Tahiti 80 is a lounge pop band from Paris. Formed in 1994 and named after a logo on a novelty t-shirt, Tahiti 80 has gone on to become a prominent force in the lounge revival of the late 90s, joining other French bands such as Stereolab and Air, along with American counterparts The High Llamas and Friends Of Dean Martinez.
In 1993, Xavier Boyer (lead vocals, guitar, keyboards) was attending the University of Rouen when he met Pedro Resende (bass). Both immediately connected because of their love of 60s pop music (The Kinks, The Zombies, and Love) and the more modern sounds of Gorky's Zygotic Mynci and The Cardigans. They soon to decided to form a band, adding Mederic Gontier (guitar, backing vocals) and Sylvain Marchand (drums) and self-producing their first EP 20 Minutes in 1996.
After 20 Minutes was pleasantly received by the French press, the band toured for several years, and released an EP, ISAAC and a single, "Love From Outer Space." In 2000, the band decided to record a full-length. Traveling to New York, they found a producer in Ivy's Andy Chase. Ivy's other, more well-known member, Adam Schlesinger (also of Fountains Of Wayne fame and writer of the Oscar-winning "That Thing You Do") showed up in studio and laid down some keyboard tracks, and renowned trumpeter Eric Mathews (Cardinal) also helped out with the recording.
The final output was 2000's Puzzle, a frequent visitor to critics' end of the year top ten lists. Noted Japanese experimental artist Cornelius named the band one of his new favorites and invited them to appear on his label's compilation with Kahimi Karie. The band continued to perform and ride the wave of Puzzle, touring incessantly over the next 8 months.
In the spring of 2002, the band returned to studio, once again under the guidance of Andy Chase. This time, the result was Wallpaper For The Soul on Minty Fresh Records, a wonderful effort mixing pop and electronica on an extremely textured and nuanced palette.
Discography:
- "Things Are Made To Last Forever" 7" single, Poor, 1994
- 20 Minutes EP, Bobby, 1996
- ISAAC EP, Minty Fresh, 1998
- "Love From Outer Space" single, EMI, 1998
- Puzzle, Minty Fresh, 2000
- Heartbeat (Remixes), JVC Japan, 2000
- Extra Pieces, Minty Fresh, 2001 - a compilation of earlier unreleased material, demos, b-sides, etc.
- Wallpaper For The Soul, Minty Fresh, 2002
The band's "Yellow Butterfly" (from Puzzle) also appeared on Cornelius' Anchor compilation on his Trattoria label.
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