Yann Tiersen

Yann Pierre Tiersen (born 23 June 1970) is a French musician and composer from Brittany. His musical career is split between studio recordings, music collaborations, and film soundtracks songwriting. His music incorporates a large variety of classical and contemporary instruments, primarily the electric guitar, the piano, synthesisers, and the violin, but he also includes instruments such as the melodica, xylophone, toy piano, harpsichord, piano accordion, and even a typewriter.

Tiersen is often mistaken for a soundtrack composer; he himself states that "I'm not a composer and I really don't have a classical background," but his real focus is on touring and recording studio albums, which are often used for film soundtracks. Tracks taken from his first three studio albums were used for the soundtrack of the 2001 French film Amélie.

Biography and career The early years: 1970–1992 Tiersen was born in 1970 in Brest, in the department of Finistère, part of Brittany in northwestern France, into a French family of Belgian and Norwegian origins. He started learning to play the piano at the age of four, the violin at the age of six, and received classical training at several musical academies, including those in Rennes, Nantes, and Boulogne-sur-Mer. In the early 1980s, he was influenced as a teenager by the punk subculture, and bands like The Stooges and Joy Division. When he was 13, he broke his violin, bought an electric guitar, and formed a rock band. Tiersen was living in Rennes back then, home to the three-day music festival Rencontres Trans Musicales, which is held annually in December. That gave him the opportunity to see acts like Nirvana, Einstürzende Neubauten, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, The Cramps, Television, and Suicide. A few years later, when his band parted, Tiersen bought a cheap mixing desk, an 8-track reel-to-reel tape recorder, and started recording music on his own with a synthesiser, a sampler, and a drum machine. The 17-track-album was inspired by and written for the theatrical adaptations of Tod Browning's 1932 cult classic Freaks, and Yukio Mishima's 1955 version of Noh play The Damask Drum. In April 1996, one year later, he released Rue des cascades, a collection of short pieces recorded with a toy piano, a harpsichord, a violin, a piano accordion, and a mandolin. The title track, sung by French solo singer Claire Pichet, was used the following year for the Palme d'Or nominated French drama film The Dreamlife of Angels, and several tracks received greater exposure when they were featured on the Jean-Pierre Jeunet's film Amélie, five years later.

salign = right I was amazed with the way the lighthouse rays revealed some hidden details of the land, how we can rediscover something we have in front of us everyday, only thanks to a light pointing at it. — Yann Tiersen sold over 160,000 copies, confirming Tiersen's status as one of the most innovative artists of his generation and commencing a run of successful albums. André Téchiné's Alice et Martin (1998) and Christine Carrière's Qui plume la lune? (1999). Tiersen also recorded Bästard ~ Yann Tiersen, a three-track-extended-play released in 1998 in collaboration with French electronic rock band Bästard, and his first live album, Black Session: Yann Tiersen. The live album was recorded on 2 December 1998 as he played the opening act of the Rencontres Trans Musicales in the Salle Serreau at the Théâtre National de Bretagne in Rennes, for the C'est Lenoir French broadcast show on the public radio station France Inter. The album features the chamber pop group The Divine Comedy fronted by Northern Irish singer and songwriter Neil Hannon, the French rock band Noir Désir with singer and songwriter Bertrand Cantat, singer and illustrator Françoiz Breut, French rock band The Married Monk (Christian Quermalet, Philippe Lebruman, Etienne Jaumet, Nicolas Courret), French folk rock group Les Têtes Raides (Christian Olivier, Grègoire Simon, Pascal Olivier, Anne-Gaëlle Bisquay, Serge Bégout, Jean-Luc Millot, and Edith Bégou), the string quartet Quatuor à cordes, guitarist and composer Olivier Mellano, and author Mathieu Boogaerts, as well as his usual collaborators and friends, Claire Pichet and Dominique A. The album was recorded by France International, mastered by Radio France, and released in CD format one year later on 2 November 1999.

In 1999, Tiersen together with The Married Monk, Claire Pichet, and Olivier Mellano released his first collaboration album, Tout est calme. The 26 minutes, 10 tracks mini album peaked at number 45 on the French Albums Chart. Amélie received great critical acclaim and was a box-office success. The film went on to win the Best Film award at the European Film Awards, four César Awards, including Best Film and Best Director, two BAFTA Awards, including Best Original Screenplay, and was nominated for five Academy Awards. The soundtrack was a mixture of both new and previously released material, and Tiersen was also the recipient of the César Award for Best Music Written for a Film, and of the World Soundtrack Academy award. The soundtrack album charted in many countries, including the number one position on the French Albums Chart.

While he was writing the film score for Amélie, Tiersen was also preparing his fifth studio album L'Absente. The album, which was released on 5 June 2001 through EMI France, was preceded by two promotional singles for "A quai" and "Bagatelle" respectively. Tiersen provided strings and vibraphone to two tracks, "Roma Amor" and "Holidays", featured on R/O/C/K/Y, the third studio album by The Married Monk.

