The band achieved international recognition through the inclusion of the track 2Wicky (from A New Stereophonic Sound Spectacular) on the soundtrack to Bernardo Bertolucci’s 1996 film Stealing Beauty (Io Ballo da Sola).
The original members of the group were vocalist Liesje Sadonius, keyboardist Frank Duchêne, bass guitarist and programmer Alex Callier, and guitarist Raymond Geerts. Sadonius left Hooverphonic on amicable terms shortly after the release of A New Stereophonic Sound Spectacular and was replaced by Geike Arnaert in early 1998. Duchêne left the band after Blue Wonder Power Milk. Arnaert left the band in 2008 and was succeeded by Noémie Wolfs. On March 26, 2015 the band announced that that Noémie Wolfs would be leaving the band "in mutual agreement."
Hooverphonic released their fifth studio album No More Sweet Music in November 2005, featuring four singles: Wake Up, You Hurt Me, Dirty Lenses and We All Float. One year later they released a Best Of album called Singles 96-06. This was their last release under the Sony label.
Hooverphonic released their sixth studio album The President of the LSD Golf Club on 8th October 2007 in Sint-Niklaas, Belgium and Holland, which includes the single Expedition Impossible. European Release January 2008 (although available via mail-order). This was an independent release, recorded at the Willie Nelson studios in the USA.
On October 10, 2008 the management announced that Geike Arnaert would be leaving the band.
After Geike Arnaert and the band parted ways, it took them two years to find a worthy successor to Arnaert. In November 2010 Noémie Wolfs was announced as the new leading lady. A brand new album called The Night Before followed soon after. The new singer was introduced on Belgian television in State Broadcaster VRT's late night show "De Laatste Show" on Thursday November 4th. The title track of the album is their biggest singles' chart success to date. Also, the album soon equaled the success of A Magnificent Tree.
On March 26, 2015 it was announced that Noémie Wolfs would be leaving the band.
Hooverphonic released In Wonderland on March 18, 2016. This release features a number of vocalists including: Emilie Satt, Janie Price (AKA Bird), Felix Howard, Litlo Tinz, Christa Jérôme, and Tjeerd Bomhof.
They were supposed to represent Belgium at the Eurovision Song Contest 2020 in Rotterdam with their song "Release Me". The event was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hooverphonic was the only Eurovision entrant for 2020 who refused to take part in the "Love Shine a Light" performance, where entrants each contributed sections of the song, although a photograph of Luka Cruysberghs was included with the other participants making a hand heart at the end.
On 9th November 2020, Luka Cruysberghs left the band and, on the same day, Geike Arnaert announced her return. Also on the same day, they released a new version of Mad About You for the song's 20th anniversary.
Discography
• A New Stereophonic Sound Spectacular (1996)
• Blue Wonder Power Milk (1998)
• The Magnificent Tree (2000)
• Hooverphonic Presents Jackie Cane (2002)
• Sit Down And Listen To... (2003)
• No More Sweet Music (2005/6)
• Singles 96/06 (2006)
• The President of the LSD Golf Club (2007/2008)
• The Night Before (2010)
• With Orchestra (2012)
• Reflection (2013)
• In Wonderland (2016)
L'Odeur Animale
Hooverphonic Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Inside
Fulfill your basic needs
Deep inside
We wander by the lake of tears
And smell the odor of our fear
Inside
Deep inside
Deep inside
Feel the urge to grow
Inside
Our world is covered with clouds
Deep inside
We wander by our ocean of tears
We try to hide our frozen fear
Inside
Deep inside
All these creepy things crawling
Deep inside
The lyrics of Hooverphonic's "L'Odeur Animale" could be interpreted as an exploration of the darker, more primal aspects of the human psyche. The song begins by suggesting that we all have an innate "need to wonder" that drives us to explore and push beyond our limits. This is followed by the idea that we must also "fulfill [our] basic needs" in order to survive and thrive.
However, as the song progresses, it becomes clear that there is also a sense of fear and unease beneath the surface. The singer notes that when we "wander by the lake of tears," we can "smell the odor of our fear" deep inside. This is echoed later on when the singer describes "our world" as being "covered with clouds" and the idea of hiding a "frozen fear." These lines suggest that there is something dark and unsettling lurking within us all, even as we try to push forward and grow.
Line by Line Meaning
Feel the need to wonder
Experiencing a desire to contemplate or ponder
Inside
Internally, within oneself
Fulfill your basic needs
Satisfy the fundamental requirements and necessities
Deep inside
At the core of one's being
We wander by the lake of tears
We aimlessly move alongside a body of water caused by our sorrow
And smell the odor of our fear
Perceiving the scent of apprehension and anxiety within oneself
All these creepy things crawling
Various unsettling thoughts or emotions that persist with us
Feel the urge to grow
Sensing the necessity to develop and evolve
Our world is covered with clouds
Our environment is obscured and hazy, making it unclear or difficult to navigate
We wander by our ocean of tears
We aimlessly venture near a large body of water caused by our sadness
We try to hide our frozen fear
We attempt to conceal our petrified dread
All these creepy things crawling
Various unsettling thoughts or emotions that persist with us
Deep inside
At the core of one's being
Contributed by Caleb I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.