A chance meeting between noted blues/rock guitarist Sylvain Laforge and former New Yorker Angela Randall in 2009 has now led to the formation of ‘Lux’, an electrified alt-folk sort of outfit based in Paris. Having played the big festivals and all the major venues in Paris and abroad with the Rita Mitsouko, Lux is a more intimate affair for this guitarist and composer. A strong believer in the purity and tradition of blues (‘Everything I do is the blues’) there was an immediate chemistry with his music and Angela’s understated lyrics. Shortly after their first meeting, they were writing songs and gigging together. Imagine Natalie Merchant wandering into Villa Nellcote when the Stones were recording Exile on Main St. and you’ll get a flavour of who they are and that seductive allure of punchy guitar and wounded lyrics. LUX reflects the idea that all songs should work with just guitar and voice and, similarly, the spare lyrics tap into that same traditional aesthetic uncomplicated by layers of production or studio gimmickry. As ‘Rough Translation’, their songs and performances were the gentler side of Americana but now, having just recorded a 5-track demo at Studio Black Box with Peter Deimel, Lux is flaunting a distinctly rockier sound. Recorded live, showcasing the consistently stunning guitar work, these full-band recordings not only breathe new life into their repertoire but reveal great promise for new songs, new performances and new followers.