| 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]
| 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 (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]
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.