Oui Love Psych Made in France

There's a pretty special gig in London tomorrow, with three of France's contemporary psych acts taking tothe stage of Birthdays ahead of the Liverpool Psych Fest at the weekend.

Aquaserge, Makietta and Dead Sea are the acts performing in Dalston, all much rated by this blog.

The event is being held by the good people at Oui Love Music Made in France, in partnership with Rockfeedback and The Line of Best Fit.

It's the third time Oui Love has been held this year, and it's developing into a well-curated showcase for French acts in the UK.

France has been a fertile ground for fine psych acts in recent years, and the chance to immerse yourself in three of then is an opportunity not to be missed.

Liverpool Festival of Psychedelia: French acts

The Liverpool Festival of Psychedelia gets under way today, with two nights of cutting-edge
weirdness and strange sounds in the city.

While there are plenty of big names, whether more mainstream like the Super Furry Animal or more underground legends like Silver Apples, and newer names like Dungen and Demdike Stare, there's a healthy French presence at the event.

The Fete Souterraine event curated by the La Souterraine label at the festival tonight provides a unique and strange showcase for some very fine French acts.

It features  Aquagascallo, a pooling  of the talents of Tame Impala's  Julien Barbagallo, Julien Gasc and Benjamin Glibert performing works of Aquaserge, Barbagallo and songs from Gasc's solo catalogue.

Also on the bill at the event are drone folk act France, one of the highlights of last year's Rencontres Trans Musicales event in Rennes.

Also playingare Yeti Lane, who follow the releas of their L'Aurore album with a set  at the festival.
Elsewhere. Acid Mothers Temple, while firmly a Japanese act, are no strangers to France with their Occitan incfluenced albums La Novia and Mantra of Love.

While there are dozens of acts at the festival over the two days - it's quietly become one of the UK's most significant underground events - it's great to see some key French acts take centre stage.

Julien Gasc, Lenparrot and Lèse Majesté: Shuffle Festival

A chance to see a couple of interesting French acts in London this evening, with Julien Gasc,  Lenparrot and Lèse Majesté taking to the stage as part of the Shuffle Festival.

The three acts play at the The Migration Pavillion, Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park.

Julien Gasc and  Lenparrot are no strangers to this blog, Lèse Majesté certainly deserve a mention, while if not French by nationality, they certainly are by name.

They're also pretty good as well, which always helps.

So three interesting bands in an unusual venue. If you are in the area, well worth getting along to this if you can.

Festival: La Ferme Electrique

Another weekend of festivals on the horizon ahead, from the large to the small scale, bur one that
particularly appeals is the second editon of La Ferme Electrique in Seine-et-Marne, half an hour from Paris.

One the more intimate end of the festival spectrum, La Ferme Electrique last year offered up -amongst others - Orval Carlos Sibelius, Italy's Movie Star Junkies, Jessica 93 , and French new-wave innovator Charles de Goal.

This year the bill includes Chassol and Aquaserge, alongside Besoin Dead,  The Telescopes and many others.

This year sees it celebrate its sixth birthday, and beyond the live music there are exhibitions, T shirt and vinyl stalls.

It's an event with a laudible DIY attitude, and an atmosphere encouraging creativity and co-operation. Small but perfectly formed.

The event takes place in Tournan-en-Brie at the Ferme du Plateau in Seine et Marne Tomorrow, July 3 and Saturday July 4.

Latest details can be found on their website 

Aquaserge: À l'amitié

Aquaserge perfroming the track À l'amitié on Le Ben & Bertie Show on French TV  channel Paris
Première.

Aquaserge have been around for about 10 years, and I've featured them here before, their brand of psychedelia existing in the kind of interzone you might expect from a band that features Tame Impala drummer Julien Barbagallo, Melody's Echo Chamber collaborator Benjamin Glibert , former Stereolab member Julien Gasc and Acid Mothers Temple associate Audrey Ginestet.

They released the abum  À l'amitié in autumn last year, their fifth collection, which followed 2013's collaboration album with singer April March.

Aquaserge have some dates in the UK in May and  play London on May 20, with a gig at the Shacklewell Arms, with gigs also in Brighton, Manchester and Coventry.