One-man bands used to look pretty similar. Big bass drum on the back, acoustic guitar, harmonica rack, rings on his fingers, bells on his toes… Louis Warynski looks nothing like this. In the digital age, a one-man band can make a plump old noise just from the push of a couple of buttons. Not that Louis' art is remotely that straightforward. Operating under the Chapelier Fou moniker (the French-literate among you won't need me to tell you it translates as Mad Hatter), this is a young man from Metz who knows his musical chops and applies his dutiful study of classical violin to a distinctive brand of sweet, quirky electronica ¬- that classical training simply enhancing his music's inherent playfulness. His effective, affecting electronic landscapes show he also does poignancy rather well. And should he ever grow tired of live performance, the French film industry will surely be queuing up to offer endless soundtrack work.
(Biography written by Nige Tassell 2011)
Listen back to Trans Europa Express with Gabriele Urban for a live set from Chapelier Fou.
