Poni Hoax, a French band born in the early 2000s under the impulse of Laurent Bardainne, immediately emerged as the union of converging forces: on one side, the precision of a composer and instrumentalist breaking away from jazz conservatory traditions; on the other, the magnetic presence of Nicolas Ker, a terminal new wave crooner with a sepulchral voice.
Surrounded by Arnaud Roulin on keyboards, Vincent Taeger on drums, and Nicolas Villebrun on guitar, they made an instant mark with "Budapest"—dark and haunting—followed by the unstoppable "She’s on the Radio", crafting a unique identity that blended the venomous elegance of Roxy Music, the tension of New Order, and the fervor of Larry Levan.
With "Images of Sigrid", Poni Hoax achieved the miracle of an instant classic before continuing their journey with "A State of War" and "Tropical Suite", sonic odysseys haunted by memory and distant horizons. On stage, it was either an apocalypse or a revelation—a Formula 1 driven by a gang of Gremlins, a blazing energy leaving only burning embers in its wake. The adventure came to a tragic end with the passing of Nicolas Ker in 2021, as the notes of Laurent Bardainne’s saxophone rose into the gray skies of Père-Lachaise, the final echo of a dazzling odyssey.
In 2025, Poni Hoax celebrates its 20th anniversary with the release of "Greatest Hits: Everything is Real".
