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Eminent composer and musician Eric Mouquet is a Grammy award-winning composer who has worked with and produced for artists like Josh Groban, Ana Torroja, Youssou N’dour, Joe Zawinul, Peter Gabriel, Herbie Hancock, Mell, Chitose Hajime ,Sa Dingding, Catherine Lara, Charles Aznavour, and many more.
Eric Mouquet is also founder of Deep Forest, the pioneering ethno-ambient electronica band. He is on the cusp of a musical renaissance that promises to explore new directions, combinations and influences in ambient world music with his upcoming Deep Africa album.
Few French groups achieve worldwide success, but one such group is Deep Forest, who have sold several million album copies.The story began in the North of France in the early 90s wihen Eric Mouquet and Michel Sanchez first met, two musicians fascinated by ethnic music which they mixed with their own sounds. Deep Forest venture was underway!
Deep Forest create a new kind of world music, sometimes called ethnic electronic, mixing ethnic with electronic sounds and dance beats or chillout beats. Their sound has been described as an “ethno-introspective ambient world music”.
Deep Forest were nominated for a Grammy Award in 1994 for Best World Music Album, and in 1995, they won the prestigious Award for the album Boheme (first French band winning a Grammy Award). The group also became World Music Awards Winner – French group with the highest 1995 world sales. Their albums have sold over 10 million copies.
Their first self-titled album (nominated for a Grammy) was released in 1992, with ”Sweet Lullaby” being the smash single which would put Deep Forest on the musical map (UK Top 10 hit, Australia Top 1, US Top chart album ). The song “Sweet Lullaby” is adapted from a traditional song from the Solomon Islands surrounded by electro dance loopdrums as well as acoustic waterdrums. The album Deep Forest was dance-driven but with also contained ambient atmospheres. It was re-released as a limited edition in 1994 under the name World Mix.
For their second album Boheme, Deep Forest left behind the sounds of the African rain forest and ventured into Eastern Europe bringing tender, lonesome Hungarian and Gypsy chants with upbeat, yet sad, music. The chants were no longer brief, instead extended phrases had been sampled from Hungarian, Russian, Poland and Transylvanian sample CDs. Marta Sebestyen and Kate Petrova performed on this album.
The band also performed and produced the remixes for the Youssou N’Dour single “Undecided” in 1994, with guest vocals by Neneh Cherry (who featured on n’Dour’s break-through single “Seven Seconds”). That same year Deep Forest made remixes for Jon Anderson’s “Deseo”, Apollo 440’s “Liquid Cool” and Cesaria Evora’s “My Fatigue is Endless”.
In 1996 Deep Forest collaborated with Peter Gabriel on the song While the earth sleeps, which was written for the film Strange Days.
The follow-up third album, Comparsa, contained sounds and chants from Madagascar, Mexico, Belize and Cuba. The music is often upbeat and festive. The last song from the album Media Luna, which was also released as a single, features a duet of Syrian singer Abed Azrie and Spanish singer and Ana Torroja from the famous band Mecano.
The band collaborated with Joe Zawinul during the recording of the album on the song Deep Weather. A recording of their live concert in Japan was also released on a CD called Made in Japan. Although all the songs featured in the show are from the previous three albums, they have new often-longer arrangements and all the chants are performed and reinterpreted by live performers.
In 1999 Deep Forest worked with Cheb Mami and Catherine Lara on the song “L’Enfant Fleur” which had been composed for Sol En Si (a French charity which helps AIDS victims).
In 2000, Deep Forest released a music for the movie Le Prince du Pacifique. It mixes pacific and island beats with electronic music.
Music Detected was the title of their fifth much-anticipated official Deep Forest album which saw the duo turn its attention to the Far East and the Orient for inspiration.
Deep Forest composed the music of Japanese movie Kusano Ran in 2001
During the 2002-2007 period Eric Mouquet worked with various international artists and composed and produced for Josh Groban, their first collaboration on the album Closer was a big hit with more than 7 millions copies.
