Biography
-
Founded In
Bordeaux, Gironde, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France
-
Members
- Benjamin Lebeau
- Guillaume Brière
"There are no songs in electronic dance music," lament The Film.
"That bothered us. So we chose to take a human approach making music like rock n' roll musicians.' Frustrated by the sterile and faceless world of 808s and 909s, Guillaume Briere and longtime collaborator Benjamin Lebeau set upon hotly tipped project, The Film. Meandering soundscapes have been shunned in favour of snappy three minute song structures and devastating hooks. Blending technology with live instrumentation, they've struck upon a unique brand of irresistibly groove laden and unashamed pop rock.
Drawn together by a common interest in music, the duo met at the age of ten and have been working together ever since. Already proficient in several instruments, Guillaume brought Benjamin up to pace by lending him a bass guitar. Struck by an insatiable hunger to learn, Benjamin quickly became an expert.
The boys would jam together regularly, taking inspiration form their parents' record collections; a mixture of 70's rock and black soul. 'I was fascinated by Jim Morrison,' recalls Benjamin. 'I had posters of him all over my wall'. The influence of Led Zeppelin, The Doors, Roxy Music and David Bowie is undeniable in their music today. Guillaume describes his first band, managed by his father, as 'a Jackson Five type group.' It didn't last long. He went on to perform cover versions of pop rock classics with Benjamin - 'Smoke On The Water' being a particular favourite.
In the mid 90's the duo extended their musical feelers, branching out into French hip-hop, drum n' bass and house music. Using a Groovebox, sampler and basic 4 track recorder, they began to experiment, forming drum n' bass outfit Time Stretcher - the first of many monikers to come.
This was quickly followed by Benja & Fatalis; a project spanning house, techno and electronica. Their reputation as production mavericks filtered across Europe, leading to remix commissions from the likes of Minus 8, The Clones and Quark. It was their live group Zimpala, a fusion of cinematic trip hop and house, which would eventually lead to the organic sensibilities of The Film.
'It was a natural progression,' says Guillaume. 'About three years ago we realised computers were not physical enough for us. There was too great a division between ourselves and the music.' In an effort to cut out the technological middle-man, The Film introduced live instruments into their productions. 'We've even started to sing,'says Benjamin, 'to complete that full human involvement.'Ever curious and open minded, 25 year olds Benjamin and Guillaume consider themselves receptive to many musical styles and artistic pursuits; all of which they invest back into their music.
The result is a refreshingly original sound. While other experimentalists defy convention, The Film simply defy expectation.
Artist descriptions on Last.fm are editable by everyone. Feel free to contribute!
All user-contributed text on this page is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply.
