Charlotte Adigéry +
Bolis Pupul
When James Murphy complained about losing his edge to “better looking people with better ideas and more talent” twenty years ago, it’s easy to envision a duo like Charlotte Adigéry and Bolis Pupul as the young forward-thinkers he’s talking about. This electro-pop duo from Brussels are cut from a similar dancey cloth, but align their songs with empowering, satirical sloganeering and an expert ear for groove. Charlotte serves as a radiant and kaleidoscopic narrator, guiding us through her humorous yet all-too-real experiences with feminism, xenophobia, misogyny, and sexuality. Bolis Pupul, meanwhile, crafts the perfect underbed of analog synths, all-timer basslines, and vocal manipulations to propel these narratives from on-paper scenarios to fleshed-out, authentic moments. The duo’s chemistry is apparent across their 2022 album Topical Dancer, a tight record (and their first full length for Soulwax imprint DEEWEE) that contains enough contemporary culture touchpoints and elastic beats to make peak - Eno years David Byrne blush.
So when a duo of incredibly synergistic musicians make a wonderfully danceable and connectable studio album, how does it convert to the live setting? Well, after witnessing them tear it up at Elsewhere this past week, I can comfortably say that Charlotte Adigéry and Bolis Pupul are as magnetic live as they are on record, if not more so.
Take set opener “Hey” for example, a laid back and omnipotent track that serves as a modus operandi for a whole concert of modus operandis. An honest and warm self-portrait, Charlotte began the show with the utmost sense of vulnerability and visibility. From the jump, this pair generates the mellow energy of a safe space, one where you can be seen and heard, or meld with the crowd and get lost on the dancefloor.
Charlotte then took a brief moment to introduce herself, clad in a crocheted dress of daisies, and her compatriot Bolis, wearing an analog set of newspaper clippings. With high emotions and gratitude, Charlotte thanked us for being there, and then launched into a barrage of deeper cuts from their back catalog. Charlotte and Bolis have worked together for years, writing and producing both the Charlotte Adigéry and Zandoli EPs together in 2017 and 2019 respectively. However, Topical Dancer is the first time the duo is credited together. To hear the evolution of their synergy and songmaking over 5 years, all happening in the span of minutes, is as staggering as it is impressive. With impeccable live mixing, Charlotte and Bolis transitioned from Zandoli cut “High Lights” to “Blenda,” an early track from Topical Dancer, with such brevity it seemed like the two songs were meant to mesh.
Charlotte and Bolis marked the halfway point of the show with the distinct cooldown “Reappropriate,” a deceptively seductive call for women to reclaim their rightful femininity. With stuttering vocal layers and Charlotte’s contemplative plea, the song perfectly anchored us all back into the room before the second half of the set launched full throttle into dance magic.
Halfway through the spacey, head-bobbing sway of “Making Sense Stop,” Charlotte and Bolis broke from their spots on stage and sat at a table stage left, smiling and enjoying a pizza, while a recording of Charlotte and Bolis played “from two hours ago,” thanking the audience for coming and encouraging a brief reprieve to take it all in and enjoy a second of mindfulness. It was a blend of cheeky performance and authentic stock-taking, and was made all the better when Charlotte quickly handed the pizza box to the audience before hopping back into the groove mid-slice.
The show carried on in explosive fashion, with the toxic masculinity takedown “It Hit Me” slammed the crowd with a throbbing bassline and drums. Charlotte recounted tales of youthful ignorance to pervy older men and attempted seduction experiments, screaming gleefully as the house was pounded by the infectious beat.
“HAHA,” a delightfully melodramatic ode to FOMO and inside jokes, fits one lyric into the surrounding laughs and sobs: “Guess you had to be there.” The song felt too fitting for the night’s festivities.
The final trifecta of songs cemented the show as one for the books. “Mantra” filled the crowd with a driven sense of purpose, a call-to-arms encouraging everyone to focus on the rhythm and disconnect from life’s qualms, since “your body knows what to do”. Main set closer “Ceci N'est Pas Un Cliché” lit the whole dance floor on fire, with Charlotte and Bolis (and his bass) making their way offstage and into the crowd. People bounced, danced, shouted, cheered, and smiled. It was transcendent.
As a perfectly fitting encore track, the duo played “Thank You,” the closing song on Topical Dancer, sarcastically showing appreciation to those who endow Charlotte and Bolis with unwarranted suggestions, critiques, and comments. As if a wink to the audience, the song served as a sort of “How Not to Be a Charlotte Adigéry and Bolis Pupul Fan”. In the context of the show, however, the ironic tone almost verged on genuine. Almost. The act was maintained just long enough to warrant a sigh of relief as a tearful (and definitely genuine) thank you was offered to the audience, who returned the love with screams, cheers, and raised hands.
Charlotte Adigéry and Bolis Pupul make music for everyone, but with their cheeky wink and heart-on-sleeve authenticity, it establishes a bar for entry for anyone who takes themselves too seriously. This is “#IYKYK” music, and nowhere is that more clear than in their laidback, high-energy, and fun live show. I can talk it up all I want, but it won’t do the show justice. Guess you had to be there.
- Aaron
