S.Lo on June 9th, 2018

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On this side of the pond, Hooverphonic first became known for their bluesy trip-hop hit “2Wicky” on the soundtrack to Bernardo Bertolucci’s 1996 film “Stealing Beauty,” prominently riffing on a sample from Isaac Hayes’ “Walk On By” at a time when the music industry was just beginning to accept the power of (and figuring out the publishing for) sampling and freaking out over the new digital mp3 format and file-sharing abilities of Napster. After 21 years and five vocal muses, the Belgian ambient alternative legends are still here, having weathered the digital storms through successful sync placements in films and commercials and touring Europe. 

Hooverphonic found their latest voice on none other but the television show the Voice (the Flanders version). Hooverphonic bassist and synth/samples/drums programmer Alex Callier happened upon Luka Cruysberghs when she auditioned on the show on Belgian national TV with Marilyn Manson’s version of the Eurythmics’ “Sweet Dreams” at the tender age of 16 last year. Choosing Callier as her coach, Cruysberghs stole the hearts of both Belgian television viewers and the judges as she swept past the competition to win the show. Little time passed before she was enthusiastically introduced with Callier and Hooverphonic cofounder Raymond Geertz as part of the new lineup of the band.

The renewed trio have released a new video, an anthem against romance smartly titled “Romantic.” Featuring Cruysberghs wandering through a sleepy seaside town, her beaming young voice belts lyrics of a stark realist, “Don’t take me to Venice, just take me back home / Don’t take me for granted, I’m not that kind of girl / Don’t bribe me with roses / Don’t be such a poser / Don’t try to seduce me, too / You’d like me ecstatic / I know I’ll regret it if I don’t tell it straight to you / I’m not romantic… Don’t be dramatic / ‘Cause I’m not romantic.”

With 9 albums (not counting their greatest hits and orchestral compilations) behind them and a new leading voice, Hooverphonic will hopefully share some more new songs that knock us cold. 

||| Watch: The video for “Romantic”

||| Live: Hooverphonic play the Bootleg on June 12, with Paul Freeman opening. Tickets