ANORAAK PRESSKIT
BIOGRAPHY
PRESS PICS
DISCOGRAPHY
VIDEOS
GIG LIST
CONTACTS
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BIOGRAPHY
English version
When Frederic Riviere says something along the lines of “the sun and the sea are really important to me,” it’s easy to think, ‘Oh great, another chillwave artist who enjoys long walks on the beach and sitting on the dock of the bay all day.’
If only things were that simple. While he’s certainly into laser-guided synth lines and sepia-toned nostalgia trips, Riviere’s debut album as Anoraak (Wherever the Sun Sets) is more indebted to Italo disco, Motown-schooled funk and sepia-toned pop music—think: M83 on Ecstasy—than anything that’s lo-or-glo-fi. Which makes sense. After all, it’s not like the French producer/singer/multi-instrumentalist picked up his first battery-powered keyboard yesterday. Truth be told, Anoraak began as a bedroom-based project about eight years ago, as Riviere searched for sound engineer work and found nothing but bar gigs.
“Everyone is an engineer in Paris,” he explains. “It’s like coming to L.A. and trying to be an actor.”
Riviere reached a breaking point soon enough, after his role in several indie rock bands started to feel like “just another job.” Determined to find his calling in the West of France, Riviere joined his old friends in Nantes (a city Time once called the most livable spot in all of Europe) and helped launch the Valerie collective/blog. Before he knew it, Riviere was channeling his childhood on the Nightdrive With You EP, a buzz-stirring attempt at everything from moon-lit club music (the title track) to Boards of Canada-inspired IDM (“Endless Summer”).
“They make really deep music,” Riviere says, referring to the legendary Warp duo, “songs that make you feel good and bad at the same time.”
Similar traces of melancholy slip into Wherever the Sun Sets (see: the richly-layered instrumental loops of “Midnight Sunset”) as well. But let’s be honest—it’s a feel-good full-length for the most part., a seamless blend of live and programmed elements that’s essentially an electronic take on the SoCal rock LPs
(Weezer, That Dog) that Riviere loved as a kid growing up in the South of France (the Medieval city where Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves was filmed, if you must know). SoCal in spirit, at least, as standout tracks like “Try Me” and “Long Hot Summer Night” absolutely nail the essence of being on a beach without a care in the world. And then there’s “Don’t Be Afraid” and “Dolphins & Highways,” a pair of from-dusk-’til-dawn ballads that feature an alt-disco diva (Sally Shapiro) and Scottish folk singer (Siobhan Wilson) respectively.
“It’s a back-to-the-‘80s vibe that has no boundaries,” Riviere explains. “If something’s cheesy, it’s cheesy. I have no problem with that, so long as it moves
you.”
French version
Fin 2008, Anoraak fait son apparition dans le paysage musical avec un ovni de pop synthétique et romantique à contre-courant de la French Touch 2.0. Nightdrive With You regroupe une sélection d’œuvres de jeunesse qui sentent bon le sable chaud et viennent chatouiller les oreilles les plus averties. Un premier essai solo transformé pour cet ingénieur du son multi-instrumentiste qui a par ailleurs participé à de nombreuses formations indés made in France (Jordan, PPRR,...). La reconnaissance et les sollicitations commencent à pointer le bout de leur nez et les mois qui suivent seront passés sur les routes et dans les aéroports. NYC, Paris, Moscou, Sydney, Londres, Berlin... près de deux années de DJ sets et de lives entre lesquels le Nantais trouve le temps de produire quelques remixes bien sentis pour Junkie XL, Circlesquare, Mika, Shy Child ou We Have Band.
A l’instar de ses camarades du collectif Valerie, Anoraak est un inconditionnel de synth-pop et d’italo-disco. Il s’agit chez eux d’une condition sine qua non. Mais le jeune Nantais est aussi un éternel romantique. Et a cette froideur synthétique, il prend plaisir à opposer toute la chaleur de la soul Motown et les clichés d’une vie doucereuse baignée dans le soleil californien. Son amour pour les plages et les couchers de soleils, si omniprésents dans son imagerie, remonte à une adolescence nourrie de pop-culture américaine et bercée par la pop nerveuse de That Dog ou Weezer. Un univers visuel et musical à la nostalgie assumée qui le positionne aujourd’hui comme un distant cousin européen de la scène chill wave américaine, incarnée par des artistes comme Washed Out ou Neon Indian dont il vient de remixer le titre phare Psychic Chasms.
