Dionysos is a French
rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
band formed in 1993 in
Valence
Valence or valency may refer to:
Science
* Valence (chemistry), a measure of an element's combining power with other atoms
* Degree (graph theory), also called the valency of a vertex in graph theory
* Valency (linguistics), aspect of verbs rel ...
, Drôme; they formed at their
lycée
In France, secondary education is in two stages:
* ''Collèges'' () cater for the first four years of secondary education from the ages of 11 to 15.
* ''Lycées'' () provide a three-year course of further secondary education for children between ...
. They perform songs in both French and English, and have released six studio albums. They are well known in France for their surrealism and eccentricity.
Their first album, ''Happening Songs'', was self-produced and with entirely English lyrics. With their second album ''The sun is blue like eggs in Winter'' (also self-produced) Babet became a member. In 1999, they signed to a major label (the now defunct
Trema
Trema may refer to:
* a List of Greek and Latin roots in English/P–Z#T, Greek and Latin root meaning ''hole''
* ''Tréma'', a word in French meaning diaeresis
** more generally, two dots (diacritic)
* Trema (plant), ''Trema'' (plant), a genus of ...
) and released ''Haïku'' which brought the band in to the public eye, mainly thanks to the success of the single "Coccinelle".
The name of the band comes from the ancient Greek god
Dionysus
In ancient Greek religion and myth, Dionysus (; grc, Διόνυσος ) is the god of the grape-harvest, winemaking, orchards and fruit, vegetation, fertility, insanity, ritual madness, religious ecstasy, festivity, and theatre. The Romans ...
, which in French is ''Dionysos''.
Influences
There are strong non-musical influences from
Tim Burton
Timothy Walter Burton (born August 25, 1958) is an American filmmaker and animator. He is known for his gothic fantasy and horror films such as ''Beetlejuice'' (1988), ''Edward Scissorhands'' (1990), ''The Nightmare Before Christmas'' (1993), ...
and
Roald Dahl
Roald Dahl (13 September 1916 – 23 November 1990) was a British novelist, short-story writer, poet, screenwriter, and wartime fighter ace of Norwegian descent. His books have sold more than 250 million copies worldwide. Dahl has be ...
. A lot of the songs are surreal and many feature nonsense lyrics (for example "Surfin Frog"). The albums ''Monsters in Love'' and ''La mécanique du cœur'' are set in a surreal world full of whimsical monsters and other fantastic characters which Mathias Malzieu has used as a setting for two original comic books. Joann Sfar illustrated the cover art for the comic books as well as the two albums. Sfar's eccentric and humorous brand of fantasy fiction as displayed in the Donjon comic books lends itself easily to the band's fantasy-humor albums.
The lead singer, Mathias Malzieu, is also working on other projects such as the career of
Olivia Ruiz
Olivia Blanc (born 1 January 1980), known as Olivia Ruiz, is a French pop singer of partial Spanish descent belonging to the nouvelle chanson genre. (his partner), and his other hobby : writing (published 4 books in 2002, 2005, 2007 and 2011). His second book is based on the same world as the album ''
Monsters in Love'', his third book on the same world as the album ''
La mécanique du cœur''. In the same way, there will be connections between his fourth book, ''
Métamorphose en bord du ciel Métamorphose may refer to:
* "Métamorphose" (song), a 1989 song by Amanda Lear
* ''Métamorphose'' (album), a 1984 album by Sortilège
* Métamorphose (renamer), an open source batch renamer
See also
* ''Metamorfoz
''Metamorfoz'' (''Metam ...
'', but not to the same extent as ''La mécanique du cœur''.
Members
*
Mathias Malzieu – vocals,
ukulele
The ukulele ( ; from haw, ukulele , approximately ), also called Uke, is a member of the lute family of instruments of Portuguese origin and popularized in Hawaii. It generally employs four nylon strings.
The tone and volume of the instrumen ...
,
folk guitar
Folk or Folks may refer to:
Sociology
*Nation
*People
* Folklore
** Folk art
** Folk dance
** Folk hero
** Folk music
*** Folk metal
*** Folk punk
*** Folk rock
** Folk religion
* Folk taxonomy
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Folk Plus or Folk ...
,
theremin
The theremin (; originally known as the ætherphone/etherphone, thereminophone or termenvox/thereminvox) is an electronic musical instrument controlled without physical contact by the performer (who is known as a thereminist). It is named afte ...
, harmonica,
glockenspiel
The glockenspiel ( or , : bells and : set) or bells is a percussion instrument consisting of pitched aluminum or steel bars arranged in a keyboard layout. This makes the glockenspiel a type of metallophone, similar to the vibraphone.
The glo ...
