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Bolis Pupul

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Bolis Pupul
Bolis Pupul (left) and Charlotte Adigéry performing live in 2024.
Born
Boris Zeebroek

1985 (age 38–39)
Belgium
OccupationMusician
Notable work
PartnerBieke Depoorter
Parents
AwardsAccolades
Musical career
OriginGhent, Belgium
GenresSynthpop
DiscographyDiscography
LabelsDeewee
Member ofThe Germans[1]
Formerly ofHong Kong Dong
Websitecharlotteandbolis.com

Boris Kor Tom Zeebroek (born in 1985) is a Belgian musician, known by the stage name Bolis Pupul. He is best known for his collaborative work with Charlotte Adigéry, and particularly for their debut album Topical Dancer. His solo debut album, Letter to Yu, was released on 8 March 2024.

Zeebroek was born in Belgium and raised in Ghent by a Belgian father, the cartoonist Kamagurka, and a Hong Kong-born Chinese mother. He was previously in a synthpop band called Hong Kong Dong with his sister and her husband, then later signed as a solo artist with Soulwax's record label Deewee, through which both Topical Dancer and Letter to Yu were released.

Early life

[edit]

Boris Kor Tom Zeebroek[2] was born in 1985[3] in Belgium and grew up in Ghent.[4][5] His father is the Belgian cartoonist Luc "Kamagurka" Zeebroek, and his mother, Yu Wei Wun,[6] was a Hong Kong-born Chinese woman.[4][7][8] She was born in a maternity clinic on Ma Tau Wai Road which has since become a nursing home,[9] and moved to Belgium at age seven where her parents ran a Chinese restaurant in Aalst.[6][2] She died in a car accident in June 2008, at age 49.[7][2] Zeebroek has a sister named Sarah, also referred to as Salah,[10][6][2] who works as an illustrator.[11] The name "Bolis" came from how his maternal grandmother pronounced his real first name, and "Pupul" was a sound that his dad would repeat to help him fall asleep.[4] In order to counteract bullies who targeted him for his race, he studied judo.[6] He studied arts at the Institut Saint-Luc,[11][12] and has said that he would take up drawing if he ever had to end his music career.[11]

Zeebroek's parents were both music fans who kept their house full of vinyl records.[2] His father was a fan of Devo, Frank Zappa, and similar artists, while his mother was into Neil Young and introduced her son to Harvest.[2] Zeebroek's interest in music exploded after hearing the Beck albums Mellow Gold and Odelay and attending a Beck concert in Torhout.[2] Subsequently, his father bought a guitar for the home, got Zeebroek a Fostex eight-track recorder for his birthday, and would take him to Herr Seele's music shop where he once found a Beck songbook.[2] Zeebroek was also a fan of Cornelius when he was young.[2]

Career

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Zeebroek was a member of a synthpop band called Hong Kong Dong with his sister and her husband.[4] Hong Kong Dong competed in Humo's Rock Rally in 2008, reaching the finals in March.[2] After losing their mother later that year, their creativity slowed down.[2] They released their first record in 2012, but interest in the band had waned by that time.[2] Boris and Sarah also appeared in the 2016 film Belgica as part of the fictional band the Shitz, with actor Boris Van Severen as their frontman.[13][14] They recorded two songs for the soundtrack, "How Long" and "Sell It With Your Face", both written by Soulwax's Stephen and David Dewaele.[13][14]

Zeebroek was one of the first artists signed to Soulwax's record label Deewee after it was founded in 2015.[9] On 4 March 2022, Zeebroek released his debut album, Topical Dancer, a collaboration with fellow Belgian musician Charlotte Adigéry.[15] The two were paired up by the Dewaele brothers, who released the album through Deewee.[15] Zeebroek and Adigéry originally met in 2013, chatting on the terrace of a Ghent jazz café.[4]

Zeebroek announced his solo debut album, Letter to Yu, on 29 November 2023.[7] The album was released on 8 March 2024 by Deewee.[7] Zeebroek produced the album with the Dewaele brothers, and recorded it at their studio in Ghent.[7] Its lead single, "Completely Half", was released with a music video shot in Hong Kong by director Bieke Depoorter.[7] The album was inspired by Zeebroek's mother and his Chinese heritage.[7] Ahead of the album, Zeebroek performed his first solo live show at the Artefact Festival in Leuven.[6]

Personal life

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Zeebroek lives in the Muide neighborhood of Ghent with his girlfriend, Bieke Depoorter.[6][2] After his mother died, he and his sister studied Chinese for four years.[6] Zeebroek has traveled to Hong Kong four times.[6]

Accolades

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Accolades for Bolis Pupul
Year Organization Award Work Status Ref.
2023 Libera Awards Best Electronic Record Topical Dancer Nominated [16][17]

Discography

[edit]

Albums

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EPs

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  • Zandoli (with Charlotte Adigéry, 2022)[4]