At this time he was married to Belgian actress Natacha Régnier, co-star of The Dreamlife of Angels. Régnier became a singer and Tiersen wrote three songs for her including his arrangement of Georges Brassens' "Le Parapluie", a song featured on the tribute album Les Oiseaux de passage, released in 2001. That same year they toured in France and abroad. They have a daughter, Lise, born in 2002, but Tiersen and Régnier have since divorced. In this period, Tiersen also took his music out around the world, playing shows with a full orchestra and an amplified string quartet.

Tiersen's skills as a composer of film scores were much in demand, and the soundtrack for Amélie was soon followed by the film score for Good Bye, Lenin!, a 2003 German Tragicomedy film directed by Wolfgang Becker. Tiersen was the recipient of the German Film Awards for Outstanding Music. On 15 November 2003, Tiersen with Stuart A. Staples, the lead singer of indie band Tindersticks, actress and singer Jane Birkin, singer and songwriter Christophe Miossec, and Dominique A released 3 titres inédits au profit de la FIDH (3 New Tracks for the Benefit of FIDH), a three-track CD that was part of the On Aime, On Aide benefit collection for raising funds for the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH).

alt=A photo showing Yann Tiersen (on the left) and Christophe Miossec (on the right) live in concert at Cabaret Vauban, Brest, France, on 6 February 2005. Yann Tiersen (left) and Christophe Miossec (right) at Cabaret Vauban, Brest, France, 6 February 2005. Tiersen's list of collaborators continued to grow album after album and in October 2004 he released Yann Tiersen & Shannon Wright, a collaboration album with American singer-songwriter Shannon Wright, and, in the same year, he is featured on The Divine Comedy's album Absent Friends. In 2005, Tiersen released his fifth studio album Les Retrouvailles. The album features several collaborators including the Orchestre National de Paris, singers Elizabeth Fraser, Jane Birkin, Stuart A. Staples, Dominique A, and Miossec, strings players Jean-François Assy, Frederic Dessus, Guillaume Fontanarosa, Bertrand Causse, Anne Causse Biragnet, Armelle Legoff, Frédéric Haffner, flute player Elliott, drummer Ludovic Morillon, and ondes Martenot player Christine Ott. Les Retrouvailles also includes a DVD short film entitled La Traversée, directed by Aurélie du Boys, which documents the making of the album in Ushant, and incorporates an animated video for the non-album track "Le Train" and live versions of a handful of songs. The album produced a single, "Kala", sung by Elizabeth Fraser, and Tiersen also played piano on Staples' solo debut album, Lucky Dog Recordings 03-04. The subsequent world tour of 2006 replaced the multi-instrumental ensemble with electric guitars and an ondes Martenot, and produced his third live album, On Tour, which was released together with a DVD, directed by Aurélie du Boys, about the tour, in November 2006. In 2006, he also released two singles, "La Mancha" and "La Rade", and he was featured on The Endless Rise of the Sun, the third studio album by electronic group Smooth, Raides à la ville extended play by Katel, and 13m2 by David Delabrosse.

After a five-year absence as a composer of film scores, Tiersen provided the background music for Tabarly, a 2008 documentary film by Pierre Marcel about the French sailor, two-time champion of the Single-Handed Trans-Atlantic Race, and father of French yachting Éric Tabarly. The documentary was released in June 2008, exactly ten years after Tabarly's death. Éric Tabarly was lost on the night of 12–13 June 1998 in the Irish Sea when he was struck by a gaff of his Pen Duick during heavy swell and knocked overboard from his yacht near Wales while on his way to the Fife Regatta in Scotland. His body was recovered five weeks later off the coast of Ireland by a French fishing trawler. The documentary, narrated by Tabarly himself, traces his sporting career until his last meal in Ushant. The album was released by Mute Records in Europe and ANTI- Records in the US. The record was promoted in a tour beginning in October 2010, starting in New York City. Dust Lane was preceded by the release of the vinyl EP PALESTINE and by the single for "Ashes". In 2010, Tiersen also contributed to the tribute album to cross-genre, experimental music group Coil The Dark Age of Love by This Immortal Coil, a one-off tribute formation, and to Li(f)e, the fourth solo studio album by hip-hop artist Sage Francis.

