B.Burgalat

BERTRAND BURGALAT AND THE TRICATEL DISCS

BERTRAND BURGALAT

COCO CHANEL WAS DESCRIBED AS ?OUTSIDER?, AND THE SAME COULD BE SAID OF BERTRAND BURGALAT: AN UNCONVENTIONAL CHARACTER WHO BELONGS NOWHERE, REMAINING ON THE FRINGES OF RECOGNISED GENRES, CREATING HIS OWN SPECIAL UNIVERSE IN THE SHADOWS OF MAINSTREAM MUSIC. HE?S THE EPITOME OF THE MUSICIAN AS POLYMORPHIC ARTIST, HIS ROLES INCLUDING WRITER, COMPOSER, ARRANGER, PERFORMER, PRODUCER, BAND LEADER AND INFLUENTIAL PLAYER ON THE FRENCH MUSIC SCENE.

HIS PEERS ADMIRE HIM, RESPECT HIM AND USE HIM AS A SOURCE OF REFERENCE. THE PUBLIC KNOWS HIM BEST FOR THE COMPOSITIONS HE CREATED FOR CHRISTOPHE WILLEM. HE HAS ALSO CROSSED PATHS WITH ALAIN CHAMFORT, PHILIPPE KATERINE, MICK HARVEY, SUPERGRASS, ROBERT WYATT AND MARC LAVOINE.

OVER THE LAST TWENTY YEARS, BERTRAND BURGALAT HAS WORKED ON OVER 150 ALBUMS AS PRODUCER, ARRANGER, COMPOSER AND MUSICIAN.

TRICATEL

FROM THE MOMENT HE SET FOOT IN A STUDIO, BURGALAT REALISED THAT HE HAD TO COUNT ON HIS OWN RESOURCES IF HIS UNUSUAL PROJECTS WERE TO SEE THE LIGHT OF DAY; HE NEEDED TO CREATE THE TOOLS THAT WOULD GIVE HIM TOTAL CONTROL OVER THE DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF HIS WORK AND ALLOW HIM TO PRODUCE THE PROJECTS THAT MEANT SO MUCH TO HIM.

SO, IN 1995, BERTRAND BURGALAT CREATED THE TRICATEL LABEL, A NON-ALIGNED, INDEPENDENT AND SOVEREIGN PRINCIPALITY AS WELL AS A COLLECTIVE ENDEAVOUR, HOME TO THE PRODUCTION OF THE MOST ECLECTIC OF PROJECTS.

TRICATEL PAYS ELEGANT AND GENTLE HOMAGE TO THE SPIRIT OF SINGULARITY AND TEAMWORK, THE TEAM IN QUESTION HERE BEING GROUPS OF MUSICIANS, LYRIC WRITERS (INCLUDING PASCAL MOUNET, MATTHIAS DEBUREAUX AND ELISABETH BARILLE) AND FILMMAKERS (SUCH AS KUNTZEL AND DEYGAS, DANIEL KLEIN AND SERGE BOZON). THE LABEL?S EDITORIAL LINE IS FLUID AND FANTASTICAL - AND IMPOSSIBLE TO CLASSIFY. BURGALAT MAKES RECORDS LIKE OTHER PEOPLE OFFER GIFTS. THE LABEL REVIVES FORGOTTEN ARTISTS (ANDRE POPP, DAVID WHITAKER), PAYS TRIBUTE TO WRITERS (MICHEL HOUELLEBECQ, JONATHAN COE, JEAN-JACQUES SCHUHL), LAUNCHES NEW BANDS (A.S DRAGON, THE SHADES) AND PRODUCES BEHIND-THE-SCENES MUSICIANS (APRIL MARCH, COUNT INDIGO, ETIENNE CHARRY, BURGALAT HIMSELF), ARTISTS WHO BELONG NOWHERE, WHO STAY OUT OF THE SPOTLIGHT, AND OF WHOM WE KNOW LITTLE.

