Tuesday, October 11, 2005
The INDOCHINA Story - Prologue
To Be Continued, and continuously Edited.
There are 2 or 3 departure points from which to start this story, which is ongoing. It is my hope that in documenting and retracing my steps, I will empower myself to continue to work, and to make progress on my music and creative project(s).
I already know where I'll start this story (the latest of the three starting points).
These 3 are:
#1 -- "15 years of age" - the official beginning of my life as a "music-identified person," and slightly later, my first efforts in music production.
#2 -- "1989/1990" - the beginning of my professional work in recording and production, and the end of what had pretty much been a hiatus from making music.
#3 -- "2001" - the launch of this project and series of musical collaborations and partnerships, also the end of what had been yet another music-making hiatus, and the beginning of what became a new set of trends in culture and music (yet another turn in the retro wheel, this time putting me and some of my people in full, powerful synch with the esthetics that came into favor), a felicitous meeting with a guy by the name of Phil Painson, etc.
So, instead of the story of my entire time in music-making, this will be the story of this specific project/endeavor/phase/incarnation (for the time being).
My career on the business side of the music business has run parallel to many of these developments. As we will see - if this comes up - my work and success as a music businessperson has both helped and hindered my own personal musical creativity.
I've also always been involved or interested in other forms of personal expression - the visual arts, particularly film (I attended 2 film schools). I love images and style - science-fiction, history and eroticism - so these inspirations, among many others, have and will come into play. My dream, my objective will be to one day create (write, direct), and perhaps score, an erotic, history-inspired sci-fi epic (Sky Captain and The World of Tomorrow).
As I'm writing this, I realize the huge influence French & other Adult comics (now known as graphic novels) had on me, and I know they also had a big influence on some of my favorite music artists. I was happily surprised to see an image from one of my favorite "Bande Dessinee" creators of all time, Bilal, featured on the cover of a Duran Duran DVD (a recent release, repackaging of their catalog of videos, live performance footage). Duran Duran had never featured Bilal's work on any of their releases in the past.
Indochine, the French electropop group (*1), was initially very inspired by American adventure comics, movies, and their European progeny/counterparts (their first hit song references French or Belgian comic series hero "Bob Morane."). While that group initially created a derivation of British electropop ala Visage, Depeche Mode, this was done in French, with great humor, and with the addition of surf-guitar and sax (!!!). The group had an obvious fascination with lost empire, with the idea of the colonialist hero in exotic lands.
Inspiration has come to me from diverse sources that include images of the Orient (*2), of historical Europe, and of defunct European empires.
(*1) Please do not confuse French group Indochine with my project INDOCHINA though Indochine was an influence and played a role both in my personal musical creative, and business career development.
Indochine: Seminal French Pop/New Wave group of the 80's which became (as is the case of many groups smart enough and lucky enough to stay together, continue touring, and establish the longevity of their brand) a very commercially successful entity in the domestic French market. Innovation in their music and any hope of/claim to international success the band may have had decreased as their commercial success in the domestic French market increased.
The band's debut mini-album, "L'Aventurier" and subsequent 2 or 3 albums were groundbreaking. Initially, the group served up bubblegum Synth Pop. This was followed by innovative, highly-produced forays into orchestral Pop, with hints of score music and ProgRock (Tears for Fears), but always principally hook & song-based. Next was a series of French Pop hits that were not to my taste.
The group is still a top-seller, and there have been several greatest hits collections, remix collections, and other re-packaging of their catalog, along with continued new full album releases.
As a 16 year-old High Schooler in Hastings-on-Hudson, NY, I worked with their Paris-based manager/label executive Jean-David Askil (who died shortly thereafter) to promote their debut mini-album, and its immediate follow-up, "Le Peril Jaune" in the US. I imported and distributed these titles from France through a D.B.A. company I formed called Aphrodisiac Records. I also tried to get some exposure for Indochine's third album, "3," and for the video for the song "Tes Yeux Noirs" (*) from that album.
The group's 2002 release, "Paradize" apparently won a Victoire de la Musique award (French Grammy). I haven't heard their very latest records. I'm sure that experience would combine the pleasure of hearing an artist one knows, respects, and enjoys, continue his journey, with a sense of slight disappointment. Apparently, only Nicola Sirkis remains in the group after the death of his brother, and the departure before that of the other 2 original members. The group's artwork and other branding/artistic choices reflect a keen understanding and feel for youth marketing.