Mathias is the main songwriter and frontman. He has also written three books – ''38 mini westerns'' (Pimientos, 2003), ''Maintenant qu'il fait tout le temps nuit sur toi'' (Flammarion, 2005) et ''
La mécanique du cœur'' (Flammarion, 2007) – with inspiration drawing between the albums and the novels.
* Éric Serra Tosio ''Rico'' – drums, percussion,
whistle
* Michaël Ponton a.k.a. ''Miky Biky'' – lead guitar,
phonograph
A phonograph, in its later forms also called a gramophone (as a trademark since 1887, as a generic name in the UK since 1910) or since the 1940s called a record player, or more recently a turntable, is a device for the mechanical and analogu ...
turntable,
banjo
The banjo is a stringed instrument with a thin membrane stretched over a frame or cavity to form a resonator. The membrane is typically circular, and usually made of plastic, or occasionally animal skin. Early forms of the instrument were fashi ...
,
lapsteel
The lap steel guitar, also known as a Hawaiian guitar, is a type of steel guitar without pedals that is typically played with the instrument in a horizontal position across the performer's lap. Unlike the usual manner of playing a traditional ...
,
ukulele
The ukulele ( ; from haw, ukulele , approximately ), also called Uke, is a member of the lute family of instruments of Portuguese origin and popularized in Hawaii. It generally employs four nylon strings.
The tone and volume of the instrumen ...
,
programming
The Miky Biky co-produced ''
La mécanique du cœur'' with Mathias.
* Guillaume Garidel a.k.a. ''Guillermo'' – bass guitar,
contrabass
Contrabass (from it, contrabbasso) refers to several musical instruments of very low pitch—generally one octave below bass register instruments. While the term most commonly refers to the double bass (which is the bass instrument in the orchest ...
, synthesizer
* Élisabeth Maistre a.k.a. ''
Babet'' – vocals, violin,
keys
Key or The Key may refer to:
Common meanings
* Key (cryptography), a piece of information that controls the operation of a cryptography algorithm
* Key (lock), device used to control access to places or facilities restricted by a lock
* Key (map ...
,
banjo
The banjo is a stringed instrument with a thin membrane stretched over a frame or cavity to form a resonator. The membrane is typically circular, and usually made of plastic, or occasionally animal skin. Early forms of the instrument were fashi ...
,
theremin
The theremin (; originally known as the ætherphone/etherphone, thereminophone or termenvox/thereminvox) is an electronic musical instrument controlled without physical contact by the performer (who is known as a thereminist). It is named afte ...
(member since 1998)
Babet has begun a solo career and released two albums: ''Drôle d'oiseau'' (5 March 2007) and ''Piano Monstre'' (27 September 2010).
* Stéphan Bertholio a.k.a. ''Stéphano'' –
banjo
The banjo is a stringed instrument with a thin membrane stretched over a frame or cavity to form a resonator. The membrane is typically circular, and usually made of plastic, or occasionally animal skin. Early forms of the instrument were fashi ...
,
keys
Key or The Key may refer to:
Common meanings
* Key (cryptography), a piece of information that controls the operation of a cryptography algorithm
* Key (lock), device used to control access to places or facilities restricted by a lock
* Key (map ...
, bass,
glockenspiel
The glockenspiel ( or , : bells and : set) or bells is a percussion instrument consisting of pitched aluminum or steel bars arranged in a keyboard layout. This makes the glockenspiel a type of metallophone, similar to the vibraphone.
The glo ...
,
ukulele
The ukulele ( ; from haw, ukulele , approximately ), also called Uke, is a member of the lute family of instruments of Portuguese origin and popularized in Hawaii. It generally employs four nylon strings.
The tone and volume of the instrumen ...
,
baritone guitar
The baritone guitar is a guitar with a longer scale length, typically a larger body, and heavier internal bracing, so it can be tuned to a lower pitch. Gretsch, Fender, Gibson, Ibanez, ESP Guitars, PRS Guitars, Music Man, Danelectro, Schec ...
,
lapsteel
The lap steel guitar, also known as a Hawaiian guitar, is a type of steel guitar without pedals that is typically played with the instrument in a horizontal position across the performer's lap. Unlike the usual manner of playing a traditional ...
,
musical saw
A musical saw, also called a singing saw, is a hand saw used as a musical instrument. Capable of continuous glissando (portamento), the sound creates an ethereal tone, very similar to the theremin. The musical saw is classified as a plaque f ...
,
melodica (backliner, then official member since 2002)
Stéphan worked as the band's backliner on tour, but joined officially during the recording of ''
Monsters in Love''.
Discography
Studio albums
*''Happening Songs'' (self-produced, 1996)
*''The Sun Is Blue Like the Eggs in Winter'' (self-produced, 1998)
*''Haïku'' (
Trema
Trema may refer to:
* a List of Greek and Latin roots in English/P–Z#T, Greek and Latin root meaning ''hole''
* ''Tréma'', a word in French meaning diaeresis
** more generally, two dots (diacritic)
* Trema (plant), ''Trema'' (plant), a genus of ...
