaLA! is an international multi-day celebration showcasing the best artists from the French indie, pop, rock and electronic scene. Previous line-ups have featured Sebastien Tellier, Tinariwen, Kavinsky, Nouvelle Vague, Citizens!, Brodinski, Gonzales, General Electriks, François and The Atlas Mountains to name but a few. Originating in Los Angeles, the festival has successfully expanded to take place in San Francisco, New York, Montréal and now London.
OohLaLA! London is promoted by 2 For The Road Productions in association with the Bureau Export and Institut Français and presented by The Line Of Best Fit.