October 2011 saw the European release of his seventh studio album, Skyline. The nine-track album, a follow on from his Dust Lane, was once again recorded at Tiersen's home on the island of Ushant in the south-western end of the English Channel, with further parts recorded in Paris, San Francisco, Berlin, and Nashville. It was subsequently mixed by producer Ken Thomas in Leeds, and mastered by Ray Staff in London. The album produced the singles for "Monuments" and "I'm Gonna Live Anyhow". On 18 February 2012, Tiersen with Lionel Laquerriere, and Thomas Poli, presented his side project, Elektronische Staubband, at La Route du Rock music festival in Saint-Malo. It was about an hour of krautrock, electronic, and experimental music involving a dozen of synthesizers and analog keyboards with the first three pieces of the set list taken from Dust Lane and the remaining five from Skyline. Tiersen was also chosen by Jeff Mangum of Neutral Milk Hotel to perform at the All Tomorrow's Parties festival in March 2012 in Minehead, England. Skyline was released in North America via ANTI- Records on 17 April 2012, and it was followed by the Skyline Tour with dates in the United States, Canada, Iceland, Spain, Portugal, France, Slovak Republic, Austria, Finland and the United Kingdom.

On 3 August 2016, it was announced that Tiersen married Emilie Quinquis in Ushant, Brittany. Quinquis stated that she and Tiersen were married on 31 July 2016. On 6 April 2017 the couple had a son.

Music Styles and instruments

salign = right I didn’t know French musette music at all. Even people like Jacques Brel — I discovered Brel through Scott Walker. My parents listened to Brel, of course, but when you’re a teenager you’re not interested. So it was only when I heard Scott Walker's versions that I thought "this is fucking good", you know. The only French singer I listened to was Serge Gainsbourg. — Yann Tiersen Tiersen is also compared to one of the most influential composers of the late 20th century, the American minimalism, classical–contemporary classical, and ambient music composer Philip Glass, and to British minimalist music composer, pianist, librettist and musicologist Michael Nyman, known for the many film scores he wrote during his lengthy career and who is the reason for Tiersen to be often called the Gallic Michael Nyman. and his 2005 album, Les Retrouvailles, features vocals from Stuart Staples of Tindersticks, English actress and singer Jane Birkin, Breton singer and songwriter Miossec, Elizabeth Fraser, the vocalist for the pioneer alternative rock group Cocteau Twins, and the Orchestre National de Paris. Vingt à Trente Mille Jours by Françoiz Breut, Lucky Dog Recordings 03-04 by Stuart A. Staples, and Li(f)e by Sage Francis, as well as records by Noir Désir, Têtes Raides, The Married Monk, French electronic trio Smooth, Katel, David Delabrosse, Christine Ott, or Miossec. In 2011, Tiersen, with Lionel Laquerriere and Thomas Poli, has also started Elektronische Staubband, a side project on electronic music. This new project is expected to lead to the release of a new album in 2013.

Charity work In 2011, Tiersen collaborated with the Yellow Bird Project (YBP) to design a t-shirt, which was sold to raise money for Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). The main reason he chose to support MSF, is for their work as one of the three charities helping refugees in Libya at the time. A live video session was also filmed in the MSF London offices to promote the T-shirt and raise awareness for the cause.

Discography Studio albums Year Album Peak chart positions FRA BEL(Fl) BEL(Wa) SWI 1995 La Valse des monstres Featured performer: Laurent Heudes 139 — — — 1996 Rue des cascades Featured performers: Claire Pichet, François-Xavier Schweyer 51 — — — 1998 Le Phare Featured performers: Claire Pichet, Dominique A, Sacha Toorop 50 — — — 2001 L'Absente Featured performers: Christine Ott, Ensemble Orchestral Synaxis, Lisa Germano, Anne-Gaëlle Bisquay, Bertrand Lambert, Yann Bisquay, Natacha Régnier, Dominique A, Christian Quermalet, Têtes Raides, Neil Hannon, Marc Sens, Sophie Naboulay, Sacha Toorop, Grégoire Simon 8 — — — 2005 Les Retrouvailles Featured performers: Orchestre National de Paris, Elizabeth Fraser, Jane Birkin, Stuart A. Staples, Dominique A, Miossec, Jean-François Assy, Frederic Dessus, Guillaume Fontanarosa, Bertrand Causse, Anne Causse Biragnet, Armelle Legoff, Frédéric Haffner, Christine Ott, Elliott, Ludovic Morillon 6 96 40 48 2010 Dust Lane Featured performers: Matt Elliott, Gaëlle Kerrien, Syd Matters, Dave Collingwood 36 96 97 — 2011 Skyline Featured performers: Dave Collingwood, Stéphane Bouvier, Gaëlle Kerrien, Matt Elliott, Syd Matters, Lionel Laquerrière, Neil Turpin, Robin Allender, Stéphane Bouvier, Ólavur Jákupsson, Daniel James, Efterklang, Heather Woods, Peter Broderick 172 — — — 2014 ∞ (aka Infinity) 104 102 101 — 2016 EUSA 21 67 38 76 2019 All 66 63 116 50 2019 Portrait 94 — 124 — 2021 Kerber 97 — 71 — 2022 11 5 18 2 5 18 — — — — 2025 Rathlin from a Distance — — — — "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that country.

