Up until a few months ago, we knew Le Matos – a duo comprised of SOCAN members Jean-Philippe Bernier and Jean-Nicolas Leupi — as one of Montréal’s best-kept secrets, whose string of releases and popular remixes (most notably the electro facelift they gave to Coeur de Pirate’s “Comme des enfants”) made them darlings of the indie scene.
That was until they participated in the original score of a feature film that seems on its way to become a cult movie, Turbo Kid. The film’s ‘80s-inspired sci-fi sensibilities were tailor-made for Le Matos’ retro-futurist experimentation. With many a vintage synth, the duo pays homage to Vangelis and the movies of John Carpenter. Killing two birds with one stone, the film also burst onto the international scene thanks to the its performance on the festival circuit (Sundance, SXSW, Fantasia, to name but a few). Their work has also been recognized with a nomination at the Jutra awards in the Best Original Music category.
Their album, Chronicles of the Wasteland, to which the movie’s soundtrack was tagged, was launched in December 2015, and allowed the duo to flex its creative muscles for everyone to see, most notably with an energized vocal collaboration with London-based chanteuse Pawws.
“Currently, we’re recording the original score for a Web series titled ‘Exode’ that will air on TV5. It’s a retro-feel sci-fi that takes place behind closed doors. Once again, we are exploring our love for everything 80s, but with a less cheesy and more ambient approach,” the guys tell us what they are working on in 2016. They are also working on a live performance for Chronicles of a Wasteland as well as a handful of releases and soundtracks.