David Grellier Explained

David Grellier
Birth Name:David Grellier
Birth Date:2 July 1979
Birth Place:Nantes, France
Genre:Electronica, synthwave
Occupation:Composer, Performer, Producer
Years Active:2004–present

David Grellier (born July 2, 1979)[1] is a French electronica musician and founder of the musical projects College (2005) and Valerie (2007). Under the stage name Mitch Silver, he is also a member of the electroclash band Sexy Sushi, active since 2004.[2]

Musical projects

College

College
(Musical Project)
Origin:Nantes, France
Genre:Synth-pop, synthwave
Years Active:2005–present
Label:FVTVR, Valerie
Current Members:David Grellier

College, in Grellier's words, was an attempt "to synthesize into my music the emotions of my childhood" and was greatly influenced by American 1980s pop-culture, "80's soaps and an aesthetic which I particularly like: color, images, silvery films and the sun – images of Los Angeles, Chicago and all of the other cities that [...] continue to fascinate me"[3] as well as artists including Daft Punk, Alan Braxe, Fred Falke, Lifelike, Jacques Lu Cont, Nicolas Makelberge, DJ Falcon, and John Carpenter.[4]

In 2008, released the album Secret Diary,[5] [6] [7] alongside the EP Teenage Color. In 2011, the collective released a second album Northern Council.[8] The same year, the song "A Real Hero," which College collaborated on with Canadian synth-pop group Electric Youth, was used in the soundtrack of the film Drive[9] [10] becoming a charting hit in France reaching #26.[11] The following year the same song was included in the soundtrack of the film Taken 2.[12]

On March 13, 2013, released a third full-length album, Heritage, introducing a new series of live acts around the world accompanied by new visual content. French visual system artist Chromaphase cooperated for the Shanghai act.[13] [14]

On 10 October 2014, announced their fourth EP Save The Day. The title track features vocals by Nola Wren.[15] The official music video for "Save The Day" debuted on 9 November 2014.[16] Jay Buim directed the music video, which has been described as "dark."[17] Both the EP and music video are said to have been inspired by stalker films of the late 1970s and early 1980s.[18]

Valerie

Valerie
(Music Collective)
Origin:Nantes, France
Genre:Electro, "retro-futurist", 1980s music, synthwave
Years Active:2007–present

The Valerie Collective described as "responsible for some of the very best original electronic music now coming out of France", was created as a way to foster musical talent, by providing opportunities for collaboration among artists, also connecting them through blogs and other internet channels. The collective is characterised by a "retro-futurist", "romantic blend of 1980s inspired electro" or synthwave.

The musical cooperation was founded in Nantes in 2007 by David Grellier and his friends and colleagues. Various acts in Valerie include The Outrunners, Minitel Rose, Anoraak, Maethelvin, all from Nantes as well as Russ Chimes from London and DVAS from Toronto. Other artists included Keenhouse and Electric Youth. The hymn of the collective is "West Coast Valerie", a remix of the TV series Côte Ouest.[19]

Some of the works are released under the Valerie own record label, whereas others are released under various labels like FVTVR, Endless Summer Recordings, Believe Digital, Flexx, Free Danger. The label Endless Summer Recordings also prepared a compilation album in 2009 entitled Valerie and Friends joining a great number of artists in the project.

In 2019 Grellier, appeared in the documentary film The Rise of the Synths, appearing alongside Maethelvin and various other composers from the Synthwave scene, including filmmaker John Carpenter who also narrated the film which explored the origins and growth of the synthwave genre.[20]

Sexy Sushi

See main article: Sexy Sushi. Under the pseudonym stage name Mitch Silver, David Grellier is a member of Sexy Sushi, a French electroclash band he formed with vocalist Rebeka Warrior (real name Julia Lanoë). She is also part of the band Mansfield.TYA .[21] Their first albums were released as burned CD-R by alternative distributors like Wonderground. An EP and an album were then released in 2009 by Scandale Records.

Discography

As College

As Valerie Collective

As part of Sexy Sushi

Notes and References

  1. News: Electro choc . Philippe . Brochen . Libération Next . Libération . 9 April 2011 . 18 Dec 2011 . French . 13 April 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110413083931/http://next.liberation.fr/musique/01012330659-electro-choc . dead.
  2. News: Sexy Sushi, Cyril et Jean-Pierre Pernault. Julien. Bordier. LEXPRESS.fr. L'Express. 21 June 2010. 17 Dec 2011. French.
  3. Web site: Interview with David Grellier of College and founder of the Valerie Collective 2009 . . 2010 . 2011-11-03.
  4. Web site: tsugi.fr - Les années College . 2012-03-04 . https://web.archive.org/web/20081207053018/http://www.tsugi.fr/index2.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=331&pop=1&page=1 . 2008-12-07 . dead .
  5. http://www.whatsonthehifi.com/page18/page93/page93.html Interview with David Grellier of College and founder of the Valerie Collective
  6. Philippe Richard, «Le nantais College boosté par Drive», Ouest France, 17 December 2011.
  7. https://vehlinggo.com/2018/11/26/college-secret-diary-interview/ College's Secret Diary: 10 Years Later
  8. http://www.magicrpm.com/a-lire/chronique/college/northern-council Northern Council de College
  9. https://vehlinggo.com/2016/09/07/drive-movie-fifth-anniversary-feature/ Drive Soundtrack: Revisiting the Neon-Noir Masterpiece
  10. http://www.magicrpm.com/artistes/college/a-lire/interviews/recap-live-21-12-11 Récap' live
  11. Web site: College feat. Electric Youth – A Real Hero. French. lescharts.com. 24 February 2012.
  12. https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/taken-2-original-motion-picture/id564133832 Taken 2 (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
  13. http://www.smartshanghai.com/event/24171
  14. College Asia Tour Live Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PUZdtXN8qI, 'Shanghai Rose on the Bund', 15 June 2013.
  15. Web site: Save The Day . 2016-06-21 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160614214756/http://www.valeriecollective.com/2014/10/save-the-day/ . 2016-06-14 . dead .
  16. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bnb8ti0JGU YouTube
  17. http://www.unit9.com/project/college-save-the-day UNIT9
  18. Web site: College – Save the Day. 10 November 2014.
  19. Web site: Tsugi: Les années College . 2012-03-04 . https://web.archive.org/web/20081207053018/http://www.tsugi.fr/index2.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=331&pop=1&page=1 . 2008-12-07 . dead .
  20. Web site: Link to video clips of Grellier performing at French premiere of the film. YouTube. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20200614012224/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqYJ1aWPLv4 . 2020-06-14 .
  21. http://www.20minutes.fr/article/307919/Nantes-La-douce-violence-d-un-duo.php 20 minutes: La douce violence d'un duo