David Grellier

David Grellier (born July 2, 1979, Nantes, France)^[1] is a French electronica musician and founder of the musical projects College (2005) and Valerie (2007). Under the stage name Mitch Silver, he is also a member of the electroclash band Sexy Sushi, active since 2004.^[2]

Musical projects

College

College, in Grellier's words, was an attempt "to synthesize into my music the emotions of my childhood" and was greatly influenced by American 1980s pop-culture, "80's soaps and an aesthetic which I particularly like: color, images, silvery films and the sun – images of Los Angeles, Chicago and all of the other cities that [...] continue to fascinate me."^[3]

In 2008, College released the album Secret Diary,^[4][5] alongside the EP Teenage Color.

In 2011, the collective released a second album Northern Council.^[6] The same year, College's song "A Real Hero" was used in the soundtrack of the film Drive^[7][8] becoming a charting hit in France reaching #26.^[9]

In an interview to magazine Tsugi, David Grellier said he was influenced by "nostalgic music", by the band Daft Punk, and artists like Alan Braxe, Fred Falke, Lifelike, Jacques Lu Cont (Stuart Price), Nicolas Makelberge, DJ Falcon, John Carpenter and others^[10]

On March 13, 2013, College released their third full-length album, Heritage, introducing a new series of live acts around the world accompanied by new visual content. French visual system artist Chromaphase cooperated for the Shanghai act.^[11][12]

Valerie

The Valerie collective described as "responsible for some of the very best original electronic music now coming out of France", was created as a way to foster musical talent, by providing opportunities for collaboration among artists, also connecting them through blogs and other internet channels. The collective is characterised by a "retro-futurist", "romantic blend of 1980s inspired electro" or synthwave.^[3]

The musical cooperation was founded in Nantes in 2007 by David Grellier and his friends and colleagues. Various acts in Valerie include The Outrunners, Minitel Rose, Anoraak, Maethelvin all from Nantes^[3] as well as Russ Chimes from London and DVAS from Toronto. Other artists included Keenhouse and Electric Youth. The hymn of the collective is "West Coast Valerie", a remix of the TV series Côte Ouest.^[13]

Some of the works are released under the Valerie own record label, whereas others are released under various labels like FVTVR, Endless Summer Recordings, Believe Digital, Flexx, Free Danger. The label Endless Summer Recordings also prepared a compilation album in 2009 entitled Valerie and Friends joining a great number of artists in the project.

As Mitch Silver in Sexy Sushi

Under the pseudonym stage name Mitch Silver, David Grellier is a member of Sexy Sushi, a French electroclash band he formed with vocalist Rebeka Warrior (real name Julia Lanoë). She is also part of the band Mansfield.TYA .^[14] Their first albums were released as burned CD-R by alternative distributors like Wonderground. An EP and an album were then released in 2009 by Scandale Records.

Discography

As College

• 2008: Secret Diary (album, FVTVR label)

Tracklist

1. Fighting For Life
2. The Energy Storm (with Minitel Rose)
3. When You Smile
4. Secret Diary
5. Desire
6. Gate Number 5
7. Something Wrong Tonight
8. Burning By The Stars
9. She Never Came Back (with ElectricYouth)
10. I Think About It
11. The Golden Messenger
12. Fantasy Park (with Anoraak)
13. I Need A Better Engine
14. End Theme

• 2008: Teenage Color (EP, Valerie Records)

Tracklist

1. Can You Kiss Me First
2. Teenage Color
3. My Secret Romance
4. The Drone
5. The Scarlett Empress

• 2009: A Real Hero (EP, Flexx label)

Tracklist

1. A Real Hero
2. Closer
3. Critical Mass
4. The Mirage Makers
5. Susan Waiting

• 2011: Secret Diary Remixed (EP, FVTVR label)

Tracklist

1. The Energy Story (dvas Remix)
2. The Energy Story (Justin Faust Remix)
3. The Energy Story (Nicholas Kraich Instrumental Remix)
4. She Never Came Back (Russ Chimes Remix)
5. She Never Came Back (The Outrunners Remix)
6. Fantasy Park (Moulinex Remix)
7. I Think About It (Keenhouse Remix)

• 2011: Northern Council (album, Valerie label)

Tracklist

1. Incident
2. The Zemlya Expedition
3. Express For Acelia
4. Northern Council
5. Answers
6. TWA Flight 450
7. White Mosaic
8. Weisberg Control
9. Tscheljabinsk
10. Simon’s Past
11. Divided Loyalty
12. Out Of Sync

• 2013: Heritage (album, Valerie Records)

Tracklist

1. Héritage
2. Départ
3. Les Automates
4. Frontière
5. Tempête Magnétique
6. Une Ville Silencieuse
7. Piège
8. Un Long Sommeil
9. Alter Ego
10. Révélation
11. Le Choix
12. Nouveau Chapitre

As Valerie Collective

• Compilation:
  • Valerie and Friends Compilation (2009, Endless Summer Recordings)
• College:
  • Secret Diary (2008 album, FVTVR label)
  • Teenage Colour (2008 EP, Believe Digital)
  • A Real Hero (2008 EP, Flexx label)
• College/The Outrunners:
  • Teenage Colour/Cool Feeling (7", Free Danger label)
• Minitel Rose:
  • The French Machine (2008 album, FVTVR label)
  • Atlantic (2010 album, FVTVR label)
• Anoraak:
  • Nightdrive With You (EP, Endless Summer Recordings)
  • Nightdrive With You Remixes (EP, Endless Summer Recordings)
  • Wherever the Sun Sets (2010 Naïve Records)

As part of Sexy Sushi

• 2004: Défonce ton ampli (CDR, Merdier Records / Wonderground)
• 2005: J'en veux j'en veux des coups de poing dans les yeux (CDR, Merdier Record / WonDerGround Distribution)
• 2005: Caca (CDR, Merdier Records / Wonderground)
• 2006: Ça m’aurait fait chier d’exploser (CDR, Merdier Records / Wonderground)
• 2008: Marre Marre Marre (Believe)
• 2009: EP Des jambes (SV03, Scandale Records)
• 2009: Tu l'as bien mérité (SC002, Scandale Records)
• 2010: Château de France
• 2010: Cyril (L'autre distribution)
• 2011: Mauvaise foi
• 2011: Flamme

Usage in films

• In 2011, College's "A Real Hero" (feat. Electric Youth) was included in the soundtrack of the film Drive.^[15]

• In 2012, College's "A Real Hero" (feat. Electric Youth) was also included in the original motion picture soundtrack of the film Taken 2.^[16]

References