LE POP - LA SÉRIE: SuperBravo

When opposites collide, something new, unexpected often emerges, in the best case something like magic. So it is with the duo Superbravo, consisting of Armelle Pioline - the former singer of the band Holden - and the guitarist Michel Peteau.

At the time, Musikexpress wrote about Holden: "Better than Air anyway". The sound was elegant and electronic, Pioline's voice floated like an angel over subtle beats and meandering timbres. Her current musical partner, Michel Peteau, comes from, as Armelle describes it, a kind of weed-soaked freak commune. She describes his Cheval Fou project, which he's been running since the '70s, as no-holds-barred psychedelic pop. All the more surprising how fresh and harmonious Pioline and Peteau sound together. His electric guitar playing underpins her uniquely warm vocals and sets them off perfectly. The whole thing stands on an electro-acoustic foundation that creates a hypnotic mix of chanson, quirky pop and vintage sound between analog synth sounds and chugging beats, but always melodic and catchy. Even if some might feel reminded of bands like Stereolab or Broadcast - Superbravo's music has its very own character, which is definitely worth discovering.

"Sentinelle", Superbravo's third album, was celebrated by the press in spring 2020 when the pandemic abruptly stopped all live plans. So it's all the nicer that the band is dropping in on us in Cologne right at the reboot. It's Superbravo's first concert in Germany, a long overdue debut.