Hyphen Hyphen

Hyphen Hyphen

Hyphen Hyphen are an electropop group from Nice, France, formed in 2009. The line-up consists of Samanta Cotta, known as Santa, on lead vocals, guitar and keys; Romain Adamo, known as Puss, on guitar; Laura Christin, known as Line, on bass, chorus and percussion; and Zacharie Schütte, known as Zak, on drums and machines.

Style and performance

The group plays electro-rock with a sound that draws on indie and electronic influences. Their music is described as sitting between acts such as Klaxons, Late of the Pier, Talking Heads, Metronomy and Phoenix. On stage, they are associated with a high-energy performance style and use choreography, fluorescent painting and costumes as part of their shows.

Career highlights

Hyphen Hyphen are selected by Printemps de Bourges as one of the 30 best new bands in France. They win the Jury Prize in the Les Inrocks Lab competition in June 2011 and later receive recognition as Découvertes Printemps de Bourges 2012. Their second EP, Wild Union, is released in 2012.

The band also appears at major French festivals and events including Rock en Seine, Solidays, Calvi on the Rocks and Marsatac. They perform at Cannes Film Festival at the villa of Les Inrockuptibles, where they are received positively. They are later nominated by the SMAC network and FERAROK for the Best Live 2013 prize, and they are named a laureate of Détours ADAMI 2013 and FAIR 2013. In 2013, they continue to perform widely, including at MEG Montréal, Eurockéennes de Belfort, Sakifo Festival, Nuits Botaniques de Bruxelles and Terres de son.

Early reputation

By the early 2010s, Hyphen Hyphen build a live reputation through extensive touring and strong support from French media outlets including Les Inrockuptibles, Tsugi, Modzik, Le Mouv’ and OUI FM. The band are known for selling records directly at shows and for their interactive stage presence.