Josh Groban and Eric Mouquet did another succesful collaboration on the album Awake in 2006. Herbie Hancock played is legendary electric piano on the song “Machine”.
In 2008 Eric Mouquet produced and released Deep Brasil, this album is a collaboration with Brazilian artist Flavio Dell Isola.
During this period, while Michel Sanchez decided to run his own career as a singer, Eric Mouquet decided to continue to compose and to keep Deep Forest alive.
In 2009, 2010 Eric Mouquet decided to go back on stage with Deep Forest and the band started to perform live (Japan, Boston, New York, Shanghai, Dakar, Paris La Villette…).
2011 will be focused on the new album Deep Africa, as 2011 is officialy “International Forest Year”, Deep Forest will carry this message to preserve our mother Earth.
This album features lot of African artists, Lokua Kanza, Blick Bassy, Olyza, Wasis Diop, Zama Magudulela, and Wes’ brother Dany de Mouataba
When asked about his work as a musician and collaborator, Mouquet explained that the process is a natural one where the music emerges despite differences in background and language. With the world becoming smaller and more unified, Mouquet’s music may very well be the soundtrack of our time.
“Deep Projects is a laboratory where I can experiment with all kinds of music,” Mouquet explains. “I love to meet musicians and It’s always nice to be in a studio and to say ‘ok let’s start from zero and see how music is created,’”
The process has been a successful one for Mouquet whose experience, openness and spontaneity allows him to “frame” the music he hears from collaborators into something entirely exciting and meaningful. “I’m very lucky because in most cases people really enjoy this approach of making music and the result is always amazing,” Mouquet points out. “After all the years doing music in studio, I learned that the most important things in music are coming by improvisation and accidents…The way you can turn the accident to your advantage in music is a big
source of energy and creativity,” he adds. Look out for upcoming Album and a regular video blog from Eric
where you can feel his music and be part of the musical experience.
Deep Africa
Coming Soon
Existence Music
Eric Mouquet Bio
BY Gadjo C.Sevilla
Eric Mouquet est né à Valenciennes en 1960. C’est à 14 ans qu’il découvre dans un magasin de musique le synthétiseur (un Moog) , Des lors il n’aura cesse de vouloir comprendre et maitriser ces machines qui le fascinent.
Très rapidement Eric intègre plusieurs groupes aux influences diverses, du Rock, au Jazz en passant par le progressif fusion. Son aisance au clavier et les sonorités qu’il tire de ces synthés, lui ouvrent très vite les portes des studios d’enregistrement. Pendant de nombreuses années Eric travaillera comme compositeur et arrangeur.
Passionné de musique du monde, Eric a l’idée avec Michel Sanchez, de mêler les sonorités de synthés avec des voix « ethniques » venues d’Afrique, il y ajoute les rythmes « électro » qui commencent à peine se faire entendre dans les clubs. Deep Forest est né de cette rencontre en 1992.
Des sa sortie, l’album éponyme Deep Forest obtient un succès international. L’Australie est le premier pays où le groupe explose, il sera N°1 des ventes, recevra un disque d’or et de platine, puis ce sont les Etats Unis, l’Angleterre, le Japon et l’Europe qui suivent, propulsant le titre phare du Groupe « Sweet Lullaby » en tète des charts du monde entier.
Eric est nominé deux fois aux Grammy Award, et il reçoit en 1995 à Los Angeles le Grammy Award du meilleur album World des mains de Peter Gabriel.
Suivra le World Award qui récompense le meilleur album pour le monde catégorie World.
Dés lors, il y aura de nombreuses collaborations avec des artistes tels que :
Yousou N’dour
Peter Gabriel
Joe Zawinul
Ana Torroja (du groupe espagnol Mecano)
Jon Anderson
Cesaria Evora
Catherine Lara
Apollo 440…
En 2003 Eric Mouquet rencontre Josh Groban, il compose et produit deux titres sur l’album « Closer » qui sera N°1 au Bilboard et vendra plusieurs millions de copies dans le monde.