IN THE LATE 90S, TRICATEL PUSHED OUT THE BOUNDARIES OF GOOD TASTE. AT THE LABEL?S MUSICAL MONDAY NIGHTS AT THE BOWLING DE L?ETOILE, YOU COULD LISTEN TO A CAREFULLY CHOSEN SELECTION OF TRACKS, WITH NO DISTINCTION BETWEEN GOOD AND BAD TASTE: ROCK, HIP HOP, SOUL, ELECTRO - EVERYTHING EXCEPT OMNIPRESENT HOUSE MUSIC, THEN OVERRUNNING THE
NIGHT-CLUB SCENE. ENTRY WAS FREE, TO AVOID PENNILESS MUSIC LOVERS HAVING TO PAY WHILE OTHERS GOT IN ON THE GUEST LIST, AND THE EVENING BEGAN AT 7.00 P.M. TO SHAKE OFF THE TRENDY CONTINGENT WHO KEPT TURNING UP, THE IRREPRESSIBLE TRICATEL MOVED AWAY FROM THE CENTRE OF TOWN TO MAIN D?OEUVRES IN THE SUBURB OF SAINT OUEN. ON SATURDAY AFTERNOONS, AN ENTHUSIASTIC CROWD CAME TO LISTEN TO TRICATEL AND OTHER ARTISTS IN CONCERT OR AMATEUR DJS PLAYING THEIR FAVOURITE TRACKS. ENTRY WAS ?5 FOR EVERYONE. WHEN THIS APPROACH BEGAN TO CATCH ON, THE LABEL MOVED ON TO PASTURES NEW, ITS MISSION ACCOMPLISHED.

BURGALAT?S INFLUENCE MAY WELL BE BURGEONING, BUT HIS COMMERCIAL SUCCESS REMAINS MODEST. HE KEEPS HIS LABEL ALIVE BY WORKING ON COMMISSIONS SUCH AS SOUNDTRACKS FOR FILMS AND COMMERCIALS AND SOUND DESIGNS OF EVERY SORT, USUALLY UNDER THE DIRECTION OF OLIVIER KUNTZEL AND FLORENCE DEYGAS.

THE LABEL?S SPARKLING CATALOGUE WILL FEATURE 40 WORKS THIS YEAR, FROM THE VERY FIRST VALERIE LEMERCIER CHANTE TO THE NEW BERTRAND BURGALAT?S RELEASE, PLANED FOR THIS SUMMER.

THE STUDIO

STAYING AS TRUE AS EVER TO THE SPIRIT OF INDEPENDENCE, TRICATEL HAS JUST INAUGURATED ITS OWN RECORDING STUDIO IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PYRENEES. THE NEW STUDIO GIVES CONCRETE FORM TO BURGALAT?S DESIRE TO BUILD A PROFESSIONAL WORK TOOL, DESIGNED BY HIMSELF TO HIS OWN STANDARDS.

BERTRAND BURGALAT WAS BORN ON 19 JULY 1963 IN BASTIA, CORSICA.

B.Burgalat

BERTRAND BURGALAT ET LES DISQUES TRICATEL

BERTRAND BURGALAT

COMME ON L?A DIT DE COCO CHANEL, BERTRAND BURGALAT EST UN IRREGULIER, UNE PERSONNALITE D?UN CALIBRE INSOLITE QUI N?APPARTIENT A RIEN, SE TIENT A LA PERIPHERIE DES GENRES RECONNUS OU IL SECRETE SON UNIVERS PROPRE. ARTISTE POLYMORPHE, CE MUSICIEN EST A LA FOIS AUTEUR, COMPOSITEUR, ARRANGEUR, INTERPRETE, PRODUCTEUR, CHEF DE BANDE ET AGENT D?INFLUENCE.

SES PAIRS L?ADMIRENT, LE RESPECTENT, EN FONT LEUR BANQUE DE DONNEES. LE GRAND PUBLIC CONNAIT SURTOUT SES COMPOSITIONS POUR CHRISTOPHE WILLEM. IL A EGALEMENT CROISE LES CHEMINS D'ALAIN CHAMFORT, PHILIPPE KATERINE, MICK HARVEY, SUPERGRASS, ROBERT WYATT OU MARC LAVOINE.

EN VINGT ANS, BERTRAND BURGALAT A TRAVAILLE SUR PLUS DE 150 ALBUMS COMME PRODUCTEUR, ARRANGEUR, COMPOSITEUR OU MUSICIEN.

TRICATEL

DES SES PREMIERES TENTATIVES EN STUDIO BURGALAT REALISE QU'IL DOIT COMPTER SUR SES PROPRES FORCES : IL LUI FAUT, POUR QUE SES PROJETS HORS-NORMES VOIENT LE JOUR, FABRIQUER LES OUTILS LUI PERMETTANT D?AVOIR UN CONTROLE COMPLET SUR LES DIFFERENTS ASPECTS DE SON TRAVAIL ET DE PRODUIRE LES PROJETS QUI LUI TIENNENT A COEUR.