I personally don't have a lot of interest in U2's or Depeche Mode's very latest. You never know ("Ordinary World" is as good as earlier Duran hits) and some artists have succeeded in perpetual, successful reinvention (though even Bowie's streak ended) or been very prolific early in their career (there are several great early Simple Minds albums - one of my all-time favorite true New Wave acts - but no one should listen to anything past "Once Upon A Time"), or simply enjoyed fruitful longevity (The Stranglers, The Cure). Typically, however, especially from a cultural and stylistic standpoint, many acts of this type lose relevance as they age. And there's the fact, that even though some francophiles or Euro-oriented music-heads may have accidentally come across Indochine and fallen in love with their music (as they should), Indochine simply gave up on shooting for international relevance.
My INDOCHINA concept is artier and simpler, and more vintage new wave & dance/electronic in its orientation.
Through the 90's, Indochine has succeeded as a French domestic Pop hit machine. This may be ebbing but the group still play to sellout crowds throughout France. I remember a recent interview with the band's Nicola Sirkis, saying "We could have had the same level of success as a group like Placebo if we had chosen to sing in English" (perhaps true!). The group did hire Rock hipster-goddess Melissa Auf Der Maur, along with other big names, to play on one of their latest CD's. European acts always do that, and Anglo-American artists, singers, producers, mixers, and instrumentalists will happily take the money gig. Sly & Robbie didn't give a fuck about Serge Gainsbourg when he came to Jamaica to make an album with them - they may still not realize that his/their version of "La Marseillaise" is an all-time classic - that is until the royalty checks come in! In any case, you can't compare Indochine to the French or international relevance of Gainsbourg (*), or even of Vanessa Paradis.
(*) I'm learning as I surf the web that Gainsbourg apparently directed their video for "Tes Yeux Noirs" - not the greatest video, but this info is consistent with Gainsbourg's "availability" and his central role in the French music & media biz while he was alive.
German acts (singing in English or German) like Malaria or Krafwerk, and more recently French Pop/Dance acts Daft Punk, Air, St. Germain, Deep Forest (more on them later) all achieved international success -- and what about instrumentalists like Vangelis, Jean-Michel Jarre, and Tangerine Dream? Etienne Daho, arguably a stronger songwriter but far less innovative musically than Indochine, fared better in his international creative relationships - partnering with the UK's St. Etienne on some songs, for example. Though he is a more conventional singer-songwriter, he will always be considered hipper, in part because he emerged from the very credible 80's New Wave scene in Rennes (Britanny) which also spawned the short-lived legendary Post-Punk group Marquis de Sade (one of my High School graduation yearbook quotes came from their lyrics). Rennes also still being the home of France's legendary international Rock festival & launching pad for new acts, Les Transmusicales. I doubt, however, that Etienne Daho has fans as fanatical as some of Indochine's may be (at this point, Indochine's fan base probably consists of androgynous latecomers to the Goth scene!).
Anyway, the point is:
* Indochine - great, seminal, super-cool, synthpop act, talented songwriters, producers, musicmakers - and they've been successful.
Check out:
http://www.indo.fr
* INDOCHINA - my project: different era, different objectives.
I realize how far I've digressed. If I continued, it would be hard for me to resist going into the early stages of my music business career. I can do that another time. I want this to be about my creative music projects. Also, I could easily go into my knowledge of and involvement with the history of French Rock, New Wave, and Dance-Music. So I will stop now.
I will say, however, that when, above, I mentioned "a turn in the retro wheel, putting me and some of my people in full, powerful synch with the esthetics that came into favor" and "a felicitous meeting with a guy by the name of Phil Painson," this is what I'm talking about. It is precisely in 2001, actually it was in 2000, that I met several individuals and witnessed and participated in some local and international trends - individuals and gatherings for whom these references - and there are many where those came from! - were actually meaningful! I was both gratified and kind of pissed when I realized that I wasn't, after all, the only person in the United States who knew or cared that a group called Kas Product had existed - and that the best of the new "Electro-Clash" acts, including, for example, Miss Kittin or Peaches, sounded more like Kas Product than almost any other group that you could try to compare them to. And that, this very specific retro-vision was not backward looking, it was modern, it was current, and that, combined with all of the stuff we'd traveled through since - from Hip Hop to House to Grunge + non-musical trends like new trends online + high-art/performing arts types of stuff - this was the fucking REAL NEXT SH*T!!!
(*2) Politically incorrect, I know - but "The Orient" really simply means "The East."
Accusations of objectified exoticism are well-founded since it is that very mystique which is exciting. Although historically, the concept of "Orientalism" has applied to several cultures, often those of North Africa and the Mideast, it is the cultures, or rather the idea of the cultures of Japan, China, and Southeast Asia that I have been drawn to (along with David Sylvian, French New Wave group Taxi Girl (original member Mirwais produced Madonna's last 2 albums!), and many others). I now find myself also interested, on a personal, creative, cultural, and business basis, in the realities of Asia.
