Made in France

Source: Music Week

 

This year, Britain is expecting to see a French invasion, with Gallic music set to become de rigueur at festivals throughout 2007.

 

 

London may be the epicentre of Britishness, but it remains a Francophile¹s paradise nonetheless. A resident French population of around 200,000 ensures the capital enjoys a healthy supply of French schools, shops and ­ of course ­ restaurants, centred around South Kensington.

 

And to this traditional Gallic clamour, a new note will be added in 2007.

 

This year will see a host of French musicians pour over the Channel and into the nation¹s bars, clubs, theatres and even cathedrals as part of an unprecedented invasion of the UK festivals, spanning Fertiliser and the City Of London festivals in the capital, The Great Escape in Brighton and the Celtic Connections festival in Glasgow, which has organised a twinning with the Festival Interceltique de Lorient. In addition, the Jersey Live festival is currently exploring the possibility of highlighting French music.

 

"We are really excited about programming France," says Fertiliser director Polly Eldridge. Fertiliser France, scheduled to take place in October 2007, will mark the organiser¹s fourth festival, having already turned the spotlight on Germany, Norway and the UK. Acts provisionally scheduled to appear include skewed nouvelle chanson singer Katerine, gloomy balladeers Mansfield TYA and breakbeat DJ Missill.

 

"French artists seem to have a non pop sound that is quite different," Eldridge explains. "We try and pick up people who have a sound that is idiosyncratically French. We are not looking for people who just copy a UK sound. Certainly the chanson and scratch hip hop is something that is very French and the French jazz scene has a strong identity."

 

At the Great Escape, which takes place in Brighton from May 17 to 19, France will be this year¹s featured overseas market, following Canada in 2006, with around 10 French acts playing.

"

We pick the country on how we feel their new talent is coming through and we are really excited about new French acts. For every five or six good new bands we hear one of them is French," says Great Escape events organiser Jon McIldowie. The festival expects to confirm the acts appearing by the end of January, but McIldowie tips Fancy, Peter Von Poehl and I Love UFO as French acts he rates at the moment.

 

"A big part of that is because the French scene has always been very eclectic," McIldowie adds. "It has never recognised the territory between indie and dance and there have been great crossover acts like Air. That very much fits with the zeitgeist in the UK. Indie kids don¹t want to have the next four guys in an indie band. They want people who bridge genres."

 

Considerably less frenetic ­ if equally exciting ­ is the City Of London festival, which is this year turning to France as part of its annual "Trading Places" theme. As well as an actual exchange between young composers in London¹s Guildhall School of Music and Drama and the Paris Conservatoire, the event will include performances of works from French classical composers, as well as concerts from French pop, world and jazz musicians and what director Ian Ritchie describes as a "blind music and wine tasting".

 

In bringing the cream of French talent to the UK, such festivals are part of a wider trend which has seen a number of smaller, grass roots events in the UK, including Rockfort and The French Disconnection in London, focussing on live French music. In addition, an increasing number of French bands are upping sticks and moving to Britain.

 

"The amount of French bands playing live in the UK is crazy," says Eric Morand, who sits on the strategic board of the French Music Export Office and runs renowned dance music label F Communications. "It already was the case in Germany for example, but maybe the UK was more shy. French bands have now learned a lot and made connections and also the UK market accepts these artists more than in the past."

 

The attraction for French bands of playing in the UK, explains Ludovic Merle, promoter of Rockfort, a semi-regular night at London¹s The Social venue, is that it allows them to showcase their music to an English music industry that is considerably more dynamic than in France.

 

"Bands see playing Rockfort as an opportunity to invite labels and promoters," Merle says. "The UK is more dynamic. There are more places to play, more indie labels and it is generally easier to get exposure, especially for bands that sing in English." This last point is partially a reflection of the famed quota system which governs French radio, stating that 40% of songs played must be in French.

