Special report

London Calling

French Music Heads Across the Channel

London 

12/01/2005 - 

Little known, or even completely unknown at home, an increasing number of young French artists have been heading across the Channel lately in the hope of launching their careers. With compilations such as Le Nouveau Rock’n’roll Français and Nouvelle Vague hitting stores and French groups such as TTC and La Cédille signing to British labels, a mini French music scene is currently blossoming in the UK.

"French rock is a joke – everyone knows that, " claimed respected British broadsheet The Guardian recently, “Call a compilation ‘Le Nouveau Rock’n’roll Français’ and, even now, you risk sparking associations with … the affably vulpine but patently daft Johnny Hallyday.” An obvious problem however you look at it! But UK DJ and promoter Sean McLusky and his French collaborators Ludovic Merle and Jean-Baptiste Guillot decided to run that risk, putting together a compilation of French rock called just that. And, after a quick listen to ‘Le Nouveau Rock’n’roll Français’ (distributed in the UK by a major label) even The Guardian had to admit that “a new dawn” may be coming for French rock.

What’s more, interest in the UK is not limited to French rock alone. The London branch of the French Music Bureau (an organisation which aims to promote French music abroad), has reported that a growing number of French artists from a wide range of musical styles are choosing to launch their careers outre-manche. It’s an interesting fact that certain French artists who have been totally overlooked back home have managed to get their careers off the ground in the UK. (Fancy, Tahiti 80, British Hawaii and Anne Pigalle are just a few of those who have been successful in Channel-hopping). And a more recent phenomenon picked up on by the French Music Bureau is that "an increasing number of young French artists now kick off their careers signing directly to a British label." Alternative popster Barth, I Love UFO, Aloud, Parisian rappers TTC and French hip-hop outfit La Cédille have all chosen this route.

Should musical Channel-hopping be seen as a passing trend or a lasting solution? And just who lies behind the talent-spotting and promotion that results in French acts unknown back home making it big in the UK? These are just a couple of questions that La Cédille’s history throws some light on. The young French hip-hop prodigies were discovered by the English musician Pat Fulgoni when he and La Cédille found themselves sharing the same bill at a festival. Fulgoni was impressed by the band’s sound and started a word-of-mouth buzz amongst friends and contacts in the UK record industry. As a result, La Cédille got to play 30 gigs in the UK in less than a year and even put in an appearance at the legendary Glastonbury festival. Boosted by their live appearances, the band’s singles were soon selling like hotcakes and they also have an album in the pipeline (due out next month). Fulgoni says he has been "completely blown away by their success.” “English music fans love the band’s mix of jazz, funk and hip-hop,” he says, “and girls go crazy for their French ‘tchatche’. But it’s unbelievable that these former winners at the ‘Printemps de Bourges’ still didn’t have a recording contract in France when I met them.” (Justice has now been done however and La Cédille’s album will be distributed in France).

 Cross-Channel Movers and Shakers

Pat Fulgoni is not the only facilitator who has given French artists a helping hand in crossing the Channel. Andy Wood, a renowned Latin music promoter, played an instrumental role in helping Lhasa, Orishas and Sergent Garcia make a name for themselves in the UK. As for Parisian rappers TTC, they owe their big break to the Big Dada label. A spokesperson from the record label revealed that "It all started when the group’s producer, Mr Flash, came to see us in 1999 because he wanted to produce Roots Manuva. He left us a copy of TTC’s ‘Game Over 99’ and we thought it was just brilliant! So we called them up and signed them on the spot."

Other major figures such as French DJ Laurent Garnier and Ivan Smagghe from cult Parisian station Radio Nova have also exerted their influence. Olivier Libaux, a co-producer on the hip Nouvelle Vague compilation (currently enjoying success in the UK), remembers how "Smagghe began circulating a number of tracks from the ‘Nouvelle Vague’ project in London in 2003. And then the guys at the Peacefrog label picked up on it and offered us a recording contract." The compilation could have backfired, as a critic writing in underground fanzine Nude reported, "The idea of this bunch of frogs making bossa nova covers of rock songs by the likes of The Clash could have driven us up the wall!" But the Nouvelle Vague compilation has been enthusiastically received in the UK. "Although the style and ethos is very “French”, says Lily May from PeaceFrog, “the songs are all British new wave classics.”

The Alternative Circuit

With London acting as a nerve centre for all forms of contemporary music, is it really surprising that French artists - who have always nurtured a passion for British rock, punk and pop - should end up migrating to the UK capital? The case where Channel-hopping might raise a few eyebrows, however, is French ‘chanson,’ a genre which has had the greatest trouble filtering through to the UK. And yet Anne Pigalle, "the daughter of Gainsbourg and Edith Piaf" (as one English music mag dubbed her) was the first female  French singer to make a name for herself across the Channel. Anne began her career hanging out with all the big names from the punk movement (including The Sex Pistols and The Clash) and also enjoyed relative success with her debut album. Anne recently moved back to London where she has now taken to performing on the underground scene, playing at alternative venues. She still has a core following of fans who buy her albums directly from her website, but complains about the problem of isolation like many other French musicians living in the UK capital.

"It’s really tough in the UK," confirms a spokesperson from the French Music Bureau (who are essentially involved in helping artists who have already signed to a label). "You don’t have a special artist’s status* here like you do in France, so if you want to make it here you have to be prepared to invest a lot of time and money." But on the upside Ludovic Merle, organiser of the “Exposé” festival which has helped promoted a great number of French bands across the Channel, points out that, "In London there’s a real alternative culture which can help groups starting out. Apart from the major music venues, the city’s got over 150 pubs where up-and-coming bands can play."With nothing on the same scale existing back home in Paris, it looks like we may be seeing even more young French hopefuls crossing the Channel in the future!

*In France musicians can claim a special form of social security from the state 

Yann  Perreau

Translation : Julie  Street