Marc Moulin studied political science and economics. This man from Brussels was also a radio journalist, humorist, and playwright. He also wrote a weekly column for Tele Moustique, the Belgian equivalent to Telerama, in which he demonstrated his civic consciousness. JAZZ/INFLUENCES Marc Moulin was a pianist who formed his first trio in 1961. It serves as a backing band to expatriated American musicians like Johnny Griffin and Don Byas. He joined the Alex Scorier Jazz Quartet in 1963 and began recording with Philip Catherine. He was a soloist in the 70s and accompanied many of the top soloists around the world, including Dexter Gordon (Slide Hampton), Clark Terry, Clark Bailey, Johnny Griffin, and Benny Bailey. On his album, ‘Entertainment’, he pays tribute to Horace Silver, the pianist. Jimmy Smith, a great organ player, and Miles Davis were two other musicians that he loved. PRODUCER Marc Moulin made records for Philip Catherine, his friend and jazz guitarist, as well as for many pop artists in the seventies and eighties, including Lio (‘Banana Split,’ and the album “Lio”), Alain Chamfort (4 albums since 1982 – one was ‘Tendres Fievres”), and the Sparks (the 1983 album “In Outer Space”). He was also an active composer for radio and television. PLACEBO He formed a jazz band with Philip Catherine in 1969 that combined jazz, funk, and rock. Marc founded the avant-garde, jazz-rock group ‘Placebo’ in the early seventies. Jazz is their inspiration, but so are Jimi Hendrix and James Brown. This project is a sort of ‘ratatouille of musical ideas’, featuring all the Belgian “hipsters” of that era. They play with the Moog, the first synthesizers. They released three albums between 1971 and 1975 that are now legendary. Blue Note reissued the ‘Placebo Years 1971-1974′ in 2006. Blue Note has reissued SAM’ SUFFY, the mythical 1975 album. The lineup is simplified around the trio Marc Moulin (piano and synthesizers)/Richard Rousselet (trumpet)/Bruno Castellucci (drums), after ‘too much dissipation with Placebo’. It is a mix of jazz, soul and early electronic music. Moulin used prerecorded Moogs as well as the very first sequencers during concerts. Funny references were made to his favorite musical genres, including soul (‘Le Saule), boogaloo(‘Le Beau Galop), blues (‘La Blouse) and boogie/’La Bougie’). Nearly 35 years later, Sam’ Suffy remains a cult record, which is often sampled by many modern producers (e.g. Jill Scott, DJ Vadim, and Handsome Boy Modelling School. TELEX [www.telex-music.com] Founded in 1978 with Dan Lacksman and Michel Moers, this trio is openly disco-pop electro oriented. Between 1979 and 1986, they will release five albums. Telex is a surrealist, even nonsense, alternative to Kraftwerk’s modernity and rigor. They are influenced by the Belgian cartoon school and imagine bizarre and anonymous photos for the press (a la Devo, or later the Residents). Their maxi-singles are cult records that are still being played by DJs today. The Detroit techno scene also mentions them as a major source of inspiration. Crammed released two remix albums in 1998 and 1999 featuring the greatest names in electro (Carl Craig. Stacey Pullen. Maurice Fulton. i:Cube. Juan Atkins. Morgan Geist ). Telex released “How Do You Dance?” in 2006. Telex released ‘How Do You Dance?’ in 2006, featuring unreleased tracks. They also did amazing remixes for Pet Shop Boys and Depeche Mode. The circle has been closed. BLUE NOTE Marc Moulin was contacted in 1999 by the jazz label. He was free from any pressure and he combined all of his experience into one project that combines jazz, soul, and electro with sophisticated production. Marc’s greatest success and international recognition came from “Top Secret”, his 2001 debut album, and “Into the Dark”, the single. Blue Note’s debut album was followed by “Entertainment” in 2004 and “I am you” in 2007. These three albums were certified gold in Belgium. WRITINGS He was also a weekly editor in Tele Moustique magazine, which was a perfect fit for his music-related activities. He also wrote two plays (“L’ascenseur” and “Le grand voyage”), and an essay “La surenchere(L’horreur médiatique)” which is a visionary and pessimistic critique of media. Blue Note releases the 2009 ‘best of’ compilation of Marc Moulin, a Belgian keyboardist and composer (1942 -2008). The “Boxof” is also available in limited edition. It includes 45 tracks, as well as rare and unreleased live tracks. Les Editions Luc Pire is publishing “Le Meilloeur des Humoeurs”, a collection of Tele Moustique’s best editorials. from http://www.marcmoulin.com
