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Murat's website
Freedom On the Net
06/10/1999 -
"I love cows and I love the Auvergne region."
And thus it was that the first version of Jean-Louis Murat's website was inspired by … a cow. "The site started out as a bit of a joke really - we decided we wanted to have a bit of fun on the Net", explains Murat.
Jérôme Braque - the multi-talented musician, artist and multimedia expert who was called in to help set up Murat's first site at the beginning of '98 - remembers that "Jean-Louis was pretty much set against websites back in those days - basically because he'd seen what major record companies were putting out and he didn't like it at all. But he had this big thing about Salers (Ed: a breed of cow from the Cantal region) so I suggested he should create a kind of 'anthropomorphic' site about Auvergne and his favourite cows. The press is always going on about how Jean-Louis is this weird kind of recluse, hiding himself away in Auvergne, and I thought it would be fun to play around with that image a bit."
The first version of Murat's website was deliberately low-key, the singer steering away from any vast publicity campaign and using the simplest technology. Nor was the site motivated by any great narcissistic urge, Murat insisting that he just wanted to talk about things that interested him, have a little fun and share the project with his girlfriend, Laure Desbruères (who now looks after the site's daily input). "It's a couple thing," says Murat happily, "My girlfriend's involved in running my website, so it's become a bit of a joint hobby. It's useful to have a shared interest. In fact, I'd recommend it as a very positive experience."
First Steps
Murat's first site was a joint project as far as research and content were concerned, but when it comes to the technology it was Laure who took things in hand. "I taught Laure the rudiments of Web technology and showed her how to structure the work," explains Braque. "I did all the preparatory work, guiding Laure through all the stages of getting the site up and running and showing her how to update it on a regular basis. When we first started work on the project the idea was to do something quite basic. But Jean-Louis's such a perfectionist that within a month of him getting involved, the project had taken on Pharaonic proportions! "
Murat's website may have been "Pharaonic" in scope, but when it comes to technology and aesthetics the site is noticeably restrained. The idea, says Murat, was to keep things as simple as possible. "I know a lot of Web experts who looked at the site and said 'Oh poor old Jean-Louis, he just doesn't get it!', " the singer says, "But the thing is I really wanted my site to look the way it does. It wasn't a question of not being 'with it' and modern, it was just that I really hate things which go over the top and try to dazzle you with technology. I prefer something, which looks basic and pared-down, which keeps a bit of an amateur approach. I don't want a website, which is snobby and élitist that people with basic computers can't log onto. As far as I'm concerned, it's not all about show-off technology and appearance - content is what counts!"
Braque backs up Murat's position, recalling how "right from the start, the idea was to give the site a bit of an unusual look. We wanted the graphics to look very simple. The idea was to make it totally opposed to a lot of the hi-tech sites you see on the Net which are all form and no content. Murat's website, for example, is one of the rare sites on the Net which doesn't use frames."
But then that's just what you'd expect from a man who insists on surfing the Net on his own terms. "I never surf around the Net to have a look at what other singers and musicians are doing with their sites," Murat claims. "For a start, I'd be too scared to find out that mine looks really bad in comparison. I prefer to stick with my own concept, which is basically 'keep things simple'. You don't think it's too simple, do you? …"
Unlike a lot of other music websites, www.jlmurat.com is a very personal affair and one of the main reasons behind this is that Murat refused to let his record company get involved in the project in any way. "The site was created on a very small budget," says Braque. "Jean-Louis's got a strong personality and he always ends up getting his own way. When you look at www.jlmurat.com you know it was set up in total freedom, that Jean-Louis wasn't working under any form of constraint."
However, when you're a famous French music star constantly in the public eye, it's debatable just how free and independent you really are. "Right now," admits Murat, "I'm fighting with my record company because they want to take over the site. It's ridiculous - I finance the whole thing from A to Z and I refuse to let the whole thing get subsumed by Virgin or Labels. As the site stands, OK yes, it's a means of promoting myself. But at least it's honest. I'm not trying to con people into buying anything." 
All Change!
Following the release of his new album "Mustango", Murat made some radical changes to his website. On August 1st, for example, www.jlmurat.com lost its all-white background and turned blue overnight. As for the haystack, which used to greet cybernauts visiting the homepage, this rustic touch has been replaced by one of Murat's paintings. "Change is essential!", proclaims Murat. "I can't stand all those websites which are always the same! The ideal thing would be to change the site completely every year. But setting up a totally new site takes at least six months, if you take into account all the researching and background reading."
Fans will find the new version of Murat's website greatly changed. "But then again, everyone was always complaining that the original site wasn't 'promotional' enough," says Murat. Gone are the rustic touches - the picturesque haystacks and the famous cows. This time round Murat has decided to link up with the outside world, twinning his beloved Auvergne with Mustang (a Buddhist 'kingdom' in Nepal) and flying out to work in the United States. Murat has also branched out into self-portraiture and the new version of www.jlmurat.com has become a sort of virtual gallery. Murat justifies these changes by insisting that "if I want to have fun with the site, then there needs to be some artistic input. One of the joys of the Net is that you can do things with it that you can't do with other media. The Net offers unique new possibilities and I think everyone should try and make the best of them."
