Biography
Robert Massé (aka: Batchas / Freq63 / Mydaüs / Trebor Semas / Microscope & Side Projects: Myiase / Mental Showdowns) was born in 1963 in Nice (FR).
It all started at the age of 9 when he got his first "music instrument": a Bontempi plastic toy electric guitar - his neighbours will never forget this memorable Christmas in 1972!.
During a few years, he's working hard at school (…) as he wished to go to an University for 'electronic & new technologies' (his all-time's favorite: looking inside all kinds of household electrical appliances - toaster / tv / radio / vacuum cleaner etc - in despite of his parents total disagreement), meanwhile his interest in conventional instruments, as guitars and so on, lowered more and more - the Bontempi's one was recycled after a couple weeks in a kind of 'high frequencies/mind-blowing' feedback generator, reducing its size to a small simple piece of plastic "played" with the assistance of a mini screwdriver pressed on his original electronic circuits. Soon, he realised that learning mathematics & physics was boring him (…) and he switched to another kind of studies: more "artistic" ones.
After moving from place to place, due to some misunderstanding neighbourhood conflicts - he still travels with his Bontempi mind-blower gear, plus an "Electro-Harmonix Memory Man" effect pedal and a cheap Sony walkman - he found at least a nice place to live and to start his Art Studies - photography & communication - at the 'Ecole des Beaux-Arts' in Marseille (1981).
There he meets very few musicians who are also interested in the same kind of "unconventional music", not "trendy" and far away from all hit-parade clichés (…).
One of these friends*, who's going to Berlin regularly, bringing back with him the newest records from the "Industrial Avant-Garde", will undoubtedly influence all future Batchas works and his interest for synthesizers & analogue technique.
*Creator of the "Utilisation du Vieux Port" french cult label.
They're listening to: DAF, The Residents + all Ralph Rec. releases, Negativland, Die Tödlische Doris, E.Neubauten, TG, SPK etc etc and they produce their own music on their own labels. Mail Art and Tapes rule, as well as limited Vinyl editions and hand-made covers.
Soon Batchas will also discover: Pierre Schaeffer, Pierre Henry, Nurse with Wound, Hafler Trio, Monte Cazzaza, Whitehouse and his all-time's favourite: Zoviet France.
In '85 he creates in Paris his 'Scrotum Production' label, mostly for his own productions as Batchas (from electroacoustics to industrial). It enables him to remain completely independent, from the production to the distribution process. Untill 1993 all releases will come out on tape in limited edition and handmade packaging.
After a couple of years living in Berlin - collaborations to choreographies + experimental projects - he's moving to Zürich.
In 1993 he releases his first CD called "Tahafut-Ul-Tahafut" on Scrotum Prod. label. He's got new contacts while working in a record store and finds easier ways to press on digital format, an interesting "new" promising format at that time according to him.
In '95 after a Batchas performance with guests musicians from Zürich at the "Musiques Ultimes Festival" in Nevers (FR), the audience and the critics declare Batchas as being a "revelation" (…). It's then the begining of a long collaboration with the french "Noise Museum" label, which starts with the publication of Batchas "Live in Nevers" LP from the '95 live gig.
After several releases and productions since his first CD, Batchas created this website to explore a different medium of communication between the auditor/visitor and the artist.
In 1998, Batchas takes a break with all his musical activities untill today.
Except a couple of performances as Myiase in between - with his old mate Roger Rotor - and a very few collaborations with other musicians in Zürich, he is now working as Multimedia Producer, mostly developing Flash applications.
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