Gautier Serre (born June 5, 1984), better known by his stage name Igorrr, is a French musician. Under the Igorrr alias, he combines a variety of disparate genres, including

black metal Black metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include fast tempos, a shrieking vocal style, heavily distorted guitars played with tremolo picking, raw ( lo-fi) recording, unconventional song structures, and an em ...

, baroque music,

breakcore Breakcore is a style and microgenre of electronic dance music that emerged from jungle, hardcore, and drum and bass in the mid-to-late 1990s. It is characterized by very complex and intricate breakbeats and a wide palette of sampling source ...

, and

trip hop Trip hop (sometimes used synonymously with " downtempo") is a musical genre that originated in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom, especially Bristol. It has been described as a psychedelic fusion of hip hop and electronica with slow temp ...

, into a singular sound. Serre is also part of the groups Whourkr and Corpo-Mente. The Igorrr project became a full band with the addition of vocalists Aphrodite Patoulidou and JB Le Bail, plus the drummer Sylvain Bouvier and the guitarist Martyn Clément.

History

Solo work (2005–2016)

Serre plays piano, drums, and guitar and primarily uses

Steinberg Cubase Cubase is a digital audio workstation (DAW) developed by Steinberg for music and MIDI recording, arranging and editing. The first version, which was originally only a MIDI sequencer and ran on the Atari ST computer, was released in 1989. Cut-d ...

for recording. He named his band after a pet gerbil called Igorr that he had as a child, adding the extra "r" to "make it harder to pronounce." Serre claims to have

synesthesia Synesthesia (American English) or synaesthesia (British English) is a perceptual phenomenon in which stimulation of one sensory or cognitive pathway leads to involuntary experiences in a second sensory or cognitive pathway. People who rep ...

, in his case perceiving music as colors. In 2011 interview, he spoke of the origin of his solo project: Igorrr self-released a demo album, ''Poisson Soluble'' (2006) and ''Moisissure'' (2008, Acroplane Recordings), which gained the attention of label

Ad Noiseam Ad Noiseam is an independent record label that has from 2001 onwards published electronic music in the form of (breakcore, drum'n'bass, IDM, dubstep) as well as hip-hop and jazz based in Berlin, Germany. Ad Noiseam was founded in April of 2001 ...

. His debut album ''Nostril'' was released in 2010, alongside a companion EP ''Baroquecore''. Both demos were reissued in 2011. Igorrr's second album ''Hallelujah'' was released in 2012. It featured collaboration from Mayhem guitarist

Teloch Morten Bergeton Iversen (born 19 November 1974), better known by his stage name Teloch ( ), is a Norwegian black metal musician known for being a live guitarist for Gorgoroth, God Seed and 1349. He is currently the guitarist for Mayhem. Ca ...

and classical singer Laure Le Prunenec. Igorrr's pet chicken, Patrick, gained notoriety for "playing" the piano (Serre would put chicken feed on corresponding keys the chicken would peck at.) Serre won a

GoPro GoPro, Inc. (marketed as GoPro and sometimes stylized as GoPRO) is an American technology company founded in 2002 by Nick Woodman. It manufactures action cameras and develops its own mobile apps and video-editing software. Founded as Woodman ...

award for film making for a video of Patrick playing filmed with a GoPro.

Expansion to full band (2017–present)

In February 2017, Igorrr signed with

Metal Blade Records Metal Blade Records is an American independent record label founded by Brian Slagel in 1982. The US office for Metal Blade is located in Agoura Hills, California. It also has offices in Germany, Japan, Canada, and the UK. The label is distr ...

. His third album ''

Savage Sinusoid ''Savage Sinusoid'' is the third album by Gautier Serre, under his alias Igorrr, released on Metal Blade Records on June 16, 2017. Background Igorrr signed with Metal Blade Records in early 2017. The album was preceded by the singles "ieuD", "O ...

