Sparrow and Mountains

I rather fell for Mesparrow last night, with her Mary Quant hair and her set of loop pedals. Mesparrow (Yes: Piaf/sparrow - They are both small in stature and big in voice, that is where the comparisons end.) was supporting Fránçois & The Atlas Mountains on the first night of Vive La France 2012.

She begins with a basic accapella loop, and sings over the top, taking breaks to add in vocalised orchestrations and harmonies, some twee beat-boxing, sound effects, and on one occasion some gutsy heaving and puking sounds. Each song builds up in this way, before she pares it down, stacks up some more loops and brings her little symphonies to and end. How on earth she can remember what fits where and when and how, heaven knows, there seems to be so so much going on at every moment and each interlocks perfectly into the whole - truly captivating pop!



She took a break to play a smokey torch-song on a huge electric piano, then more multi-part compositions, then closing with a fragile china-doll rendition of 'My Heart Belongs To Daddy' breaking into a bluesy stomp for the choruses, and stuttering the last line over and again like a broken talking automaton.



Then came Fránçois & The Atlas Mountains. The last time I saw him, it was just he alone in the huge Duke of Yorks cinema, creating a cascading wall of echoing drum and acoustic guitar, almost apologetic for his presence on stage. The ("first french signing to the Domino Recording Co") Fránçois of 2012 fronts a taut band of flailing and diving musicians intent on spreading their sweet indie/afro-beat fever and producing a joyful mountain of shimmering lo-fi dance-pop.



I reckon just about EVERY single person left the Green Door Store with a smile on their face and a heap of French joy in their hearts.

Vive La France 2012 begins tomorrow

Brighton's annual French music festival Vive La France begins tomorrow.

L'Amour Electronique will be taking part this year DJing on Friday at The Hope alongside Turzi and Concrete Knives, and then bringing the festival to a close on Saturday night at the after-show party at Plateau [full info about both shows here].

Vive La France 2012

In January our L'Amour Electronique soirée will be a special one-off as part of Vive La France 2012.

We will be providing musical entertainment at the end-of-festival party:
Saturday 28th January 2012
L'Amour Electronique @ Vive La France
11pm - 2am
Free Entry
VENUE: Plateau, 1 Bartholomews, Brighton, BN1 1HG

We will also be playing interlude records between bands at one of the gigs:
Friday 27th January 2012
Turzi + Concrete Knives + Halfway + L'Amour Electronique DJs
VENUE: The Hope, 11 Queens Rd, Brighton, BN1 3WA
doors 8pm
entry £5/£6

download the full programme for Vive La France 2012



[nb there is no L'Amour Electronique in December]