C’est de cette rencontre entre le chaud et le froid, l’analogique et le digital, l’électrique et l’électronique qu’est né son premier album, sous la baguette du producteur/réalisateur parisien Benoit de Villeneuve. Entre sunshine pop futuriste, songwriting aérien et envolées synthétiques, Wherever The Sun Sets, est un véritable premier album. Les influences de toute une vie s’y bousculent. Tout doit être dit. On se plait à y entendre The Commodores, Tangerine Dream ou encore M83... les références sont multiples mais ne se cannibalisent pas, restant toujours au service d’une ambiance générale généreuse et solaire. Et comme il serait bien triste que le voyage se fasse seul, l’album accueille deux featurings féminins de choix avec l’écossaise Siobhan Wilson pour une ballade en apesanteur et Sally Shapiro, princesse disco nordique, qui signe ici sa première collaboration.
PRESS PICS
Access hi-res press pics download page here
(c) 2010 - Kris Maccotta
DISCOGRAPHY
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Anoraak
Wherever The Sun Sets
FIRST ALBUM / OUT THIS SEPTEMBER
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Anoraak
Above Your Head
Free download
Grab it HERE
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Various Artists
Uncovered
CD / Digital // 2009 / Ministry Of Sound
Featuring exclusive Anoraak cover:
Talking In Your Sleep
(Original by The Romantics)
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Various Artists
Valerie and Friends
CD / Digital // June 2009 / ESR
Featuring exclusive Anoraak track:
Long Distance Hearts
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Various Artists
Edges : A new french Electronic Generation
CD / DLP / Digital // June 2009 / Because Music
Featuring exclusive Anoraak track:
Make It Better
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Anoraak
Nightdrive With You Remixes
Digital // 2008 / ESR
Including remixes from :
Grum
Jupiter
Fear Of Tigers
Saycet
Minitel Rose
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Anoraak
Nightdrive With You
CD / Digital // Sept 2008 / ESR
limited numbered edition | 1000 copies
Also available in Australian and Japanese reprints
Tracklisting (+/-)
1 Nightdrive With You
2 Never Ending Romance Disaster
3 Endless Summer
4 Sunday Night Fever
5 Midnight Stars
6 Waiting For Your Phone Call
7 Teenage Color Remix (Original by College)
8 Nightdrive With You (Adeyhawke Remix)
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GIG LIST
Check the upcoming shows on myspace, previous gigs:
05/29/10 - LE BIKINI / TOULOUSE (F)
05/22/10 - 16TONS / MOSCOU (RU)
05/07/10 - ZENITH OMEGA LIVE - TOULON (F)
04/23/10 - CODIGO PAIS FESTIVAL / BUENOS AIRES (ARG)
04/17/10 - LE CALYSTO / NANTES (F)
04/10/10 - FLECHE D'OR / PARIS (F)
04/09/10 - LUNE DES PIRATES / AMIENS (F)
03/26/10 – LAST FM PARTY / LONDON (UK)
03/20/10 – PROUD GALLERY / LONDON (UK)
03/18/10 – LA3 / VALENCIA (E)
03/13/10 – EMPIRE VENUE / BRISBAN (OZ)
03/12/10 – LIMELITE / PERTH (OZ)
03/11/10 – LALA LAND / BYRON BAY (OZ)
03/07/10 – 161 / MELBOURNE (OZ)
03/07/10 – GLOBAL SOUND SYSTEM / CANBERRA (OZ)
03/06/10 – OXFORD ARTHOUSE / SIDNEY (OZ)
03/05/10 – STEREOLAB / SINGAPOUR
02/19/10 – GIRL DISCO / PORTO (PT)
