Final Descent x ALICE presents: La Tène (fr/ch)

La Tène (FR/CH)
Hypnotic avant-folk, droning repetition and raw psychedelic force

Like a vast, humming sonic insect, La Tène move somewhere between the psychedelic and the primitive, the minimalist and the overwhelming. The French-Swiss sextet dissolve the boundaries between tradition and experimentation as repeated motifs, droning structures and raw textures grow into a massive, trance-inducing sonic embrace. Experience it for yourself this November when Final Descent and ALICE present La Tène at ALICE.

The concert is part of the series Les Nuits, showcasing new, French trad. at various venues in Copenhagen during the fall of 2026. Les Nuits is supported by William Demant Fonden, Knud Højgaards Fond, Koda Kultur & Nørrebro Lokaludvalg. Final Descent & ALICE are supported by Statens Kunstfond and Copenhagen Municipality.

Date: Friday 20.11.26
Doors: 20:00
Show: 21:00
Price: 170 dkr / 150 dkr for students
Venue: ALICE, Nørre Allé 7, 2200 Copenhagen

“La Tène deliver one of the best gigs I have ever seen, a mega-maximal expulsion of magma that builds and builds until it reaches totally ecstatic overwhelm” – The Quietus
Since releasing their debut ten years ago, La Tène have stood out for their distinctive sound, blending folk music, noise, dub and hypnotic minimalism. Originally a trio and now a sextet, they have since released four albums, praised as among the best of the year by influential publications such as The Quietus and The Wire. Through a long series of collaborations, the group have also repeatedly explored the spaces between old musical traditions and contemporary experimentation.

From the beginning, La Tène’s music has been driven by repetition as a kind of engine, with small musical movements repeated, shifted and amplified until they take on an almost physical force. In their sound, the roughness of wood and metal meets electronic textures and layers of dub, while the mechanical pulse of machines meets the organic breathing of the harmonium. With cabrette and bagpipes, guitar, bass, drums, harmonium and electronics, La Tène create music that feels at once ancient and futuristic.

La Tène are renowned for their live performances, where repetitive, trance-inducing pieces lasting up to 20 minutes slowly unfold and take shape like living sonic creatures. When Final Descent and ALICE present La Tène this November, audiences can look forward to a rare and intense listening experience as the group perform material from their three most recent albums live.

Line-up
Cyril Bondi – drums, percussion
Laurent Peter / D’incise – Indian harmonium, electronics
Guilhem Lacroux – guitar
Jérémie Sauvage – bass
Louis Jacques – cabrette (bagpipe from Auvergne), bagpipes
Jacques Puech – cabrette (bagpipe from Auvergne)

What people have said about La Tène:
“Another gem from France’s experimental hurdy gurdy underground, with a more traditional but no less mind-melding approach. 'La Tène is another example of this cyclic, repetitive trance music, but it’s mainly acoustic instrumentation which I think is really interesting. You don’t often hear that as new music.” - Stephen O’Malley from Sunn O))) in Bandcamp Daily

Read more at finaldescent.org