Francis Rimbert - Biography

Biography

Francis Rimbert started playing classical piano when he was 5 years old. At the conservatory, he studied harmony, counterpoint, the fugue and orchestral leading. He won first prize in piano and moved onto Paris where he become a salesman, working in a music store which by chance imported synthesizers, at a time when nobody has sold such before.

He became interested in those electronic instruments. In collaboration with Korg, they created a new concept which had not existed ever before: Francis took the stage (Theatre des Champs Elysées – Paris) solo, surrounded by all his synthesizers (Bionic Orchestra, 1979). He will be the go-to man for both Roland and Ensoniq trades.

A talented musician, Francis wasted little time getting to meet another master of the synthesizer: Jean Michel Jarre, through their mutual friend Michel Geiss. Meeting in 1979 for the concert in Place de La Concorde, Paris, they began a long collaboration. Since the 1986 Rendez-vous Houston concert, Francis has been at Jarre’s side on grand stages.

Aside from his work on various albums for Jarre, Francis has created several works of sonic illustration. Synthesizers are the prolongation of the fingers of a sensitive musician who uses electronic instruments to articulate his melodic talent, a talent which helped him win first prize at the international festival of electronic music in Tokyo in 1988 (chaired by Isao Tomita).

In 1994, Francis Rimbert created music for some video games.

In 1995 and 1996, Francis did some master classes but he was distracted by his involvement with Jarre’s concerts.

In 2003, Francis took on a new challenge: a new album, entitled Double Face. In this album, Francis explored a mystique world, full of duality, in which each title has something to be discovered. Gaelick, for example, is an homage to Michael Flatley (Lord of the Dance (musical)) and the lightness of the Irish dancers in a highly physical choreography.

Musical colors evoke a parallel universe of duality in things and culture, most strongly realized in Dorian Gray. Conceived as a tableau with touches of Magritte or a poem with multiple meanings.

Follow the path of the artist through his reflections, his sensibilities. Visualize our double face; everyone is free to conceive their open and hidden side, their duality. The duality of the soul (Devil Soul), the duality of emotions (What is Love), the duality of death (Adagio); each title delivers its double message.

In 2005, an American distributor discovered Double Face online and proposed a contract of distribution for the United States of America.

The contract was signed with Atomic Quill Music and 10,000 units of Double Face were pressed. Francis Rimbert performed a showcase during the Fuse-In festival in Detroit and held a release party at Record Time, Detroit’s premier shop for electronic music. He also conducted interviews that were aired various stations (KLCC, ETN, Echoes). Various titles were remixed by American Djs, including Kenneth Thomas and D:Fuse and distributed by Moist Music.

During September 2005, Double Face was released in France and throughout Europe. In November, Francis held a showcase at Le Divan de Monde, in Paris.

In 2006, Francis signed distribution contracts in Scandinavia and with digital distributor Wild Palms Music. His music is now available around the world. Concerts, showcases, interviews, the release of a single, Mecanique du Temps, a duet with his friend, the hard rock guitarist, Patrick Rondat. This single was a limited edition release, to coincide with a performance at Salon de la Musique in September. In spite of all this, Francis found the time to release a compilation: Sound of Vintage Volume 1.

March 2007 saw the release of Sound of Vintage Volume 2, followed by Snap Shots in October. During 2007, Rimbert and his band performed live concerts featuring some of the titles of this record. In these concerts he has shared the stage with LOL, and his friend Sylvain Durand. Also on board are a percussionist Victor Paillet and a sound designer in the person of Nicolas Mills. Angy, singer and diva, makes interventions on several of songs.

Invited by his distributors, first in Spain and then the Netherlands before taking on the rest of Europe, Francis pursued a promotional tour, complete with private concerts.

After these performances, Francis was solicited to perform a concert in Lyon in November 2007, to benefit Handicap International.

During 2008, Francis toured with Jean Michel Jarre, performing the full Oxygene suite in several European cities. During 2009 and 2010, he has toured again, this time in the IN<>DOORS and 2010 tours of Jarre.