EN 1995, BERTRAND BURGALAT CREE DONC LE LABEL TRICATEL, UNE PRINCIPAUTE NON-ALIGNEE, INDEPENDANTE ET SOUVERAINE, UNE AVENTURE COLLECTIVE AUSSI, OU IL PRODUIT LES PROJETS LES PLUS ECLECTIQUES.

TRICATEL EST UN HOMMAGE ELEGANT ET LEGER A LA SINGULARITE ET A L'ESPRIT DE GROUPE : EQUIPES DE MUSICIENS, DE PAROLIERS (PASCAL MOUNET, MATTHIAS DEBUREAUX, ELISABETH BARILLE...), DE REALISATEURS (KUNTZEL ET DEYGAS, DANIEL KLEIN, SERGE BOZON). SINUEUSE ET FANTASQUE, SA LIGNE EDITORIALE EST INCLASSABLE : BURGALAT FABRIQUE DES DISQUES COMME ON OFFRE DES CADEAUX. LE LABEL REPARE DES OUBLIS (ANDRE POPP, DAVID WHITAKER), FAIT LA PART BELLE AUX ECRIVAINS (MICHEL HOUELLEBECQ, JONATHAN COE, JEAN-JACQUES SCHUHL), LANCE DES GROUPES (A.S DRAGON, LES SHADES), PRODUIT DES MUSICIENS SECRETS (APRIL MARCH, COUNT INDIGO, ETIENNE CHARRY, BURGALAT LUI-MEME). DES ARTISTES QUI N?APPARTIENNENT A RIEN, QUI SE TIENNENT A L?ECART ET QU?ON MECONNAIT.

MENANT UNE GUERRE DU GOUT, TRICATEL ORGANISE, A LA FIN DES ANNEES 90, DES LUNDI MUSICAUX AU BOWLING DE L?ETOILE. ON Y ECOUTE UNE MUSIQUE CHOISIE, SANS DISTINCTION DE BON OU DE MAUVAIS GOUT, ROCK, HIP HOP, SOUL, MUSIQUE ELECTRONIQUE, TOUT, SAUF LE TAPIS DE HOUSE QUI COLONISE ALORS LES NIGHT-CLUBS. L?ENTREE EST GRATUITE (POUR QUE CE NE SOIENT PAS LES PAUVRES ET LES ENTHOUSIASTES QUI PAIENT ALORS QUE LES AUTRES SONT SUR GUEST LIST ), LA SOIREE DEMARRE A 19 HEURES. POUR SEMER LES BRANCHES QUI RAPPLIQUENT, L?IRRECUPERABLE TRICATEL SE DECALE DE L?AUTRE COTE DU PERIPHERIQUE A MAIN D?OEUVRES, SAINT OUEN. UN PUBLIC DE PASSIONNES VIENT Y ECOUTER, LE SAMEDI APRES MIDI, DES ARTISTES TRICATEL OU PAS EN CONCERT ET DES D.J AMATEURS PASSENT LEURS DISQUES PREFERES. L?ENTREE EST A 5 EUROS POUR TOUT LE MONDE. LORSQUE CES APPROCHES SE GENERALISENT LE LABEL PASSE A AUTRE CHOSE, SA MISSION ACCOMPLIE.

SI L?INFLUENCE DE BURGALAT GRANDIT, LE SUCCES COMMERCIAL RESTE TIMIDE. POUR FAIRE VIVRE LE LABEL, BURGALAT EXECUTE DES TRAVAUX DE COMMANDE, MUSIQUES DE PUBLICITE, GENERIQUES ET HABILLAGES EN TOUS GENRES, LE PLUS SOUVENT SOUS LA HOULETTE D'OLIVIER KUNTZEL ET FLORENCE DEYGAS.

LE CHATOYANT CATALOGUE COMPORTERA 40 TITRES CETTE ANNEE, DU TOUT PREMIER VALERIE LEMERCIER CHANTE AU NOUVEL ALBUM DE BERTRAND BURGALAT, PREVU POUR CET ETE.

LE STUDIO

PLUS QUE JAMAIS INDEPENDANT, TRICATEL VIENT D?INAUGURER SON PROPRE STUDIO D?ENREGISTREMENT AU MILIEU DES PYRENEES. BURGALAT CONCRETISE AINSI SON SON DESIR DE CONSTRUIRE UN OUTIL DE TRAVAIL PROFESSIONNEL, A SA MAIN ET A SES NORMES.

BERTRAND BURGALAT EST NE LE 19 JUILLET 1963 A BASTIA.