RIVER

Since 1997, when Fabrice Herve began composing and recording in Nantes, France, his indie pop endeavor River immediately captivated listeners worldwide through its distinctive strain of airy orchestral pop. The sheer volume of material Herve generated during his first half-dozen years of activity proved extraordinary, yielding an extensive sequence of recordings. River entered the French market via Windows Records with the 1997 album Happiness & Smiles, whose lyrics addressed separation and melancholy against a backdrop that blended jazz and pop elements. Later the same year Plastic Pancake Records issued the single The Hairdresser, which was succeeded by the Spiderman single on the identical label. River reached American audiences for the first time in 1999 when Shelflife Records released the Poseidon's Girlfriend single. During that year Safari Records in France also put out the Strawberry Lipstick EP. Additional 1999–2000 outings appeared on Bliss Aquamarine Records, Home-Aid Recordings, and Blackbean & Placenta Records. In 2001 a cassette-only edition surfaced on Italy’s Best Kept Secret Records, paving the way for River’s most expansive project, the twenty-track self-titled album issued by Shelflife in 2002. Although Herve had already produced years of striking indie pop, the breadth of this collection and the critical notice it received introduced the project to a wider circle of enthusiasts. Plastic Pancake released the Streets of Desire single in 2003.