Genre: Alt / Indie, Chamber Pop, Indie Pop, French Pop, Nouvelle Chanson, Vocal Music, New Wave/Post-Punk Revival, Ambient Pop, Film Score, Avant-Garde Music
Emerging in the closing years of the 1990s, Bertrand Burgalat established himself as a leading figure in France’s nouvelle vague movement while working across the roles of producer, songwriter, and singer. Born on the island of Corsica during the 1960s, he absorbed a love of music from his parents, whose listening centered on classical composers, yet he simultaneously cultivated personal tastes that embraced Roxy Music, Kraftwerk, and Serge Gainsbourg. In the late 1970s he relocated first to Paris and then to London, where exposure to Nick Cave prompted him to supply arrangements for Mick Harvey’s album Intoxicated Man.
Drawn by a wide range of genres and an energetic local scene, Burgalat moved back to Paris at the end of the 1990s. There he began contributing production work to numerous French artists and launched the Tricatel label, whose roster soon included Ladytron and April March. His profile rose sharply after Air invited him to remix the single “Sexy Boy” in late 1998, after which his production and remix credits gained international attention. Following an extensive tour with the French duo, during which he performed on bass, Pizzicato Five, Jamiroquai, Soul II Soul, and Depeche Mode—all of whom commissioned remixes, including two tracks from the album Exciter—sought his expertise.
In 2001 Burgalat released his debut solo album, The SSSound of MMMusic, whose blend of 1960s pop and forward-looking electronica underscored his inventive range.
