Freelance journalist Sarah Bradbury on Agar Agar's The Dog And The Future
I first caught wind of French electronic duo Agar Agar earlier this year, when a few of their tracks, such as Prettiest Virgin from 2016’s debut EP Cardan, furrowed their way into my ears. But my appreciation was only fully realised after I saw their electric and entirely bonkers live show at Pop-Kultur festival in Berlin last month.
Made up of the effortlessly cool pair Clara Cappagli and Armand Bultheel, who met at Parisian art school, Agar Agar take their name from the red jelly-like substance derived from algae because, well, not every artist is bothered about how easy they are to Google. They’re part of a wave of acts From France that includes Christine And The Queens, but Agar Agar’s electro-pop sound carves its own niche, drawing on influences from instrumental electronica to techno, punk to melodic pop.
Cappagli’s laid-back vocals are layered over retro-edged synths and contagious beats. Deliciously quirky lyrics and visuals and dark undertones (see Sorry About The Carpet and Fangs Out) pull them firmly away from bubblegum, while a give-a-shit attitude adds appealing edge.
With debut LP The Dog And The Future on the horizon, they look set to win over a much wider audience.
