Formed in 1989, Parisian band Lofofora is one of France's pioneers of the "fusion" style, combining funk, rap, hardcore rock and metal. Originally made up of Reuno Wangermez (vocals), Philippe Curty (bass), Karl Schneider (guitar) and Eric "Ragout" Rossignol (drums), the group - which takes its name from the scientific name of the peyote cactus, lophophora williamsii- met up for rehearsals at the Hôpital Ephémère, a venue in the 18th arrondissement of Paris made available to visual artists and alternative rock bands. After numerous local concerts at the turn of the 1990s, the band, supported by a manager, produced an EP entitled L'Oeuf (1994), followed by an appearance at the Transmusicales in Rennes and various articles in the press. Immediately signed to the Virgin label, Lofofora recorded a debut album of the same name, released in 1995, which proved a success in the alternative rock sphere. That year, the band played over a hundred concerts, from France to Canada, before returning to the studio for the album Peuh! (1996), leaning more towards alternative metal with producer André Gielen, who also produced Dur Comme Fer (1999). Lofofora returned to independent status, first with the Hostile label, then with At(H)ome, and continued with Le Fond et la Forme (2003), without losing any of their initial energy. A new generation of fans even discovered the band through their many festival, radio and TV appearances. The musicians changed, but the formula remained the same on Les Choses Qui Nous Dérangent (2005), followed by Mémoires de Singes (2007), the fruit of a residency at Mains d'Oeuvres studios in Saint-Ouen with producer Laurent Extemendi. In 2008, Lofofora celebrated twenty years of existence with the release of a boxed set featuring all their albums. Affiliated with the Le Bal des Enragés collective for a major tour, they followed this up with the albums Monstre Ordinaire (2011), L'Epreuve du Contraire (2014), Simple Appareil (2018) and Vanités (2019). After the Covid-19 pandemic interrupted their activities, the band returned in 2024 with Coeur de Cible.