Singles

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List of singles, showing year released and album name
Year Title Album
2021 "Thank You"[18] Topical Dancer
"Blenda"[19]
"Haha"[20]
2022 "Ceci n'est pas un cliché"[21]
"Making Sense Stop"[22]
2023 "Completely Half"[23] Letter to Yu
"Hoho" (with Charlotte Adigéry)[24] Non-album single
2024 "Spicy Crab"[25] Letter to Yu
"Ma Tau Wai Road"[10]

Music videos

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Remixes

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References

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  1. ^ Zonderman, Tom (31 March 2019). "Charlotte Adigéry's love for synthetic wigs". Bruzz. Retrieved 7 June 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Beckers, Jurgen (4 March 2024). "Bolis Pupul: "Na de dood van mijn moeder ben ik naar Hongkong gereisd. Ik dacht: shit, dit hadden we samen moeten doen"" [Bolis Pupul: "After my mother's death, I traveled to Hong Kong. I thought: shit, we should have done this together"]. Humo (in Dutch). Retrieved 6 March 2024.
  3. ^ "Bolis Pupul". Apple Music. Retrieved 9 April 2024.
  4. ^ a b c d e f Hyun Kim, Michelle (29 March 2022). "Dance Duo Charlotte Adigéry and Bolis Pupul Want to Make You Move, Laugh, and Squirm". Pitchfork. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
  5. ^ Morris, Kadish (8 March 2022). ""We see pop as a vehicle to say something": meet club provocateurs Charlotte Adigéry and Bolis Pupul". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h Peeters, Tom (6 March 2024). "Catchy musical tribute from Bolis Pupul to his mother". De Tijd (in Dutch). Retrieved 6 March 2024.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g Pearis, Bill (29 November 2023). "Charlotte Adigéry collaborator Bolis Pupul announces new solo album, shares "Completely Half"". BrooklynVegan. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
  8. ^ Minsker, Evan (29 November 2023). "Bolis Pupul Announces Debut Solo Album, Shares Video for New Song "Completely Half"". Pitchfork. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
  9. ^ a b Helfand, Raphael (5 March 2024). "Bolis Pupul's way back". The Fader. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
  10. ^ a b Lankford, Nathan (16 February 2024). "Bolis Pupul Shares "Ma Tau Wai Road" Single". Austin Town Hall. Retrieved 17 February 2024.
  11. ^ a b c Kara, Nadia (22 July 2022). "Un café avec Bolis Pupul" [A coffee with Bolis Pupul]. Vice (in French). Retrieved 7 June 2024.
  12. ^ Mota, Maria (7 June 2023). "In Conversation With Bolis Pupul". Numéro. Retrieved 7 June 2024.
  13. ^ a b Vlerick, Katia (3 March 2016). "De soundtrack van Belgica: The Shitz" [The soundtrack of Belgica: The Shitz]. Humo (in Dutch). Retrieved 3 April 2024.
  14. ^ a b Lynskey, Dorian (31 March 2016). "Why Soulwax are writing music for imaginary bands". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
  15. ^ a b Younes, Nadia (2 March 2022). "Charlotte Adigéry & Bolis Pupul review: Topical Dancer". The Skinny. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
  16. ^ Aniftos, Rania (22 March 2023). "Wet Leg Leads Nominations for 2023 Libera Awards". Billboard. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
  17. ^ Garcia, Thania; Okusanya, Emanuel (16 June 2023). "Wet Leg, Sudan Archives and More Win Big at 2023 A2IM Libera Awards". Variety. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
  18. ^ Farrell, Margaret (22 September 2021). "Charlotte Adigéry and Bolis Pupul's "Thank You" Is a Club Hit About Unwanted Opinions". Flood Magazine. Retrieved 17 February 2024.
  19. ^ Peters, Daniel (6 November 2021). "Charlotte Adigéry & Bolis Pupul announce debut album, share new single "Blenda"". NME. Retrieved 17 February 2024.
  20. ^ Pappis, Konstantinos (1 December 2021). "Charlotte Adigéry and Bolis Pupul Share Video for New Song "Haha"". Our Culture Mag. Retrieved 17 February 2024.
  21. ^ Pearis, Bill (27 January 2022). "Charlotte Adigéry & Bolis Pupul share new single, announce North American tour". BrooklynVegan. Retrieved 17 February 2024.
  22. ^ Magumbe, Aswan (6 March 2022). "Topical Dancer". Nataal. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
  23. ^ Pearis, Bill (29 November 2023). "Charlotte Adigéry collaborator Bolis Pupul announces new solo album, shares "Completely Half"". BrooklynVegan. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
  24. ^ Hussey, Allison (19 December 2023). "Charlotte Adigéry & Bolis Pupul Share New Christmas Song "Hoho"". Pitchfork. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
  25. ^ Willems, Jasper (18 January 2024). "Bolis Pupul Goes Culinary With the Wonky, Whimsical "Spicy Crab"". Beats Per Minute. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
  26. ^ Pearis, Bill (26 October 2022). "Metronomy prep deluxe edition of Small World ft Sebastien Tellier, Bolis Pupul, more". BrooklynVegan. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
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