'', was released on June 16, 2017. The album was recorded over five years by a collective of musicians. The album was preceded by the single "ieuD". Unlike previous Igorrr albums, it did not feature any samples. It featured collaboration with members of

Cattle Decapitation Cattle Decapitation is an American deathgrind band from San Diego, California, formed in 1996. The band's current lineup includes vocalist Travis Ryan, guitarists Josh Elmore and Belisario Dimuzio, bassist Olivier Pinard, and drummer David McGr ...

and

Secret Chiefs 3 Secret Chiefs 3 (or SC3) is an American avant-garde group led by guitarist/composer Trey Spruance (of Mr. Bungle and formerly, Faith No More). Their studio recordings and tours have featured different lineups, as the group performs a wide ra ...

. The album received positive critical reception, ''Metal Injection'' awarded it "The Bat Shit Crazy Album Of The Year Award", and a perfect 10/10 score, while ''

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the dat ...

'' gave the album 4 out of 5 stars. ''

Metal Hammer ''Metal Hammer'' is a heavy metal music magazine and website founded in 1983, published in the United Kingdom by Future, with other language editions available in numerous other countries. ''Metal Hammer'' features news, reviews and long-form ...

'' gave the album 4 out of 5 stars as well. The album charted in

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to ...

on the

Ultratop Ultratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium. Ultratop is a non-profit organization, created on the initiative of the Belgian Entertainment Association (BEA), the Belgian member organization ...

Flanders chart, reaching #173. Igorrr toured North America for the first time in 2018. In June 2018, Igorrr supported Ministry on their 2018 North American tour. The live show features drummer Sylvain Bouvier and vocalists Laure Le Prunenec and Laurent Lunoir, alongside Serre on vocals and programming. Igorrr has also performed at several other festivals, including Heavy Montréal festival,

Dour Festival Dour Festival is an annual music festival in the municipality of Dour, Belgium. Since its creation in 1988, the festival has grown to an attendance of about 225,000 in 2015 (over 5 days). The first year, only five bands were programmed (includi ...

(three times, in 2014, 2015 and 2017),

Roadburn Festival Roadburn Festival is an international music festival held in Tilburg, Netherlands every April since 1999. It was set up as a spin-off from the Roadburn music blog founded by Jurgen van den Brand and Walter Hoeijmakers. Originally focused on stone ...

, Europavox,

Montreux Jazz Festival The Montreux Jazz Festival (formerly Festival de Jazz Montreux and Festival International de Jazz Montreux) is a music festival in Switzerland, held annually in early July in Montreux on the Lake Geneva shoreline. It is the second-largest annual ...

, Metaldays, Durbuy Rock Festival, Motocultor Festival,

Download Festival Download Festival is a British-created rock festival created by Terrance Gough, held annually at the Donington Park motorsport circuit in Leicestershire, England (since 2003); in Paris, France (since 2016); at Parramatta Park, Sydney (since 2 ...

Brutal Assault Brutal Assault is an open-air extreme metal festival that takes place in the 18th-century army fortress Josefov, located in Jaroměř, Czechia. It is held each August early in the month from Wednesday until Saturday. The festival started in 1 ...

, Hellfest Open Air, FortaRock, and Copenhell, among others. Igorrr also had a short film shown at the

Orlando Film Festival The Orlando Film Festival is an annual film festival held in Orlando, Florida, for independent filmmakers to showcase their work. The festival attracts upwards of 1,000 entries from filmmakers in more than 30 countries every year. History The f ...

. They also performed at a rock festival hosted by the opera company

Opéra national du Rhin The Opéra national du Rhin is an opera company which performs in Alsace, eastern France. It includes the Opéras in Strasbourg, in Mulhouse, where the Ballet de l'Opéra national du Rhin, also known as the Ballet Du Rhin, is based, and in Colmar ...

in 2017.

