Sydney-based producer and multi-instrumentalist Nathan Hawes, better known as KESMAR, has teamed up with Flore Benguigui, who is THE voice of French disco pop band L’Imperatrice. Their funky, summery collaboration, “Johatsu,” is an ode to escapism as it explores the Japanese concept of Jouhatsu: these people who decide to disappear without a trace.

“It was originally just an instrumental set to close the EP,” he explained. “I put a little snippet on my story, and Flore replied that she liked it. We had been song-sharing for a fair while, but we never really got around to properly collaborating. I sent her the track and said, ‘Hey, if you hear any melodies, feel free to try something.’ The next day or so, she sent back two whole verses that were pretty much finished.”

About the lyrics, Flore added:

“I am fascinated by Japanese culture, and I recently discovered the Johatsu phenomenon. People who choose to discreetly disappear from their lives when things get too hard and decide to start from zero somewhere else, leaving all their siblings and projects. I couldn’t help but make a connection with love, and more precisely with the boy I used to love and who suddenly left me, without any explanation. Besides, I felt Nathan’s song had this Japanese city pop vibe that I instantly loved. The music could fit the topic, but the mood was rather sweet. So, when I composed the melody, I thought I had to bring some melancholy into the lyrics. I enjoyed working on this song so much. It’s the first time I created something from a distance with somebody I don’t even really know, but whose music tastes are so incredibly close to mine!”

Watch the accompanying visuals, made of archival footage from KESMAR’s parents’ European holiday circa 1981.

If you’re a regular reader of HighClouds, you certainly know that the French funk pop collective L’Impératrice released an imperial version of their debut album Matahari a couple weeks ago. If you did not know that, it’s time to catch up: you certainly don’t want to miss their retro-futuristic groove.

To celebrate this re-release, the Parisian band unveiled some stunning visuals for the tracks “Là-Haut” and “Matahari.” Today, they’re unleashing a brand new clip for the exotic and glittering song “Some Paradise”. Directed by ZEUGL, the psychedelic animation brings us to a fanciful and luxurious planet where a fascinating wildlife with sensual shapes freely swarms and hops. Watch L’Impératrice‘s new video below.

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A few weeks after the video of “Là-Haut“, French collective L’Impératrice keeps on teasing the international release of their debut album “Matahari”.

They have now unveiled brand new visuals for the expansive and shiny title track of the project, “Matahari”, which is nothing else than a festival of brass, synths and nu disco groove. Directed by Julia & Vincent, the retro video brings us back in the 70s, a fanciful decade that is obviously an inexhaustible source of inspriation for the band. In their own words: “Albums that sold 500 copies in the 1970s are the records that interest us most”. Watch below and feel the rhythm.

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2019 is here and all signs indicate that French pop artists have the wind in their sails, twenty years after the French Touch invasion. Following a very successful release in France in 2018, L’Impératrice are the latest band to opt for an overseas adventure. Intermingling 70s space disco with downtempo 90s synth-pop and majestic jazz-funk, the debut album of the Parisians, Matahari, will be released worldwide on April 5. Dreaming big is not a nonsense when your band name means “The Empress”.

Driven by crystalline synths, L’impératrice‘s intriguing instrumental “Lá-Haut” opens the album and acts as the first single. It comes with a trippy Aymeric Bergada-directed video and perfectly introduces the mysterious universe of Matahari. The bewitchment has just started…

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Each spring, Brussels’ cultural institution Le Botanique opens the festival season with their inescapable Les Nuits Bota. This year again and before everyone, they bring exciting, emerging and established artists to Belgium, in human-sized venues. Even if some shows are already sold-out, there is still a lot of jewels to discover and we made a small selection to help you make your program.

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First of all, let’s focus on the boiling Belgian line-up and if you’re familiar with HighClouds, all these names should sound familiar. The amazing Blackwave. and YellowStraps will make you move with their chill and groovy vibes. If you prefer cinematic and emotional electronic music, then Haring and Rari are here for you. We take the bet that the two girls of Juicy will energise the crowd with their retro-futuristic R&B and hip-hop music. Ulysse, Pale Grey and Tessa Dixson are certainly the most exciting acts on the Belgian indie pop scene at the moment.

