La Femme

Truly a mystery of a band, La Femme has just about blown me away. This French collection of extremely versatile musicians trades in electronic, trance-style vibes with flowing surf rock that seduces and entrances the mind.

“La Femme is a solar system. We don’t like the idea of having a leader or a chief. Everyone brings to the band what they can and want,” says guitarist Sacha Got in the band’s press statement. What an anti-egotistical and universal approach. Carrying out this technique allows the band to flourish in multi-dimensional ways and absolves it of any arrogant pretensions. As I submerged myself in their new album Mystere (out last month), I was overtaken by its simultaneously sensual, ominous, eerie, hypnotizing and energizing feeling. It’s an experience I’d recommend.

In terms of the band’s journey, Got and keyboardist Marlon Mangee began playing together in the French surf town of Biarritz before they moved to Paris to join forces with bassist Sam Lefevre, percussionist Nunez Ritter and drummer Noe Delamas. La Femme features multiple female vocalists in their music, most notably the voice of singer Clémence Quélennec. “The perfect female voice probably doesn’t exist so there are several singers. It suggests woman is a mystery,” the band explains in its statement.

If they can pull off anything close to the album on a live stage prepare to pick up little pieces of your mind up off the floor of the Doug Fir this month.»

– Ellis Samsara

*La Femme plays Doug Fir on Oct. 30. Tickets here.