H/P – Programma (Album – BOREDOMproduct)
Genre/Influences: Electro-Pop.
Format: Digital, CD.
Background/Info: Happiness Project changed their name into H/P. Previous singles “Ultraviolin” and “Black Tea” revealed a true metamorphosis. “Programma” features ten songs of vintage Electro-Pop.
Content: The album stands in the tradition of BOREDOMproduct; pure Electro-Pop with delicate bleeps and retro sound treatments. H/P moved a bit further composing their songs with analogue equipment which only reinforced the 80s feeling. The songs remind me of bands like Taxi Girl, Kraftwerk, Visage and even Elli & Jacno. So it’s not really a surprise they invited Alain Seghir from the 80s formation Martin Dupont to play bass guitar on the last song of the album.
+ + + : The 80s approach is not the most original format, but real analogue gear still have this magic effect on me. Unique sound treatments mixing coldness together with melodies create the soul of this work. And it’s a great album revealing multiple noticeable songs like the already known singles “Ultraviolin” and “Black Tea”, but also the excellent opener “I Prefer Two” which sounds as the offspring between Kraftwerk and Taxi Girl. Another great piece of music is “The Alarmist”. It’s pure nostalgia and especially the strings are magic. “Les Choses” is another cool song I want to mention. Last, but not least I also like the production of the vocals revealing different songs featuring male- and female vocal parts.
– – – : I don’t have real minus points about this album, but let’s say that the ‘softer’ cuts like “Hope In The Distance” and “Black Tea” aren’t my favorites.
Conclusion: H/P has achieved a great piece of music. The metamorphosis from Happiness Project into H/P sounds like a great sonic upgrade.
Best songs: “Ultraviolin”, “I Prefer Two”, “The Alarmist”, “Les Choses”, “Programma”.
Rate: 8.
Artist: www.facebook.com/hp.programma
Label: www.boredomproduct.fr / www.facebook.com/boredomproduct Read the news on ‘Programma’.
BOREDOMproduct released “Programma” on 11 February 2022, digitally and on CD. The ten tracks are “I Prefer Two”, “The Alarmist”, “Les Choses”, “Hope In The Distance”, “Black Tea”, “9 Mars”, “Programma”, “Behind”, “Ultraviolin” and “Vicinities”.
The album was recorded at Synthélabo in Marseille. Lead vocals and synthesizers come from f/t, lead and backing vocals from c/p, and bass guitar, piano, strings, synthesisers and vocals from c/t. Member U-0176 played synthesizers, analogue sequencers and drum machines and handled programming, Alain Seghir added bass guitar to “Vicinities”, and Laurent Cristofol supplied analogue effects, mix and mastering.
Listen to “Programma”:
About h/p
h/p is the French electronic trio of Christelle Fournioux, Fred Tuyeras and Cyrille Tuyeras, who use the initials c/p, f/t and c/t. The group worked as Happiness Project until 2021, splitting lead vocals between two singers and combining synthesizers, drum machines and bass guitar.
As Happiness Project the trio released “Remove Or Disable” in 2008, “9th Heaven” and “Desillusion” in 2012, “Poupée Mécanique” in 2013, and “Mutation” and the “Big Cities” EP in 2018. They also took part in the BOREDOMproduct compilation “Broken Memory: a tribute to Martin Dupont” in 2017.
The name change came with the “Liquid Mirrors” EP and the two-track single “Ultraviolin” in October 2021, followed by “Black Tea” in December 2021 and “Programma” in February 2022. The trio talked about the shift in the Click Interview with H/P in May 2022.
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