01/29/10 – RAZZMATAZZ / BARCELONE (E)
01/22/10 – KARAMAZOV / NANTES (FR)
12/12/09 – TRANSCLUB / LYON (FR)
12/11/09 – FERAILLEURS / NANTES (FR)
11/23/09 – FLECHE D’OR / PARIS (FR)
11/21/09 – KUNK / BUDAPEST (HU)
11/10/09 – SOCIAL CLUB / PARIS (FR)
11/07/09 – FESTIVAL ELEKTRONIKA / BELO HORIZONTE (BR)
10/31/09 – TRABENDO / PARIS (FR)
10/13/09 – MUSEE DE L’HOMME / PARIS (FR)
09/26/09 – SCHARINSKA / UMEA (SE)
09/25/09 – DEBASER / STOCKHOLM (SE)
09/19/09 – MATTATOIO / CARPI (IT)
09/15/09 – LE BARON / PARIS (FR)
09/11/09 – LOFT / LAUSANNE (CH)
25/07/09 – KLUB JUNGLA / SPLIT (CRO)
11/07/09 – RAZZMATAZZ / BARCELONA (ES)*
04/07/09 – CALVI ON THE ROCKS / CALVI (FR)
26/06/09 – SIESTES ELECTRONIQUES / TOULOUSE (FR)
24/06/09 – CAFÉ DE LA DANSE / PARIS (FR)
20/06/09 – THE CELLAR / OXFORD (UK)
19/06/09 – CARGO / LONDON (UK)*
12/06/09 – WINELOFT / ST PETERSBOURG (RU)
05/06/09 – LIEU UNIQUE / NANTES (FR)*
30/05/09 – SHOWCASE / PARIS (FR)*
29/05/09 – GARDELS / ORLEANS (FR)
20/05/09 – NUITS SONORES / LYON (FR)
15/05/09 – DEBASER / STOCKHOLM (SE)
09/05/09 – XLIB CLUB / KIEV (UKR)
02/05/09 – REGINE / PARIS (FR)
30/10/09 – MAGNET CLUB / BERLIN (D)
23/10/09 – LOUDER THAN POP / THESSALONIC (GR)
04/10/09 – FLECHE D’OR / PARIS (F)*
03/27/09 – DIRTY DANCING / BRUSSELS (BEL)
03/20/09 – BELLE DE MAI / MARSEILLE (F)*
02/28/09 – MIO CLUB / MOSCOW (RU)
02/26/09 – SOCIAL CLUB / PARIS (F)
02/21/09 – TANK NIGHTCLUB / SYDNEY (OZ)
02/20/09 – LIMELIGHT / PERTH (OZ)
02/14/09 – PRINCE BANDROOM / MELBOURNE (OZ)
02/13/09 – ELECTRIC CIRCUS / ADELAIDE (OZ)
02/07/09 – MYYY BITCH CLUB / VIENNA (AUT)
01/30/09 – MEZZANINE / SAN FRANSISCO (USA)
01/29/09 – ECHOPLEX / LOS ANGELES (USA)
01/27/09 – SONOTHEQUE / CHICAGO (USA)
01/23/09 – WEBSTER HALL / NEW YORK (USA)
12/27/08 – LA CASE À CHOCS / NEUCHÂTEL (CH)*
12/20/08 – LE CHABADA / ANGERS (F)*
12/19/08 – LE RÉGINE / PARIS (F)*
12/06/08 – BARS EN TRANS / RENNES (F)
12/05/08 – TOM TOM KLUBB / OSLO (N)
11/22/08 – BE @ PROUD GALLERIES / LONDON (UK)
11/21/08 – I.C.A. / LONDON (UK)
11/20/08 – SCHOOL OF ART / GLASGOW (UK)
11/18/08 – MADAME JOJOS / LONDON (UK)
11/01/08 – PETROL / ANTWERP (B)
10/29/08 – NOUVEAU CASINO / PARIS (F)
10/15/08 – ELECTRONI[K] – LE 1929 / RENNES (F)
10/11/08 – LIEU UNIQUE / NANTES (F)*
10/01/08 – L’INTERNATIONAL / PARIS (F)
09/27/08 – SHOWCASE / PARIS (F)*
09/17/08 – SCOPITONE – L’OLYMPIC / NANTES (F)
08/29/08 – KILL THE PARTY / TROYES (F)
08/23/08 – SKULK @ STUDIO / BERGEN (NO)
08/22/08 – OLD BLUE LAST / LONDON (UK)
07/26/08 – MIDI FESTIVAL / HYÈRES (F)
06/26/08 – CORVINTETO (DJSET) / BUDAPEST (H)
06/21/08 – ELYSEE BIARRITZ / PARIS (F) *
06/07/08 – LA FLÈCHE D’OR / PARIS (F)
05/31/08 – RAZZMATAZZ / BARCELONA (E)
05/02/08 – D:QLIQ / LUXEMBOURG (L)
04/30/08 – LE PARIS PARIS / PARIS (F)*
04/29/08 – LA MAROQUINERIE / PARIS (F)
04/26/08 – MATTATOIO / CARPI / MODENA (I)
04/17/08 – BATOFAR / PARIS (F)
04/16/08 – LE GLAZART / PARIS (F)
04/15/08 – LE PARIS–PARIS / PARIS (F)
04/04/08 – MAGNET CLUB / BERLIN (D)
03/29/08 – CAFE POP / NANTES (F)
03/08/08 – KLUB ELEKTRON / HELSINKI (FIN)
02/09/08 – LA FLÈCHE D’OR / PARIS (F)
02/02/08 – CAMJI / NIORT (F)*
01/19/08 – MAINS D’OEUVRE / PARIS (F)*
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