Bardainne, Laurent
Prologue
For this new recording, made in Belleville at Fred Soulard's studio, he is joined by Pupajim (of French soundsystem crew Stand High Patrol) and the remarkable Mélissa Weikart on vocals"a virtuoso jazz musician I discovered at a festival, who doesn't really like labels, a fan of indie, free jazz, and UK garage." On instruments, it's none other than the full lineup of Poni Hoax. A first for Vincent Taeger, Nicolas Villebrun, and Arnaud Roulin, all reunited for the first time since the passing of Nicolas Ker in 2021: "When we met again in the studio to record This Is Your Song, we all understood that the song was dedicated to him," Bardainne recalls, visibly moved. And yet, even if the musical telepathy between the band members remains intact, this new EP is anything but a simple Poni Hoax retread. You can hear vocal influences ranging from Suzanne Vega to LCD Soundsystem in the electronic treatments, and even Sonic Youth in the rock-pop blend. Once again, a refusal to choose.