So I guess now we should start this story...
There are 2 or 3 departure points from which to start this story, which is ongoing. It is my hope that in documenting and retracing my steps, I will empower myself to continue to work, and to make progress on my music and creative project(s).
I already know where I'll start this story (the latest of the three starting points).
These 3 are:
#1 -- "15 years of age" - the official beginning of my life as a "music-identified person," and slightly later, my first efforts in music production.
#2 -- "1989/1990" - the beginning of my professional work in recording and production, and the end of what had pretty much been a hiatus from making music.
#3 -- "2001" - the launch of this project and series of musical collaborations and partnerships, also the end of what had been yet another music-making hiatus, and the beginning of what became a new set of trends in culture and music (yet another turn in the retro wheel, this time putting me and some of my people in full, powerful synch with the esthetics that came into favor), a felicitous meeting with a guy by the name of Phil Painson, etc.
So, instead of the story of my entire time in music-making, this will be the story of this specific project/endeavor/phase/incarnation (for the time being).
My career on the business side of the music business has run parallel to many of these developments. As we will see - if this comes up - my work and success as a music businessperson has both helped and hindered my own personal musical creativity.
I've also always been involved or interested in other forms of personal expression - the visual arts, particularly film (I attended 2 film schools). I love images and style - science-fiction, history and eroticism - so these inspirations, among many others, have and will come into play. My dream, my objective will be to one day create (write, direct), and perhaps score, an erotic, history-inspired sci-fi epic (Sky Captain and The World of Tomorrow).
As I'm writing this, I realize the huge influence French & other Adult comics (now known as graphic novels) had on me, and I know they also had a big influence on some of my favorite music artists. I was happily surprised to see an image from one of my favorite "Bande Dessinee" creators of all time, Bilal, featured on the cover of a Duran Duran DVD (a recent release, repackaging of their catalog of videos, live performance footage). Duran Duran had never featured Bilal's work on any of their releases in the past.
Indochine, the French electropop group (*1), was initially very inspired by American adventure comics, movies, and their European progeny/counterparts (their first hit song references French or Belgian comic series hero "Bob Morane."). While that group initially created a derivation of British electropop ala Visage, Depeche Mode, this was done in French, with great humor, and with the addition of surf-guitar and sax (!!!). The group had an obvious fascination with lost empire, with the idea of the colonialist hero in exotic lands.
Inspiration has come to me from diverse sources that include images of the Orient (*2), of historical Europe, and of defunct European empires.
(*1) Please do not confuse French group Indochine with my project INDOCHINA though Indochine was an influence and played a role both in my personal musical creative, and business career development.
Indochine: Seminal French Pop/New Wave group of the 80's which became (as is the case of many groups smart enough and lucky enough to stay together, continue touring, and establish the longevity of their brand) a very commercially successful entity in the domestic French market. Innovation in their music and any hope of/claim to international success the band may have had decreased as their commercial success in the domestic French market increased.
The band's debut mini-album, "L'Aventurier" and subsequent 2 or 3 albums were groundbreaking. Initially, the group served up bubblegum Synth Pop. This was followed by innovative, highly-produced forays into orchestral Pop, with hints of score music and ProgRock (Tears for Fears), but always principally hook & song-based. Next was a series of French Pop hits that were not to my taste.
The group is still a top-seller, and there have been several greatest hits collections, remix collections, and other re-packaging of their catalog, along with continued new full album releases.
As a 16 year-old High Schooler in Hastings-on-Hudson, NY, I worked with their Paris-based manager/label executive Jean-David Askil (who died shortly thereafter) to promote their debut mini-album, and its immediate follow-up, "Le Peril Jaune" in the US. I imported and distributed these titles from France through a D.B.A. company I formed called Aphrodisiac Records. I also tried to get some exposure for Indochine's third album, "3," and for the video for the song "Tes Yeux Noirs" (*) from that album.
The group's 2002 release, "Paradize" apparently won a Victoire de la Musique award (French Grammy). I haven't heard their very latest records. I'm sure that experience would combine the pleasure of hearing an artist one knows, respects, and enjoys, continue his journey, with a sense of slight disappointment. Apparently, only Nicola Sirkis remains in the group after the death of his brother, and the departure before that of the other 2 original members. The group's artwork and other branding/artistic choices reflect a keen understanding and feel for youth marketing.