However, not everyone is happy with the new version of www.jlmurat.com. The site's new 'forum' is filled with numerous compliments but Murat's cyber-fans have also posted a fair share of complaints. "Oh, people are always writing in to say they thought the site was better before," says Murat with equanimity. "But I'm not going to go out and do an opinion poll before taking a decision, you know. In about eighteen months' time there'll be a totally new site and then everyone will start writing in to say how much they miss the 'Mustango' version. I think change is essential - you can't live without it. I mean, I'm not going to spend my whole life doing a website about cows!" 
Music, Sound Excerpts and Copyright
While Murat's new site is certainly rich in images, music fans will be disappointed if they're looking for extracts from Murat's back catalogue. www.jlmurat.com does not contain excerpts of tracks from any of Murat's albums - not one single note! "I haven't used anything from any of my albums," says Murat, "because when it comes down to it I still have to sell records, you know." However, Murat is one of the very few musicians on the Net who has dared to include a brand new song (previously unavailable on his albums) in its entirety. A move, which is hardly designed to please his record company!
"On the old version of the site I used to include one new song every month in MP3 format," says Murat, "And, starting in November, I'm planning to put new songs back on-line again. I know that's going to piss my record company off. But I've got hundreds of songs lying around at home that are never going to be used on albums, so fans will never get to hear them otherwise. I've given my record company two albums in the last year, so I'd like to try and come to some friendly agreement with them whereby I can release the odd new song every now and then on the Net."
Murat believes in making "music for everyone" and his views on musical copyright are even more radical. In fact, get him onto the subject of bootlegging and pirating and he starts talking about a real music revolution. "Why not do away with the copyright system altogether," he asks. "Why shouldn't musicians find a new way of making a living and stop relying on getting a percentage of every song they ever wrote? These days pop stars live like kings on their copyright - and they all want to protect their Golden Egg. Personally, I find the amount of copyright we earn on each song has reached shocking proportions." Provocation or self-flagellation? Who can say? But Murat certainly seems worked up on the subject.
Mail Box
Ask Murat what the greatest thing about having his own website is and the tone changes immediately. "Getting messages," he says, breaking into the kind of broad, happy grin kids do when they get a present, "I love getting messages, especially when things aren't going so well for me. It gives me a huge boost. I guess it's a bit childish really, but that's how I feel. You know, I live a bit cut off from the rest of the world and sometimes I do wonder whether people know who I am any more! When you get an e-mail saying people loved such and such a song, then you feel like making records is worthwhile after all. I love it when people write in to say they met their girlfriend/boyfriend when one of my songs was playing. I know that sounds a bit silly, but it does make me really happy!"
While Murat agrees with the idea that e-mail breaks down barriers between music stars and their fans, creating a dialogue of equals, the singer admits that he is not always an assiduous correspondent. "No, I don't get back to people all the time," he admits. "In fact, I'd say when it comes to replies, I do the strict minimum. If someone's writing in to ask a precise question about my back catalogue - as is often the case, in fact - I try to send back a very precise answer. But I'm not keen on people writing in to ask for things. If that happens I try to point out, in a very calm, non-aggressive way, that the site is not designed to be a fan club. It's not somewhere you can write in to get signed photos and stuff like that. If people do write in and ask for photos and autographs, I don't get snotty about it, I just don't reply!"
While Murat does - occasionally - reply to e-mail, he does not answer questions raised in the site's new 'forum', preferring to use this as a space in which to air his own questions such as "Do you think I should comment on sensitive news issues in my interviews with the media?" or "What would you choose as the next single from "Mustango"?" Fans certainly appear to appreciate Murat asking their opinion and the new 'forum' is generally flooded with e-mail replies.
Ideas and On-Going Projects
For the time being Murat is happy to confine himself to the role of questioner. When asked whether he would ever envisage entering into direct dialogue with his fans he replies, "It's like everything else I do in life - I don't know right now, you'll have to wait and see." In short, Murat is a man happy to go with the cyber-flow, his only complaint being that sometimes it takes way too long for fans to access the site - and that, according to Murat, "limits creativity."
The singer's creativity does not appear to be too stunted right now, however. On the contrary, Murat's head is buzzing with new ideas for the site such as broadcasting an hourly radio programme each week or creating a video news bulletin. "But maybe that's all a bit utopian really," admits Murat, coming back to earth with a bump.
As usual, Murat's plans are often full of contradictions. On the one hand, the singer insists on keeping his site as simple as possible, but on the other, he admits he enjoys keeping abreast of the latest technology. However, Murat's main concern right now is to make his site easily accessible to the greatest number of cyber-fans possible. "I don't want people to have to wait hours to access the homepage. I mean, as things are it takes ages to navigate round the whole site." Murat insists on updating his site regularly but is still adamant that he prefers quality over quantity. "I'm not desperately trying to get thousands of people to visit the site," he says, "The simple fact that it exists is enough for me!"
Text and interviews: Catherine Pouplain
Translation: Julie Street
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