French experimental progressive group that existed between 1970 and 1980, rooted in the short-lived 1969 outfit Catherine Ribeiro + 2Bis. Fronted by the french singer and lyricist Catherine Ribeiro (born from portuguese parents in Lyon), Alpes was the multi-instrumental backing group led by Patrice Moullet (the main composer) and a roster of other musicians that changed over the years. Their music cross-bred folk and psychedelic musics, with avant-garde and space-rock elements, and often featured special home-made instruments like the Cosmophone (a guitar & lyre hybrid), Percuphone (a mechanical rhythm machine), Orgolia (a large metallic violin) and other inventions.