Style and influences

Igorrr's sound combines

breakbeat Breakbeat is a broad type of electronic music that tends to use drum breaks sampled from early recordings of funk, jazz, and R&B. Breakbeats have been used in styles such as hip hop, jungle, drum and bass, big beat, breakbeat hardcore, and ...

s, heavy metal

riff A riff is a repeated chord progression or refrain in music (also known as an ostinato figure in classical music); it is a pattern, or melody, often played by the rhythm section instruments or solo instrument, that forms the basis or accompanim ...

s, extreme

tempo In musical terminology, tempo ( Italian, 'time'; plural ''tempos'', or ''tempi'' from the Italian plural) is the speed or pace of a given piece. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (ofte ...

changes, and operatic singing coupled with

screaming A scream is a loud vocalization in which air is passed through the vocal cords with greater force than is used in regular or close-distance vocalisation. This can be performed by any creature possessing lungs, including humans. A scream is of ...

growling Growling is a low, guttural vocalization produced by animals as an aggressive warning but can also be found in other contexts such as playful behaviors or mating. Different animals will use growling in specific contexts as a form of communicat ...

, among other elements, to create what

describes as "an intense, disturbing, and undeniably distinct experience". The project's musical sources include

death metal Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. It typically employs heavily distorted and low-tuned guitars, played with techniques such as palm muting and tremolo picking; deep growling vocals; aggressive, powerful drumming, fe ...

industrial metal Industrial metal is the fusion of heavy metal and industrial music, typically employing repeating metal guitar riffs, sampling, synthesizer or sequencer lines, and distorted vocals. Prominent industrial metal acts include Ministry, Nine ...

progressive metal Progressive metal (sometimes shortened to prog metal) is a broad fusion music genre melding heavy metal and progressive rock, combining the loud "aggression" and amplified guitar-driven sound of the former with the more experimental, cerebral ...

, classical music (especially Baroque music),

Balkan music Balkan music is a type of music found in the Balkan region of southeastern Europe. The music is characterised by complex rhythm. Famous bands in Balkan music include Taraf de Haïdouks, Fanfare Ciocărlia, and No Smoking Orchestra. Historica ...

, and

. It has provoked labels such as "Baroquecore" and has been described as

Dada Dada () or Dadaism was an art movement of the European avant-garde in the early 20th century, with early centres in Zürich, Switzerland, at the Cabaret Voltaire (Zurich), Cabaret Voltaire (in 1916). New York Dada began c. 1915, and after 192 ...

ist. In a 2017 interview, Serre said of the origin of Igorrr: "It started when I was a teenager looking for a band or an artist destroying all the limits of music, a band able to bring what all the boring mainstream bands could not bring." Serre listed classical composers

Frédéric Chopin Frédéric François Chopin (born Fryderyk Franciszek Chopin; 1 March 181017 October 1849) was a Polish composer and virtuoso pianist of the Romantic period, who wrote primarily for solo piano. He has maintained worldwide renown as a leadin ...

Johann Sebastian Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his orchestral music such as the ''Brandenburg Concertos''; instrumental compositions such as the Cello Suites; keyboard wo ...

Jean-Philippe Rameau Jean-Philippe Rameau (; – ) was a French composer and music theorist. Regarded as one of the most important French composers and music theorists of the 18th century, he replaced Jean-Baptiste Lully as the dominant composer of French opera ...

, and

Domenico Scarlatti Giuseppe Domenico Scarlatti, also known as Domingo or Doménico Scarlatti (26 October 1685-23 July 1757), was an Italian composer. He is classified primarily as a Baroque composer chronologically, although his music was influential in the devel ...

, alongside contemporary acts

Taraf de Haïdouks Taraful Haiducilor ("Taraf of Haiduks") are a Romanian-Romani ''taraf'' (a troupe of ''lăutari'', traditional musicians) from Clejani, Romania, and one of the most prominent such groups in post-Communist era Romania. In the Western world they ha ...

Cannibal Corpse Cannibal Corpse is an American death metal band formed in Buffalo, New York in 1988, now based out of Tampa, Florida. The band has released fifteen studio albums, two box sets, four video albums, and two live albums. The band has had little rad ...

Meshuggah Meshuggah () is a Swedish extreme metal band formed in Umeå in 1985. Originally, the band's name was Metallien. The band's current lineup consists of lead vocalist Jens Kidman, guitarists Fredrik Thordendal and Mårten Hagström, drummer To ...

Aphex Twin Richard David James (born 18 August 1971), best known as Aphex Twin, is an Irish-born British musician, composer and DJ. He is known for his idiosyncratic work in electronic styles such as techno, ambient, and jungle. Journalists from publication ...