La collaboration continue entre les deux artistes et Eric compose et produit en 2006 deux nouveaux titres pour l’album « Awake » c’est Herbie Hancock qui apportera son jeu de piano sur le titre « Machine ».
Toujours passionné de nouvelles rencontres, Eric Mouquet décide de créer en 2006 son propre label sur le net « Deep Projects ».
Deep Projects est un laboratoire où les idées et les rencontres avec d’autres artistes se concrétisent.
Deep Brasil est le premier opus de cette aventure, Flavio Dell Isola un artiste Brésilien prête sa voix ainsi que ses textes sur ce projet.
En 2007 Eric Mouquet collabore avec la chanteuse chinoise Sa DingDing, ensemble ils composent 3 titres, prélude à l’album Deep China à venir.
Eric rencontre en 2008 le chanteur Camerounais Blick Bassy, aussitôt ils décident de faire des concerts et très vite un projet commun voit le jour « Deep Africa ».
Ce projet se concrétise sous la forme de films au format court qui nous montre L’Afrique sous un angle particulier, en effet à l’occasion de la coupe de monde qui s’annonce pour Juin 2010, ces petits films nous font découvrir une Afrique amoureuse du foot et dont les protagonistes rivalisent d’ingéniosité pour partager leur passion.
Les musiques qui accompagnent ces films sont empreintes de cette générosité.
En 2009 et 2010 Eric Mouquet renoue avec la scène. S’en suivront des concerts en Chine, au Japon et dans des lieux insolites en France (planétariums, Pic du Midi).
Pour ces concerts en solo, l’artiste nous fait redécouvrir tout l’univers musical qu’il a crée depuis les débuts de Deep Forest jusqu’à ce jour.
Tantôt « électro » tantôt acoustique, sa musique nous fait voyager à travers le monde et même dans l’espace…en effet le spectacle Deep Sky joué dans les planétariums et un voyage aux confins de l’univers.
En solo ou avec ses amis musiciens, l’artiste proposera en 2010 plusieurs spectacles :
Deep Sky qui se joue en solo dans les planétariums
Deep in the Forest, dans lequel Eric en solo revisite le répertoire du groupe
Deep Africa avec Blick Bassy
Et un projet « Jazz » en duo avec le pianiste Thierry Eliez, Tribute to Zawinul…
Productions récentes
Au delà des murs DVD (avec C.Lara) 2009
Groove Circle CD DVD (avec Mell et Eiko Shimamiya) Japon 2009
Big Blue Ball avec Peter Gabriel « Altus Siva » 2008
Charles Aznavour album Duo avec Josh Groban « La Bohème » 2008
Le Roi Lion single « Il vit en toi » 2007
Deep Brasil 2007
Josh Groban « Awake » USA 2006
Catherine Lara « Passe moi le ciel » France 2005
Josh Groban « Closer » USA 2003
Ana Torroja (Mecano) Fragil 2003
Hajime Chitose Japon 2002
Thorgal 2000
Catherine Lara « Aral » 1999
Dao Dezy 1994
DEEP FOREST discographie
Music detected 2002
Live in Japan 1999
Comparsa 1997
Boheme 1995
World mix 1994
Deep Forest 1992
Musique de Films
Film score opening « Le Syndrome du Titanic »2009
Film Score “Kusa no Ran” Japon 2004
Film Score “Livraison à domicile” France2004
Film Remix « Mission Cléopâtre France 2002
Film score « Le prince du pacifique » France 2000
Film Score « Toutes les femmes sont des déesses » 1999
Film « L’ile du docteur Moreau »
Film Score « Stange Days »1995
Film Score « Un indien dans la ville » 1994
Film Score « Prêt à porter »1993
Musique de Pub
Chanel
Loréal
Patek Philippe
Honda
Sony Vaio, Sony Trinitron
Eric Mouquet Management
Mail: contact@deep-forest.fr
Booking: VO-MUSIC
Mail: fred@vo-music.com
