KARL BISCUIT

"A mysterious cult figure of the '80's French electropop scene"

Country:
France
Genre:
Electronic
Style:
Synth-pop, Abstract, Modern Classical

VIDEO:

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SECRET LOVE - Compilation (2003)

Credits:
Performer, Vocals, Written-By - Karl Biscuit
Producer - Gilles Martin (http://www.myspace.com/gillesmartin)
Producer, Engineer, Remix - Gilles Martin (track 14-15)
Remix - Marc Hollander (track 14-15)
Saxophone - Marc Hollander (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marc_Hollander)
Clarinet [Bass Clarinet Solo] - Marc Hollander (track 12)
Horns - Lavabos, The (track 13)
Guitar - Vincent Kenis (track 14)
Violin - Blaine L. Reininger (Tuxedomoon)
Vocals - Winston Tong (Tuxedomoon) (track 02)

Notes:
Compiled Electropop Works Includes "Regrets Eternels" 1984, "Fatal Reverie" 1986 and "Secret Love" 1987

Tracklist:

REGRETS ETERNEL (EP) (1984)

01 La Morte
02 Loneliness
03 Les Memes Histoires
04 Regrets Eternels
05 Requiem
06 No Friends

FATAL REVEIRE (1986)

07 Fatal Reverie
08 Overwhelming Past
09 Fallen Angel
10 The Salvo Of The Cannons
11 Bémol Macabre
12 Dark Lies
13 Final

SECRET LOVE (12") (1986)

14 Secret Love
15 La Morte (Remix)

Link to download:
http://rapidshare.com/files/166410493/kbs.rar

I don't know how many of you know Karl Biscuit? But if you are not familiar with his music ,i think it is more than enough to mention just two things: it's released by Tuxedomoon's label Crammed and even two members of Tuxedomoon guested on it! It means that the standard is guaranteed,don't miss this gem! (salty)

The complete electropop works of the young French artist who came from the world of contemporary ballet (he had collaborated with the likes of Philippe Decouflé etc) and became a mysterious cult figure following his three releases which combined electro beats, tongue-in-cheek romantic darkness and strange mambo influences. Karl Biscuit went back to his first love and formed successful modern dance company Castafiore, which he co-directs to this day.

“An eye-opener to those who think that the French contribution to popular culture stops at Michel Platini and Citroen BX cars” (Melody Maker, UK, ‘85)

“When he sings, his multilingual, cosmopolitan delivery conjures Slavic or Central European impressions. His show is somewhat like pocket opera, a post-electronic cabaret show, it’s entertainment yet also an artistic statement” (Art Press, France, 1986)(http://crammed.greedbag.com/buy/compiled-electropop-works-2/)

"A sorely needed retrospective for this mysterious dancer turned musician, whose short lived 'pop' career (1984-87) has left some of the most intriguing works from the era. This is not your average 'Electropop' as described on the jacket. The pseudo-classical instrumentation is highly stylized, and includes a (sampled?) tuba, featured prominently on several tracks, with imaginative use of sampling and much electronics, over some hilariously macabre lyrics like "But I do not die / From coughing up a little blood / I cry a long time / In solitary" and "What silence after the Salvo of the Cannons / Suddenly Death has sent its scouts / To search through the houses", sung in a rather foreboding baritone. In an ideal world, tracks like 'Secret Love' and 'La Morte' would have topped the dance charts but... well it's not too late to give Biscuit a well-deserved reappraisal, now that everything he recorded during those years is beautifully presented on CD for the first time.Karl Biscuit returned to his former career and achieved much success as a choreographer.."

"After two art-pop albums on Crammed ("Regrets Eternels" in 84 and "Fatale Reverie" in 86), Biscuit became closely involved with the "Nouvelle Danse" ballet scene in France. The complete electropop works of the young French artist who came from the world of contemporary ballet (he had collaborated with the likes of Philippe Decoufle etc) and became a mysterious cult figure following his three releases which combined electro beats, tongue-in-cheek romantic darkness and strange mambo influences. Karl Biscuit went back to his first love and formed successful modern dance company Castafiore, which he co-directs to this day."
(http://search2.downtownmusicgallery.com/first.cgi?row_boolean_00=AND&select_field_00=Artist+OR+Title+OR+Descr&search_00=karl%20biscuit&match_00=all+of+these+words&row_boolean_01=AND&select_field_01=Artist&search_01=&match_01=all+of+these+words&row_boolean_02=AND&select_field_02=Artist&search_02=&match_02=all+of+these+words&Work=0&New_Merch=1&Available=1&Special=1&Pre_Order=1&Cd_Sale=1&Used_Stock=1&fmt_CD=0&fmt_LP=0&fmt_VHS=0&fmt_Cassette=0&fmt_DVD=0&fmt_Miscellany=0&Paging=0&Search.x=47&Search.y=16#results)
"Karl Biscuit's Secret Love (1984-86) is a reminder of another magnificent and manqué figure—the Howard Jones we should have had; electro-pop with a sense of drama and a Euro-arty bent."

