Outtakes

Volar date for Toxic Avenger

The Parisian electro scene has produced some interesting figures - think Miss Kitten, Justice and the raunchy Uffie for example - but one of the strangest is arguably the Toxic Avenger, a masked marauder influenced as much by 1980s thrash bands as the electronic offerings of his peers.

The man behind the mask is Simon DeLacroix, and his releases on hip Paris label Ed Banger - also home to Justice and Busy P - are lo-fi concoctions of distorted synthesiser rock going by titles such as Stage Divin', Take It Like a Man and Love with Chloe Sevigny.

DeLacroix spent his teenage years in punk and hardcore metal bands before he started to make music with a cheap computer, but was not satisfied with the results until one day he added some distortion and discovered the sound that would make his name.

After donning a freaky mask and taking his name from an 80s B-movie, his Toxic Avenger solo project was born, and he has since also become a member of electro rock band the Black Milk and hip hop outfit Ed Wood is Dead.

The Toxic Avenger (top right) will now follow in the footsteps of countrymen Justice by appearing at Volar at the excellent series of Par-Ici monthly French music nights on December 28. Entry is free for members and HK$200 for non-members.