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Gamine (UK)
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June 08, 21:00
Central House of Artists 
Gamine are clearly a band out of time for. Frozen in a period of film noir, the duo of Ian - who composes - and Claudia Barton, the chanteuse, delivered albums of classy, wounded ballads that belong to another era altogether.
Sedate and morose, they are like a less tricksy version of Goldfrapp; their vision unadorned by trip-hop effects which makes their music even more authentically filmic. Occasional diversions into unusual song structures like tango in 'Black Window' offer pleasing surprises but their defining moment is the show-stopping eight minutes of 'A Good Hand', a classic melodramatic moment by anyone's standards.
Their last album is called Sabotage - originally a French word meaning to wander about in wooden, peasant clogs, carelessly breaking things. Well, it must be hard to look elegant in clogs, look at the Dutch...
Gamine don't actually wear clogs, well, not in public at any rate, but they do make music, which is a far more respectable pursuit in their opinion. In fact, they made so much that they decided to collect it all together as a gift to their adoring fans, though, of course, the adoring fans will demand to pay for it - some may even donate a month's wages just to get their hands on one of these precious little discs.
Gamine is originally a French word (actually, still is) meaning a kid (female), which the fashion industry got their grubby hands on (the word, and, possibly, the kid too). The saboteurs in question are Claudia and Ian who sing and compose respectively. They like melody. They like words. They like old films noirs, showgirls, torch songs, vinyl lps, Billy MacKenzie's voice, French words and pretty dresses. They like to soothe and unsettle all at once, to provoke and reassure and entertain, to make the unfamiliar familiar, and the familiar unforgettable.
In the end it all boils down to an album of gorgeously moody melancholia which is tinged with jazz, country, tango and romance, though is really none of these if strict modern categorisation is followed. In any case, our job is just to provide the music, it's yours to describe it.
Gamine also decided it would be nice for their glamorous and sophisticated lady fans if they designed a scent for them to wear whilst listening to their idols' music. So, after extensive research by Gamine's team of scientists into new, sensual scent molecules, 'Sabotage' the perfume was born.
And at the moment it is available exclusively from Gamine, at their concerts and, after a long search for a boutique stylish and chic enough to be able to handle such a rare commodity proved unsuccessful, from their own cyber-boutique.
Yes, Gamine's generosity knows no bounds as they often reward their fans with concerts, and when they do, they like to make them special, playing in unusual and interesting venues with the loveliest guest artistes they can find.
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