, 1999)
*''
Western sous la neige'' (
Trema
Trema may refer to:
* a List of Greek and Latin roots in English/P–Z#T, Greek and Latin root meaning ''hole''
* ''Tréma'', a word in French meaning diaeresis
** more generally, two dots (diacritic)
* Trema (plant), ''Trema'' (plant), a genus of ...
, 2002)
*''
Monsters in Love'' (
Trema
Trema may refer to:
* a List of Greek and Latin roots in English/P–Z#T, Greek and Latin root meaning ''hole''
* ''Tréma'', a word in French meaning diaeresis
** more generally, two dots (diacritic)
* Trema (plant), ''Trema'' (plant), a genus of ...
, 2005)
*''
La Mécanique du Cœur'' (
Barclay Barclay may refer to:
People
* Barclay (surname)
* Clan Barclay
Places
* Barclay, Kansas
* Barclay, Maryland, a town in Queen Anne's County
* Barclay, Baltimore, Maryland, a neighborhood
* Barclay, Nevada, a town in Lincoln County
* Barclay, ...
, 2007)
*''
Bird 'n' Roll'' (
Barclay Barclay may refer to:
People
* Barclay (surname)
* Clan Barclay
Places
* Barclay, Kansas
* Barclay, Maryland, a town in Queen Anne's County
* Barclay, Baltimore, Maryland, a neighborhood
* Barclay, Nevada, a town in Lincoln County
* Barclay, ...
, March 2012)
*''
Vampire en pyjama
''Vampire en pyjama'' is the eighth studio album by Dionysos (French band), Dionysos, and was released on 29 January 2016, two days after Mathias Malzieu's novel, ''Journal d'un vampire en pyjama''. The album was intended to be more acoustic th ...
'' (L'Extraordinarium, January 2016)
*''Surprisier'' (L'Extraordinarium, February 2020)
Live albums
*''Whatever the Weather – Concert Électrique'' (
Trema
Trema may refer to:
* a List of Greek and Latin roots in English/P–Z#T, Greek and Latin root meaning ''hole''
* ''Tréma'', a word in French meaning diaeresis
** more generally, two dots (diacritic)
* Trema (plant), ''Trema'' (plant), a genus of ...
, 2003)
*''Whatever the Weather – Concert Acoustique'' (
Trema
Trema may refer to:
* a List of Greek and Latin roots in English/P–Z#T, Greek and Latin root meaning ''hole''
* ''Tréma'', a word in French meaning diaeresis
** more generally, two dots (diacritic)
* Trema (plant), ''Trema'' (plant), a genus of ...
, 2003)
*''Monsters in Live'' (2007)
DVDs
*''Whatever the Weather'' (2003) – recorded 30 May 2003 at 'La Laiterie' in
Strasbourg
Strasbourg (, , ; german: Straßburg ; gsw, label=Bas Rhin Alsatian, Strossburi , gsw, label=Haut Rhin Alsatian, Strossburig ) is the prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est region of eastern France and the official seat of the Eu ...
*''Monsters in Live'' (2007) – recorded 28 October 2006 at
Le Zénith
Le Zénith () is the name given to a series of indoor arenas in France. The first arena, the "Zénith Paris" is a rejuvenation of the Pavillon de Paris. In French culture, the word "zénith" has become synonymous with "theater". A zénith is a ...
in Paris with the Synfonietta de Belfort orchestra
Other
*''Yoghurt session'' (1997) – extremely rare vinyl
*''Soon, on your radio'' (1998) – a CD featuring Dionysos alongside Mary's Child and Despondents
*''Old School Recordings'' (
Trema
Trema may refer to:
* a List of Greek and Latin roots in English/P–Z#T, Greek and Latin root meaning ''hole''
* ''Tréma'', a word in French meaning diaeresis
** more generally, two dots (diacritic)
* Trema (plant), ''Trema'' (plant), a genus of ...
, 15 May 2001) – a collection of rare recordings
*''Eats Music'' (
Barclay Barclay may refer to:
People
* Barclay (surname)
* Clan Barclay
Places
* Barclay, Kansas
* Barclay, Maryland, a town in Queen Anne's County
* Barclay, Baltimore, Maryland, a neighborhood
* Barclay, Nevada, a town in Lincoln County
* Barclay, ...
, 12 October 2009) – another collection of rare recordings, demos and alternative or live versions of previous released tracks
References
External links
Official website(in French) – discography, media, and information
Official MySpaceRFI's review of ''Monsters in Love''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dionysos
French indie rock groups
Musical groups established in 1993
French alternative rock groups
Musical groups from Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
French art rock groups