Soundtracks Year Album Peak chart positions FRA BEL(Fl) SWI 2001 Amélie Featured performers: Ensemble Orchestral Synaxis, Christine Ott, Christian Quermalet. 1 35 3 28 31 2 2 2003 Good Bye Lenin! Featured performers: Ensemble Orchestral Synaxis, Claire Pichet. 49 — — — — — — 2008 Tabarly Featured performers: Marc Sens, Christine Ott. 122 — — — — — — "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that country.

Live albums Year Album Peak chart positions FRA Amélie (soundtrack) 2016 "Porz goret" 181 — — — — EUSA

Others Rue des cascades (7" vinyl EP) (1996) Black Session (EP promo) (1998) "La vie rêvée des anges" (CD single) (1998) "Les grandes marées" (1999) "Comptine d'un autre été : L'après-midi" (2001) "À quai" (CD single promo) (2001) "Bagatelle" (CD maxi promo) (2001) 3 titres inédits au profit de la FIDH (part of the On Aime, On Aide collection, composed to raise funds for the FIDH, sold exclusively at Fnac) (2003) "Kala" (2005) "La mancha" (2006) "La rade" (2006) Palestine (vinyl EP) (2010) "Ashes" (2010) "Monuments" (2011) "I'm Gonna Live Anyhow" (2011)

Collaborations Year Record FR 1998 "Monochrome" Single by Yann Tiersen and Dominique A; reissued in 2002. — 1998 Bästard ~ Tiersen EP by Bästard and Yann Tiersen. — 1999 Tout est calme Mini album by Yann Tiersen, The Married Monk, Claire Pichet and Olivier Mellano. 45 2004 Yann Tiersen & Shannon Wright Album by Yann Tiersen and Shannon Wright. 60 2010 The Dark Age of Love Tribute album to Coil by This Immortal Coil. This Immortal Coil: Yann Tiersen, Yaël Naim, Bonnie Prince Billy, Matt Elliott, DAAU, Chapelier Fou, Sylvain Chauveau, Christine Ott, Oktopus, Nightwood, David Donatien and Nicolas Jorio. — 2015 ESB Analog synth album recorded in Tiersen's studio with Lionel Laquerrière and Thomas Poli. Styled as "E S B", formerly "Elektronische Staubband". — "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that country.

Contributions One Trip/One Noise (by Noir Désir) (1998) "À ton étoile" (arrangements, strings, vibraphone, bell, mandolin, electric guitar and bass) "Gin Soaked Boy" (by The Divine Comedy) (1999) Vingt à Trente Mille Jours (by Françoiz Breut) (2000) "Porsmouth" (vibraphone), "Vingt à trente mille jours" (vibraphone), "L'heure bleue" (violin), "Le verre pilé" (vibraphone); arrangements Gratte-poil (by Têtes Raides) (2000) "Cabaret des nues" (violin) R/O/C/K/Y (by The Married Monk) (2001) "Roma Amor" (strings, vibraphone), "Holidays" (strings), and "Cyro's Request" (vibraphone) Les oiseaux de passage (tribute to Georges Brassens) (2001) cover of "Le parapluie" with Natacha Régnier Absent Friends (by The Divine Comedy) (2004) "Sticks & Stones" (accordion); "Anthem for Bored Youth" (accordion), a track appearing only on the French limited edition The Belgian Kick (by The Married Monk) (2004) viola on "Love Commander" and "Totally Confused" Lucky Dog Recordings 03-04 (by Stuart A. Staples) (2005) "She Don't Have to Be Good to Me" (piano) The Endless Rise of the Sun (by Smooth) (2006) "The Endless Rise of the Sun" (keyboards) Raides à la ville (by Katel) (2006) "La Vielle" (violin) 13m2 (by David Delabrosse) (2006) production and arrangements Solitude Nomade (by Christine Ott) (2009) "Pensées sauvages" (violin) Finistériens (by Miossec) (2009) music and arrangements Li(f)e (by Sage Francis) (2010) production and arrangements on "The Best of Times" Soyons désinvoltes, n'ayons l'air de rien (2×CD+DVD Deluxe edition) (by Noir Désir) (2011) "À ton étoile (Yann Tiersen Mix)" (arrangements, strings, vibraphone, carillon, mandolin, bass, and electric guitar)

DVDs Year Title Director Description 2005 La Traversée Aurélie du Boys Documentary about the recording and composition of Les Retrouvailles in Ouessant. 2006 On Tour Aurélie du Boys Documentary about the world tour of 2006. Featured performers: Marc Sens, Grégoire Simon, Diam's, Katel, Elizabeth Fraser, DD La Fleur, Christine Ott, Stéphane Bouvier, Ludovic Morillon.