Frédéric Parquet and Nicolas Germain, the creative minds behind the French duo HorseSugar, unveil their latest musical endeavor, “Clémence”, a 10-track LP blending electro-rock. They deliver nine tracks in French and one in English.

They recorded the album on Friday afternoons, a clear nod to the flexibility of their roles in France’s education sector… Parquet played all instruments, while Germain handled vocals and lyrics, with additional voices from Sephie Cochereau and Elia Figère. They recorded the album in Cheny and Jules Parquet produced it in Meudon.

The band describes “Clémence” as “a sonic exploration of heavy themes—childhood, nature, spirituality, despair, and identity—wrapped in an immersive, hypnotic beat and a machinist, guitar-driven texture.”

Musically the duo cites a broad range of inspirations, from Handel and Bach to Joy Division and M83, alongside French acts like Marc Seberg and Diabologum.

The album’s digipack features artwork by Belgian painter-sculptor Roland Devolder. Parquet, a longtime admirer, secured permission to use two of Devolder’s works, adding a visual dimension to the project.

You can check out the full album below on Bandcamp.

About HorseSugar

The story of HorseSugar begins in 2001 when Frédéric Parquet, a trained pianist and self-described ‘true musician’, meets Nicolas Germain, a writer and lyricist who idolizes Lou Reed, over coffee at work. Bonding over a shared disdain for mainstream acts like U2 and Queen, they connect through their love for My Bloody Valentine, The Cure, Joy Division, and The Velvet Underground.

In their early years, they experiment under names like Tout le Reste Est Parfait and Blesse, crafting a concept album on an 8-track recorder while juggling family life and day jobs.

By 2004, they adopt the name Horses Eat Sugar, release their first EP, “8,” and perform a handful of concerts with slide projections and theatrical staging. A brief hiatus follows in 2006, with Parquet diving into solo projects like Mechanism for People and Amor, while Germain publishes a novel in 2012.

By 2023, with more time on their hands, they reunite as HorseSugar to create “Clémence.”

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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