 

This system may be designed to protect traditional French music genres such as chanson, and indeed the French language itself, but means that French bands who sing in English are at a considerable disadvantage at radio.

 

Yet, despite this, the number of French bands playing live in the UK is actually a reflection of a burgeoning live scene within France itself. This scene, which is centred on Paris, has grown out of an explosion in the number of live venues and festivals in France and has given birth to a new generation of French rock acts, including Second Sex and Plasticines, recently compiled on the Paris Calling compilation, who regularly play to wildly enthusiastic young audiences around the French capital.

 

"There is a big thing about the crisis in the French record industry, but live is very healthy," Morand explains. He adds that, as well as a number of new venues, there has been the uniquely French development of winter festivals, including Les Eurockéennes de Belfort and La Route Du Rock in St Malo, spinning out from the success of the summer editions.

Of course, playing live in the UK does not necessarily mean British success for French artists ­ indeed, the track record of French rock outside its home market does not necessarily inspire confidence. But Merle is confident that the appetite exists for some Gallic flair among UK audiences.

 

"People who come to Rockfort say that it is quite difficult to discover French music from the normal media," he says. English people? "Yes," he laughs. "They like our show because they can discover something different ­ they need to listen to something different."

 

Eldridge agrees. "I don¹t get the feeling of prejudice against French music," she says. "Similarly with German music, those people who are really into music know all about the underground scenes. They are drawn to interesting music.

 

"Like MC Solaar. He broke into the British scene and I don¹t think people even thought that he was French. He became part of that Acid Jazz, Guru Jazzmatazz thing. Chanson for example sits well with the singer/songwriter, folk music that we have got. Camille has shot up to playing the Shepherd¹s Bush Empire. That shows to me that there are no boundaries."

 

And live, she says, is the perfect way to showcase a band's abilities. "If someone is brilliant it is rare that their brilliance come across on the CD.

 

It had to be done live. That is where relationships are formed with the audience," she explains. "Live is the proof of the pudding." Or should that be patisserie

 

merci!, monsieur

daft punk are french, and their good. but all the other french acts are terrible

daft punk are french, and their good.

yes!

Robot Rock! :D

 

 

but all the other french acts are terrible

not really! :P

 

I'd like to add two amazing, awesome, fantastic names:

 

Jean Michel Jarre

Air

Edited January 30, 200718 yr by Alin

daft punk are french, and their good. but all the other french acts are terrible

 

here is some French acts picked at random from the France, Belgium and Switzerland thread.

 

apart from Vanessa Paradis & Rita Mitsouko who i dont really know as music acts. i like all these acts and have albums by them

 

 

FRANCE:

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/47/LocationFrance.png

 

home of Daft Punk:

 

 

 

 

 

air:

 

 

 

Cassius:

 

 

 

Phoenix!!!:

 

 

Serge!!!:

 

 

as sampled by mc solaar:

 

 

tahiti 80:

 

 

 

Vanessa Paradis & Rita Mitsouko:

 

 

Les Rita Mitsouko:

 

 

 

 

 

home of the King B)

Don't forget Justice.

Don't forget Justice.

 

yeah add as many great groups as you want, the list was just a quick one.

Bob Sinclar is French... As are Cassius, Daft Punk (as pointed out), Stuart Prince has made a career as a French parody - and the country is home to Stardust 'Music Sounds Better With You'... so I'lll be happy ebough with a French invasion... and especially if it'll put a stop to all these annoying cloned indie bands!

Bob Sinclar is French... As are Cassius, Daft Punk (as pointed out), Stuart Prince has made a career as a French parody - and the country is home to Stardust 'Music Sounds Better With You'... so I'lll be happy ebough with a French invasion...

 

Stardust 'Music Sounds Better With You', one of the best songs ever. still sounds great after all these millions of years (but then again listening back to most of the stuff from the end of the 90s on the hits, wasnt as good year in big pop hitsville as it is now i suppose)