I personally don't have a lot of interest in U2's or Depeche Mode's very latest. You never know ("Ordinary World" is as good as earlier Duran hits) and some artists have succeeded in perpetual, successful reinvention (though even Bowie's streak ended) or been very prolific early in their career (there are several great early Simple Minds albums - one of my all-time favorite true New Wave acts - but no one should listen to anything past "Once Upon A Time"), or simply enjoyed fruitful longevity (The Stranglers, The Cure). Typically, however, especially from a cultural and stylistic standpoint, many acts of this type lose relevance as they age. And there's the fact, that even though some francophiles or Euro-oriented music-heads may have accidentally come across Indochine and fallen in love with their music (as they should), Indochine simply gave up on shooting for international relevance.
My INDOCHINA concept is artier and simpler, and more vintage new wave & dance/electronic in its orientation.
Through the 90's, Indochine has succeeded as a French domestic Pop hit machine. This may be ebbing but the group still play to sellout crowds throughout France. I remember a recent interview with the band's Nicola Sirkis, saying "We could have had the same level of success as a group like Placebo if we had chosen to sing in English" (perhaps true!). The group did hire Rock hipster-goddess Melissa Auf Der Maur, along with other big names, to play on one of their latest CD's. European acts always do that, and Anglo-American artists, singers, producers, mixers, and instrumentalists will happily take the money gig. Sly & Robbie didn't give a fuck about Serge Gainsbourg when he came to Jamaica to make an album with them - they may still not realize that his/their version of "La Marseillaise" is an all-time classic - that is until the royalty checks come in! In any case, you can't compare Indochine to the French or international relevance of Gainsbourg (*), or even of Vanessa Paradis.
(*) I'm learning as I surf the web that Gainsbourg apparently directed their video for "Tes Yeux Noirs" - not the greatest video, but this info is consistent with Gainsbourg's "availability" and his central role in the French music & media biz while he was alive.
German acts (singing in English or German) like Malaria or Krafwerk, and more recently French Pop/Dance acts Daft Punk, Air, St. Germain, Deep Forest (more on them later) all achieved international success -- and what about instrumentalists like Vangelis, Jean-Michel Jarre, and Tangerine Dream? Etienne Daho, arguably a stronger songwriter but far less innovative musically than Indochine, fared better in his international creative relationships - partnering with the UK's St. Etienne on some songs, for example. Though he is a more conventional singer-songwriter, he will always be considered hipper, in part because he emerged from the very credible 80's New Wave scene in Rennes (Britanny) which also spawned the short-lived legendary Post-Punk group Marquis de Sade (one of my High School graduation yearbook quotes came from their lyrics). Rennes also still being the home of France's legendary international Rock festival & launching pad for new acts, Les Transmusicales. I doubt, however, that Etienne Daho has fans as fanatical as some of Indochine's may be (at this point, Indochine's fan base probably consists of androgynous latecomers to the Goth scene!).
Anyway, the point is:
* Indochine - great, seminal, super-cool, synthpop act, talented songwriters, producers, musicmakers - and they've been successful.
Check out:
http://www.indo.fr
* INDOCHINA - my project: different era, different objectives.
I realize how far I've digressed. If I continued, it would be hard for me to resist going into the early stages of my music business career. I can do that another time. I want this to be about my creative music projects. Also, I could easily go into my knowledge of and involvement with the history of French Rock, New Wave, and Dance-Music. So I will stop now.
I will say, however, that when, above, I mentioned "a turn in the retro wheel, putting me and some of my people in full, powerful synch with the esthetics that came into favor" and "a felicitous meeting with a guy by the name of Phil Painson," this is what I'm talking about. It is precisely in 2001, actually it was in 2000, that I met several individuals and witnessed and participated in some local and international trends - individuals and gatherings for whom these references - and there are many where those came from! - were actually meaningful! I was both gratified and kind of pissed when I realized that I wasn't, after all, the only person in the United States who knew or cared that a group called Kas Product had existed - and that the best of the new "Electro-Clash" acts, including, for example, Miss Kittin or Peaches, sounded more like Kas Product than almost any other group that you could try to compare them to. And that, this very specific retro-vision was not backward looking, it was modern, it was current, and that, combined with all of the stuff we'd traveled through since - from Hip Hop to House to Grunge + non-musical trends like new trends online + high-art/performing arts types of stuff - this was the fucking REAL NEXT SH*T!!!
(*2) Politically incorrect, I know - but "The Orient" really simply means "The East."
Accusations of objectified exoticism are well-founded since it is that very mystique which is exciting. Although historically, the concept of "Orientalism" has applied to several cultures, often those of North Africa and the Mideast, it is the cultures, or rather the idea of the cultures of Japan, China, and Southeast Asia that I have been drawn to (along with David Sylvian, French New Wave group Taxi Girl (original member Mirwais produced Madonna's last 2 albums!), and many others). I now find myself also interested, on a personal, creative, cultural, and business basis, in the realities of Asia.
So I guess now we should start this story...
