“Impératrice” is French for “Empress”, and if their name is a difficult thing to grasp for anglophones, musically there’s nothing that doesn’t translate. Drawing from a range of genres, from 70s space disco to downtempo 90s synth pop, taking in French film composers like François de Roubaix and Michel Legrand along the way, the 6 Parisians have become a cornerstone of the reinvigorated French pop-music scene.
Sitting somewhere between classic pop and galactic disco, over just a few EP’s, L’Impératrice have become a cornerstone of the reinvigorated French pop-music scene. Their debut album Matahari mixes analogue space disco with ostentatious, irrepressible funk, a mightily impressive undertaking featuring swooping philly strings and emphatic brass. Some Paradise is the new single from Matahari. A glittering, cinematic summation of six years hard work that draws on some of the finest found sounds and forgotten sonic fandangos hiding in crates across the land, all given L’Impératrice’s own inimitable 21st century twist.
“A parade on its way to immodest latitudes”. Beneath ODYSSÉE’s naive and tender pop hide the decadent adventures of Theodora, byzantine empress and courtesan, whose charm and reputation for spellbinding dances preceded her. From tropical pandemonium to lunar safaris, she leads her entourage into the trances of a sensual odyssey, dipped in organic pleasures and shades of feverish rainbows. Inspired by the synth heritage of Lio’s Pop Model (“Agitations Tropicales”) and Air’s Moon Safari (“La Lune”), by way of Sebastien Tellier’s organic incandescence (“Parfum Thérémine”), the themes explored in ODYSSÉE are listened to with the indulgence granted to the shenanigans of a woman pushing her limits.
TAKO TSUBO – New album out on March 26th 2021!
Since the release of ‘Matahari’ three years ago, L’Impératrice has been living in a permanent state of vertigo. That debut album was followed by a whirlwind tour through the band’s native France, and then onto Italy, Mexico, California… but not before two sold out nights at the legendary Olympia in Paris !
‘Tako Tsubo’ is a breakup album, and Matahari’s romantic streak – predicated on the idea of an idealised heroine – has made way for a landscape more anchored in reality.
Virtuoso bass, vintage synth, glittering melodies and syncopated rhythms still describe best the vibe of this record, its sensual soul music and delectable disco.
