Martin Dupont

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Martin Dupont is a French electro, new wave and cold wave band formed in Marseille in 1980. Best known for their synth-pop melodies, [1] the original line-up consisted of Alain Seghir (vocals, bass, synthesizer, guitar), Brigitte Balian (vocals, synthesizer, guitar, bass) and Catherine Loy (vocals). Although Seghir remained the main songwriter, [2] the line-up changed with additions, including the classically trained musician Beverly Jane Crew (clarinet, saxophone, synthesizer). [3]

Contents

The band released three critically acclaimed albums: "Just Because (Facteurs d’Ambiance)" (1984), "Sleep Is A Luxury" (1985) and "Hot Paradox" (1987). [3] They broke up in 1988 but steadily developed a cult following over the following decades, and have been sampled by Kanye West, Tricky and Madlib. [3] [4] They reformed in 2022 and toured the following year. [1] [4] The song "Inside Out" from "Hot Paradox" (1987) was featured in the film Cuckoo (2024).

History

Alain Seghir grew up in Marseille and had interest in music from a young age; his strict father, however, forbade him from taking music lessons and sent him to a Catholic boarding school. [5] There, he joined the choir and was also able to further nurture his passion for music by playing bass and synthesizers. [5] Alain began dating Catherine Loy, who, despite not having a musical background, was convinced to sing on Alain's compositions. [6] Brigitte Balian, who had been playing in another band in a rehearsal room next door, was recruited into Martin Dupont as well. [6] Beverley Jane Crew, who had moved to Marseille from London, also joined the group, playing clarinet and saxophone. [5]

Alain has said that the artistic choice to sing in English rather than French stemmed from shyness but also because his father didn't speak English, so he could sing more openly without fear. [5] While recording and playing as Martin Dupont, Alain was also studying to become an ENT surgeon. [5] Once he had completed medical school, Alain became busy with his work, and "on a whim" sold all of his synthesizers; in the absence of an official break up, Martin Dupont became dormant. [5]

In 2009, Alain was contacted by Veronica Vascika, the founder of the New York City-based music label Minimal Wave, who expressed interest in rereleasing Martin Dupont's discography. [5] This, coupled with renewed interest in Martin Dupont's music, led the band to reform and begin playing concerts again. The album Kintsugi, a compilation of new recordings of some of the band's old songs, was released in 2023. [5]

Discography

Albums

Singles

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References

  1. 1 2 Minsoo Kim, Joshua. "French coldwave legends Martin Dupont embark on their first U.S. tour". Chicago Reader , 18 May 2023, Retrieved 16 March 2024
  2. ↑ "Martin Dupont". Minimal Wave Records. Retrieved 16 March 2024
  3. 1 2 3 "Martin Dupont: The Complete Collection 1980-1988". Minimal Wave Records, 2018. Retrieved 16 March 2024
  4. 1 2 "Cult new wave band Martin Dupont announce first new album since 1987". Resident Advisor, 2022. Retrieved 23 March 2024
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Bergmann, Boris. "Martin Dupont: The Misfortune of Being Unclassifiable". Rock 'n Folk, 26 March 2019, Retrieved 18 December 2024
  6. 1 2 Floribur. "Interview with Martin Dupont". ConcertAndCo, 21 January 2023, Retrieved 18 December 2024
  7. 1 2 3 4 "Martin Dupont – live in Berlin with Jennifer Touch and Warm Graves". Resident Advisor, 2023. Retrieved 23 March 2024
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