There are at least four artists performing under this name:

1. Infin… Read Full Bio ↴There are at least four artists performing under this name:

1. Infinite's member Kim Myungsoo (김명수)
2. The solo project of Hiroyuki Usui (臼井弘行)
3. The French artist L (Raphaële Lannadère)
4. Los Angeles based darkwave/ebm/industrial project

1. 엘/L is Infinite's Kim Myungsoo (김명수; born March 13, 1992) stage name, is a South Korean singer and actor. He debuted as a vocalist of boy band Infinite in 2010 and its sub-group Infinite F in 2014. He left Woollim Entertainment in August 2019 but will continue to be a member of the group. Debuted as a soloist in February 3rd of 2021.

2. L is the solo project of Hiroyuki Usui (臼井弘行) (guitar, vocals, vibes, harmonium, bass, drums, cello, field recordings, didgeridoo). His only album "Holy letters" was recorded in 1989-1990. On it, he blends delicate folk, psychedelia, and experimental sounds into a mostly subdued but undeniably glowing suite. The layered but careful instrumentation on tracks like the epic "Holy Letters" and "Troll" backs the alternately plain-spoken and crooning vocals perfectly. Odd touches like snatches of throat singing and bowed vibraphone leap out of the mix at just the right time. There are overt references to the blues (the first track is an oblique cover of Blind Willie Johnson's "Cold Was The Ground") - but other than the occassional slide guitar touch, the connection is overwhelmingly in the timeless feeling and atmosphere.
"Holy Letters" was self-released by Hiro in 1994 (in an oversized package including the CD and a 7", on Holy Castle), primarily to be given away to friends. A handful of copies were sold via Tokyo's Modern Music/PSF operation in Japan and by Forced Exposure in the US, but other than that, it disappeared completely. Hiroyuki Usui's name pops up in several intriguing places in the apparently still underdocumented Japanese underground lexicon. While he now concentrates mostly on didgeridoo (and his profession of garden design), he once played drums in Fushitsusha (late 70's/early 80's), A-Musik (with the legendary vocalist Phew), Marble Sheep, and several other true-underground outfits.
In 2003-2004, the American VHF label stumbled upon a box of leftover copies of this album and sold them on their website. The response was great, and led to a digipack CD reissue in 2004 including both CD and 7" from the original package, plus an alternate version of "Troll" from the original sessions.

3. The French L (Raphaële Lannadère) is a singer-songwriter who released her first ep "Première Lettres" in 2008. She is currently touring France. More information on her MySpace (www.myspace.com/lmusique)

4. Los Angeles based darkwave/ebm/industrial project first releasing music in 2020: https://lmusicofficial.bandcamp.com/

Je fume
L Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Des jours qui passent,
Toujours les mêmes,
A jouer dehors
Et dans la boue,
Avec ta grâce
Et la bohême,
Pour que le goût
Des heures soit doux.

Du sucre glace
Et des poèmes,
Et le reste alors,
On s’en fout,
Et moi j’amasse
Tes je t’aime
Quand je m’endors
Sur tes genoux…

Et depuis moi je fume
Pour me rapp’ler ta voix.
Je fume beaucoup trop,
Je fume malgré moi,
Parce que dans l’amertume
Acre de mon tabac,
Y’a comme le goût des mots
Que tu disais tout bas.

Le soir, tranquille,
Tu tires tes cartes
Et tu nous livres
Des secrets,
Et tes yeux brillent
Quand tu t’embarques
A nous faire vivre
L’inventé.

S’il est très tard,
Qu’les plus petits
Ne peuvent plus suivre
Sans bailler,
Tu ranges tes cartes
Et, d’un baiser,

Tu les délivres
Pour la nuit.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of L's song Je fume speak of memories and longing for a past love. The first stanza describes days that pass by without much change, spent playing outside and in the mud with the grace and bohemian spirit of the singer's partner. The singer cherishes the moments spent with their partner, seeking to make the hours sweet. There is an allusion to sweetness with the mention of powdered sugar and poems.

In the second stanza, the lyrics take a more melancholic turn. The singer admits to smoking excessively as a way of remembering their partner's voice, despite the bitterness of the tobacco. There is a hint of regret, as the singer continues to smoke "malgré moi" or against their will. However, smoking is the only way they can hold on to the memory of their partner's words.

The final stanza paints a picture of the partner's mystical and captivating presence, as they read tarot cards and share secrets. The partner's eyes shine with excitement, and they weave imaginative stories for everyone to enjoy. When it's time for the children to go to bed, the partner kisses them goodnight and puts away the cards. The stanza and the song end with a sense of wistfulness and longing, as the singer remembers the people and times that are no longer present.

Overall, the lyrics of Je fume are a poignant reflection on love and memory. The song conveys the bittersweet feelings that come with the passage of time and the loss of loved ones. The use of tobacco as a way of remembering highlights the addictive and destructive nature of nostalgia, and the importance of finding healthier ways to honor our memories.

Line by Line Meaning

Des jours qui passent,
Days go by,

Toujours les mêmes,
Always the same,

A jouer dehors
Playing outside

Et dans la boue,
In the mud,

Avec ta grâce
With your grace,

Et la bohême,
And the bohemian lifestyle,

Pour que le goût
So that the taste

Des heures soit doux.
Of the hours is sweet.

Du sucre glace
Powdered sugar

Et des poèmes,
And poems,

Et le reste alors,
And the rest,