Bonus Episode: L'Impératrice
Photo by Gabrielle Riouah
Bear with me for a sec, I’m going to use Pokemon to describe today’s guest. Remember when we were introduced to Charmeleon and thought “man, can’t get better than this?” only for him to eventually evolve into a badass Charizard? In a weird way, that’s what happened with French disco-pop band, L’Impératrice. At the start, they were five friends who were cool as fuck, but then enters singer Flore Benguigui, whose vocals elevated the band to heights they only could’ve dreamed on. Their latest album, Tako Tsubo, is a beautiful example of what happens when serenity melds with experimentation. The bass-driven instrumentation compliments Flore’s delicate voice in such a profound way, leaving you feeling as though she’s singing directly into your ears as opposed to having the mechanical separation of speakers. The music of L’Impératrice is the kind of music you can listen to both on your way to the club and once you reach inside, and all of this is what we discuss on today’s bonus podcast.
I’m joined by Flore and Charles de Boisseguin (keyboardist/multi-instrumentalist) to talk about how they’re able to craft such distinct sounds, along with the band becoming a family and the experience of playing the Grand Palais in Paris.
By the time you hear this, the band will be wrapping up a tour in Europe with a massive show at the Zenith in Paris on March 28th. They’ll also be touring the states in April starting on April 5th, with appearances during both weekends of Coachella. You can find info on their tour here.
After you hear the episode, be sure to check out L’Impératrice’s track Anomalie bleue on the official New Exchange Playlist. Also, follow L’Impératrice on Spotify, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