More review:
http://www.debaser.it/recensionidb/ID_5282/Karl_Biscuit_Secret_Love.htm

http://www.gutsofdarkness.com/god/objet.php?objet=6441

http://www.indigo.de/unser_programm/titel/82919/

AKTUALISMUS (1987)

Tracklist:

01 Topiques Miniatures - Weltlos 1
02 Topiques Miniatures - Weltlos 2
03 Topiques Miniatures - Weltlos 3
04 Topiques Miniatures - Weltlos 4
05 Topiques Miniatures - Weltarm 1
06 Topiques Miniatures - Weltarm 2
07 Topiques Miniatures - Weltarm 3
08 Topiques Miniatures - Weltarm 4
09 Topiques Miniatures - Weltbildend 1
10 Topiques Miniatures - Weltbildend 2
11 Topiques Miniatures - Weltbildend 3
12 Topiques Miniatures - Weltbildend 4
13 Fables Prehistoriques - Pteroglyphe
14 Fables Prehistoriques - L'Homme-Outil
15 Fables Prehistoriques - Hierophone
16 Fables Prehistoriques - Aux Confins Des Arrieres-Mondes
17 Fables Prehistoriques - Darla Orthopedik
18 Aktualismus (Chroniques Barbares) - Lab
19 Aktualismus (Chroniques Barbares) - S Und Z

Link to download:
http://rapidshare.com/files/166406235/kba.rar

This CD is not a new wave, but a contemporary classical one which is pretty good in its style .

"After two art-pop albums on Crammed ("Regrets Eternels" in 84 and "Fatale Reverie" in 86), Biscuit became closely involved with the "Nouvelle Danse" ballet scene in France. He's worked with choreographer Philippe Decoufle (who was responsible for the mad opening ceremony at the Olympic Winter Games in 92, as well as for a famous video for New Order), and currently works with Castafiore, the company he has founded with Brazilian dancer and choreographer Marcia Barcellos . "Aktualismus" is subtitled "Essay on the End of Modernity" and features "Hierophone", which was used as the theme music for a famous fashion show on BBC TV, and appears regularly on Paul Oakenfold's radio playlists."

"The whole stuff consists of the symphony-kind-aranged-electronic-samples compositions. Pretty manifold and diverse by the basical chosen ideas: XX century kind symphony music, dance, alternative colored trip-hop... Yet generally somehow shocking scaring affecting musical atmosphere. Wholly I liked the thing pretty much."

Biography:
French composer, performer and designer, Karl Biscuit has been collaborating with artists like Alwyn Nikolais, Tuxedomoon or Philippe Decoufle before founding his own company « Systeme Castafiore » with brasilian choreographer Marcia Barcellos. Since then, they have been producing together numerous shows mixing contemporary dance, new music and technology, travelling from Paris to New-Delhi, Sao-Paulo to Sidney … In 2008 Theatre National de Chaillot - Paris is going to welcome a new production "Protokol/Prokop" before a european tour.
Not too much is known of this dandy of European electropop. He released three records on Crammed with neo-romantic and macabre imagery and a more abstract CD on Made To Measure and now works again in the field of contemporary dance, as he did before his musical activities.(http://www.discogs.com/artist/Karl+Biscuit)

More info:
http://www.myspace.com/karlbiscuitofficial

http://castafiore-systems.com/

http://www.crammed.be/crammed/107/e.htm

http://www.paris-art.com/artistes/-/d_artiste/Karl-Biscuit-3611.html

http://www.laplanetebleue.com/details.php?artiste=Karl+Biscuit

http://sozluk.sourtimes.org/show.asp?t=karl%20biscuit

http://www.lexpress.fr/informations/danse-marcia-barcellos-et-karl-biscuit_621926.html

http://www.gipuzkoa.net/kultura/cultura/castella/maiatza99/castafic.htm