Amongst the international acts that we don’t need to introduce, we’d like to mention the -already sold-out- concert of Charlotte Gainsbourg whose last album “Rest” was particularly good. Impossible to miss the noise-pop os U.S. Girls, the synth-pop odyssey of Porches, the style of Eddy de Pretto and the groove of Jungle.

French acts Malik Djoudi, Royaume, Polo & Pan, Bagarre and L’Impératrice should undoubtedly make memorable sparks. Amen Dunes just released one of the best albums of 2018 so far and he’ll be playing it in Brussels. South African queer artist Nakhane will bewitch you with the songs of his new album “You Will Not Die”. Be ready to dance with pop princess Mabel and to swag with Little Simz. Finally, new alternative sensation Yellow Days will also join the party.

Check the 2018’s full line-up of Les Nuits on their website and via their Spotify playlist below.

As a blog based in Brussels, we pay special attention to the acts coming from our country, as you can see it in our column “Belgitunes“. In our last playlist, “20 songs from artists based in Belgium, you can already find songs from Warhaus that will be playing at Cirque Royal on the 20th, Wuman that will be opening for Fishbach on the 14th and Robbing Millions that will be playing with BRNS at Cirque Royal on the 17th.

Brussels-based trio Pale Grey will be celebrating the release of their EP on the 15th and our favorite duo Rive will play their debut EP “Vermillon” on the 18th. Electronic acts Monolithe Noir and Le Motel will be playing on the 13th and the 15th, and Lubiana and Hydrogen Sea on the 19th at the Grand Salon De Concert. And to end our Belgian selection, the hip hop collaborators Caballero and JeanJass will be playing on the 19th at the Orangerie.

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Our French neighbors are also very represented on this edition with the concert of the French Björk called Camille that will be presentating, on the 12th, her new album “Ouï” set to be released in June. One of our favorite newcomers and selected in our promising list for this year, Agar Agar, will be opening for Magnus, on the 15th and Jacques, one of our favorite gigs of 2016, will be back on the 17th at the Cirque Royal.

French songstress Juliette Armanet will be presenting her perfect combination of piano and beautiful texts on the 18th and Frànçois & the Atlas Mountains their combination of indie with catchy pop on the 20th. One explosive night is preparing itself on the 20th with three of the most exciting pop acts that France has to offer: Bagarre, L’Impératrice and Her.

This year, the Nuits Bota 2017 will definitely not disappoint you with their innovative selection of the best artists.

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As party goers and people who like to dance, we couldn’t let the electronic genre on the side. With acts as Romare (13th), FKJ (13th), Hercules & Love Affair (14th) and Youngr (14th), we are ready to party! It’s not a big surprise that we are huge fans of Kelly Lee Owens, specially after the release of her debut self-titled album. With her pure techno release, she will for sure make travel into the unknown. The Nuits Bota are also preparing for you an afterparty on the 22th where artists such as Babyfather and Zebra Katz will be ready to burn down the house.

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As is it important for us to promote female acts, as you can see in our Homocore section, we also are going to pay a lot of attention to all of the rock and folk singers represented during the Nuits Bota. Artists such as Chantal Acda and Angel Olsen have been liked by many of our writers as they know how to show emotions thoughout their music.

Quartet The Big Moon will be opening for the incredible Jesca Hoop, on the 12th, being one of most expected nights of the entire festival. And last but not least, we couldn’t miss to mention the trio, that is comprised of two women, Cherry Glazerr that will be playing on the 17th.

As boys are not forgotten, we made a little selection of a few of them. Thomas Azier will be playing on the 18th with our friends of Rive, Ulrika Spacek will be playing on the 16th as an opening act for Communions and Asgeir on the same day at the Cirque Royal. And we finish our (very extensive) selection with Alex Cameron that will be playing on the 19th and Kele Okereke that will be playing on the last days of the Nuits on the 21th.

You can go check the entire program for the Nuits Bota by clicking here, check the playlist of our selection and the official trailer below.

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