Tristesse Contemporaine

Tristesse Contemporaine

Tristesse Contemporaine is a Paris-based group formed in 2009. It consists of Narumi, Léo Hellden and Maik. Their work sits across synthpop, electronic music, experimental pop, new wave and electropop.

Formation and members

Narumi is born in Tokyo. She starts piano at the age of three and later enters the academy at 17. At school she forms an all-girl punk band and covers songs by Staline and The Cure. She comes to Paris in 1994 to learn French and study fashion, and she also works in music media and for the Japanese gallery Poetry of Sex.

Léo Hellden grows up in the suburbs of Stockholm and first aims for a career in hockey before taking up guitar at 18. Three years later he becomes the guitarist of Jay Jay Johanson and records three albums with the project: Tatoo, Poison and Antenna. He later moves to Paris, where he starts aswefall with Clément and studies economics. He cites Robin Guthrie of the Cocteau Twins as a major influence.

Maik comes from East London, where his Jamaican family still live. He begins writing lyrics after discovering Leonard Cohen. In the mid-1990s he becomes the singer of Earthling after answering an advertisement in The NME. He records three albums with the group, including the trip hop album Radar. He also takes part in Cuba, a group signed to 4AD, before moving to Paris.

Other projects and connections

Narumi takes part in Suburbia with Marc Collin, aswefall with Léo Hellden, and Telepopmusic. She meets Maik while touring with Telepopmusic.

Maik has a background in hip hop, and Narumi names Screamadelica by Primal Scream as her favourite album.