Nouvelle Vague means "new wave" in English and "bossa nova" in Portuguese, which nicely summarizes the group's concept: reproducing classic new wave singles with a Brazilian pop twist. Nouvelle Vague is the brainchild of French producers Marc Collin and Olivier Libaux. Before this collaboration came about, Collin played in the trip-hop group Ollano, composed film music such as The Kidnapper's Theme, and released electronic music ranging from club-oriented material to more eclectic tracks for Paper Recordings and Output Records. Libaux played in various French pop bands throughout the 1990s and began working with Collin in 1998. The producers found a handful of French and Brazilian vocalists unfamiliar with the original versions of songs such as Joy Division's "Love Will Tear Us Apart" and XTC's "Making Plans for Nigel," to ensure their interpretations had their own identity. After a break of a few years, Nouvelle returned. Vague returned in 2016 with 'I Could Be Happy', which featured original songs written by Libaux and Collin, alongside the expected new wave covers.
