Journeyman producer/composer Marc Collin has worked on various musical projects since the 80s, including underground electronic act Volga Select (with superstar DJ Ivan Smagghe), and various film and television scores. In 2003, he conceived the idea of reworking his favourite new-wave punk hits into lo-fi lounge covers, and his good friend and longtime collaborator, Olivier Libaux, was invited along for the ride. Guest vocalists, including Camille and Sir Alice, were the sweet and seductive cherries on the top, and Nouvelle Vague were ready to conquer the world, peacefully.

Paris-based Nouvelle Vague crept up on an unsuspecting public in 2004 with an eponymously titled, kitsch selection of classic post-punk songs remade as down-tempo bossa-nova numbers. Well-known tracks such as 'Just Can't Get Enough' by Depeche Mode, and even 'Teenage Kicks' by The Undertones were stripped of their punk credentials, and reconstructed into lilting and, occasionally, sinister lounge numbers.

The two extraordinary guest chanteuses were chosen not only on the basis of their incredible vocal talents, but also with the proviso that they were too young to be familiar with the original versions of the songs. As if the music itself wasn't post-modern enough, the album cover art was also lovingly crafted by hip designer, Giles Deacon as an exercise in lo-fi, noir-ish cool. Even their name was too good to be true, translating as "bossa-nova" in Portuguese, to match their sound, and "new-wave" in English, in line with their inspiration. Before long, it seemed every chi-chi bistro and coffee shop in the land was placating their customers with the soothing pastiches, and album sales soon topped a staggering 200,000 worldwide.

Nobody anticipated the overwhelming success of what was essentially a quirky concept album, least of all the band themselves. This left the group with a new challenge. How could they please an adoring public that demanded another piece of the band, while still remaining true to their original concept? Marc Collin: "After the unanticipated worldwide success of Nouvelle Vague's eponymous debut album, it seemed obvious that we had to continue the project. Keeping to the original concept - re-arranging the greatest, but rarely covered early 80s post-punk numbers in an original and personal way - we tried to once again re-evaluate music that was seldom considered in terms of real songs." Named after an esteemed Jean-Luc Godard new-wave movie, forthcoming album, 'Bande à Part' once again draws inspiration from snapshots of an exotic, romanticised past, but draws on a range of new influences and sounds to achieve a different vision.

Where the debut album was drenched in 'Girl From Ipanema' era Rio chic, 'Bande à Part' looks to an earlier period, and to different climes, for inspiration. In Marc's words: "I had the idea to set these songs in a very different dimension, namely the Caribbean between 1940 and 1970. Just as on the first album I'd imagined a young Brazilian girl singing 'Love Will Tear Us Apart' on a Rio beach in the 60s, this time I envisaged a young Jamaican with his acoustic guitar singing 'Heart Of Glass' in his Kingston township suburb." While retaining the laidback, summery vibe of the last album, this time elements of reggae, ska, calypso, salsa and even Haitian voodoo can be detected if you listen hard enough. Once again, the group have enlisted the services of several talented guest vocalists including several new voices. Gerald Toto is the first male to enter the fold, although his gender isn't immediately discernible from the sound of his voice, as his beguiling vocals are is inflected with masculine and feminine tinges. A definite highlight of the album, his beautiful rendition of 'Heart Of Glass' recalls 'The Tide Is High', Blondie's own stab at a reggae cover. Villeneuve lead-singer and M83 collaborator, Melanie Pain once again participates in several tracks on the new album, as do Marina Celeste, Silja, and the Australian, Phoebe Killdeer, who recently superceded Camille as tour vocalist. All are accomplished solo recording artists in their own right, and it is the subtlety and range of their vocals that separate Nouvelle Vague from the ten-a-penny competition found in the "chill-out" section of record stores.

When it came to track selection, the group were hard pushed to come up with a more intriguing line-up than last time. The formula that worked so well on the last album has not been deviated from, with mouthwatering hits such as New Order's 'Blue Monday' rubbing shoulders with more unlikely numbers, like Billy Idol's shameless ode to masturbation, 'Dancing With Myself'. One of the most fascinating inclusions on the album is the ambitious reworking of Visage's gothic synth-pop standard, 'Fade To Grey'. Marc Collin: "I had a particular scene in my mind: a young blind girl singing 'Fade To Grey' in the corridors of the Parisian Metro, alone with her accordion, ignored by everyone." A real stand-out on the album, the haunting track serves as an effective testament to the craft of Nouvelle Vague, as the original is used as a mere canvas upon which their own vision is painted.

Fans of the original artwork won't be disappointed either. The Guardian named 'Nouvelle Vague' as one of their 10 most beautiful album covers of 2004, and the latest installment is sure to garner similar accolades. Renowned fashion illustrator Julie Verhoeven was sought out for her edgy style of illustration that has previously been seen gracing the pages of The Face and Dazed And Confused, as well as the cover of Primal Scream and Kate Moss's 'Some Velvet Morning' single. While in keeping with the lo-fi, cinematic image of the first album she has managed to introduce a hint of the avant-garde this time around, with her hand-painted rendering of a shadowy female figure.

Whether you like it or not, Nouvelle Vague are set to be the soundtrack of your summer once again, and you'll be hard pressed to find a more pleasant wave to ride.

NOUVELLE VAGUE’S SECOND ALBUM, ‘BANDE À PART’ IS AVAILABLE NOW, ON PEACEFROG RECORDINGS AND PIAS. LIVE DATES INCLUDE: BIG CHILL, SUMMER SUNDAE, JAZZ CAFÉ PICNIC, SECRET GARDEN IN CAMBRIDGE AND THE CARLING WEEKENDER. JAZZ CAFÉ PICNIC FEATURING: ZERO 7, FEMI KUTI & POSITIVE FORCE, NOUVELLE VAGUE, BREAKESTRA, KOOP AND SNOWBOY & THE LATIN SECTION TAKES PLACE AT MARBLE HILL, TWICKENHAM ON SUNDAY AUGUST 13TH.

WORDS: CASPER CLARK