Modular synths, harmonica, and drum machines drive the new single
Patche’s latest single Boulet functions around an economy of rhythmic repetition. It adopts 1990s techno as its frame of reference, specifically pointing to the sonic palette of the Roland TR-909. The band’s intention, reportedly, was to retain the inflexible pulse of machine-driven music without sidelining the physicality of five human performers. The result is a track that maintains structural rigidity while permitting a full-band execution without falling into pure sequencing.
Artist: Patche
Release Date: 2025-04-17
Genres: Electronica, Krautrock, Techno
Label: popop records
Description: Patche release Boulet through popop records ahead of a 2025 album and tour, referencing TR-909 rhythms and live modular performance.
The arrangement centres on modular synth textures, processed drum machine layers, electric bass, acoustic drums, and harmonica. The current lineup includes Eliott Durocher Bundock, Étienne Dupré, Lévy Bourbonnais, Mandela Coupal-Dalgleish, and JB Pinard. These names appear across other projects in Québec’s experimental and pop margins, including Mon Doux Saigneur, Alex Burger, Lumière, Duu, zouz, and Zombie Life Mon Coeur.
Patche has released two albums to date. A third is scheduled for 2025 through popop records. Activity over the past year includes appearances at events such as Festival de Jazz de Montréal, La Noce, FME, and a sequence of dates in Europe, closing 2024 with a showcase performance at De Bars en Bars in France. A second European tour is planned for 2025.
Formed in Montréal, Patche operates within a field adjacent to krautrock, techno, and instrumental dance music, but resists settling into any of those categories entirely. The project foregrounds hardware synthesis and improvisational structures, with compositions often developed around rehearsal-based iterations rather than digital construction.
Étienne Dupré is also credited with work in zouz and Mon Doux Saigneur, while JB Pinard has contributed to Lumière and Zombie Life Mon Coeur. Their use of modular gear and analog instrumentation aligns them more closely with performance-focused electronic acts than with purely studio-based producers.
Tour dates
UK
08.05 Focus Wales (Wrexham) @ Penny Black
09.05 Focus Wales (Wrexham) @ Glyndwr
10.05 Focus Wales (Wrexham) @ The Rockin’ Chair
14.05 London @ Shacklewell Arms
15.05 The Great Escape (Brighton) @ Patterns Up
16.05 The Great Escape (Brighton) @ Dust
17.05 The Great Escape (Brighton) @ Komedia
17.05 Get Together Festival (Sheffield) @ Heist Brewery
QC
21.06 La Commission B (Saint-Casimir)
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