, Mr. Bungle (as well as other

Mike Patton Michael Allan Patton (born January 27, 1968) is an American singer, producer, film composer and voice actor, best known as the lead vocalist of the alternative metal band Faith No More. Noted for his vocal proficiency, diverse singing techn ...

projects), and Portishead as influences in the early days.

Collaborations

With other musicians

Serre was part of Whourkr from 2005 up until 2013 when the group split up into their individual projects. Igorrr released the ''Maigre'' EP, a collaboration with French artist Ruby My Dear. Starting in 2015, Serre is part of Corpo-Mente, where he works with vocalist Laure Le Prunenec. Their first self-titled album was on the label Blood Music and recorded at Improve Tone Studio in

Lezoux Lezoux (; oc, Lesós) is a commune in the Puy-de-Dôme department in Auvergne in central France. It was a key location in the filming of the 2004 film Les Choristes (The Chorus). Population See also *Communes of the Puy-de-Dôme departmen ...

, France. He also collaborated with fellow breakcore artist Bong-Ra Serre worked with The Algorithm on ''

Brute Force Brute Force or brute force may refer to: Techniques * Brute force method or proof by exhaustion, a method of mathematical proof * Brute-force attack, a cryptanalytic attack * Brute-force search, a computer problem-solving technique People * Brut ...

''. Serre has remixed songs for

Morbid Angel Morbid Angel is an American death metal band based in Tampa, Florida, formed in 1983 by guitarist, primary composer and sole remaining original member Trey Azagthoth, vocalist and bassist Dallas Ward, and drummer Mike Browning. Widely considered ...

(released on '' Illud Divinum Insanus – The Remixes'') and

''Jeannette: The Childhood of Joan of Arc''

Igorrr composed half of the soundtrack to the musical film '' Jeannette: The Childhood of Joan of Arc'' directed by Bruno Dumont. The film was screened at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival. The soundtrack was nominated for Best Music at the

23rd Lumières Awards The 23rd Lumières Awards ceremony, presented by the Académie des Lumières, took place on 5 February 2018 to honour the best in French films of 2017. The nominations were announced on 11 December 2017. Winners and nominees See also * 43rd C ...

. According to Serre, his initial compositions had a "medieval atmosphere", before the director told him to "just do Igorrr". The score is described as "

electro-pop Electropop is a hybrid music genre combining elements of electronic and pop genres. Writer Hollin Jones has described it as a variant of synth-pop with heavy emphasis on its electronic sound. The genre was developed in the 1980s and saw a ...

with a dose of heavy metal" and

techno-pop Synth-pop (short for synthesizer pop; also called techno-pop; ) is a subgenre of new wave music that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s a ...

Band members

Current members * Gautier Serre – guitar, programming, instrumentations & vocals * Sylvain Bouvier – drums * JB Le Bail – vocals * Martyn Clément – guitar * Marthe Alexandre - mezzo-soprano vocals Former members * Laurent Lunoir - vocals * Laure Le Prunenec - vocals * Aphrodite Patoulidou – soprano vocals

Discography

Studio albums *''Nostril'' (2010) *''Hallelujah'' (2012) *''

'' (2017) *''

Spirituality and Distortion ''Spirituality and Distortion'' is the fourth album by Gautier Serre, under his alias Igorrr, released on Metal Blade Records on 27 March 2020. Track listing Personnel Igorrr * Gautier Serre – electric guitar, keyboards, programming, comp ...

'' (2020) Demos *''Poisson Soluble'' (2006) *''Moisissure'' (2008) EPs *''Baroquecore'' (2010) *''Maigre'' with Ruby My Dear (2014) with Whourkr *''Demo'' (2005) *''Naät'' (2007) *''Concrete'' (2008, reiussed 2010) *''4247 Snare Drums'' (2012) *''Naät'' + ''Concrete'' (2013, vinyl reissue) with Corpo-Mente *''Corpo-Mente'' (2014)

References

External links

Official website
{{Authority control Living people French musicians 1984 births Avant-garde metal musical groups Musical groups established in 2005 French heavy metal musical groups French industrial metal musical groups Breakcore