En directo en The Howard Theatre (Washington): French 79 - CLOSE TO THE GIANTS

Crowned the heir to the French Touch and dubbed by Jean-Michel Jarre himself, Simon Henner (French 79), has established himself as an essential pillar of the global electronic music scene. In the space of three foundational albums (Olympic, Joshua, and TEENAGERS), the Marseille-based producer has shaped a singular, immersive, and viscerally unifying musical universe. If his music reaches far beyond the boundaries of the techno sphere, it is thanks to its synesthetic power: his harmonic sequences and arpeggios transform sounds into emotional landscapes, creating a universal connection with his audience. Today, the impact of French 79 is reflected in staggering numbers. He gathers a community of 770,000 fans and accumulates over 1.7 million monthly listeners on Spotify. His first three albums have generated more than 150 million streams, driven by music videos that exceed 50 million views. He continues to rack up prestigious certifications, with two export platinum singles (Diamond Veins and Lovin' Feeling), not to mention the resounding diamond single Moon, produced and co-composed for Kid Francescoli. On stage, the triumph is absolute: his last tour thrilled 180,000 spectators across 106 dates in 23 countries, with a string of sold-out shows from Paris to Los Angeles. His creative influence has also conquered new spaces: he composed the original soundtrack for Reda Kateb's film Sur un fil, scores campaigns for prestigious brands (Apple, Dior, L'Oréal, Emily in Paris), and creates monumental events, whether it's the video mapping of Place Stanislas in Nancy or performing alongside Cerrone for New Year's Eve on the Champs-Élysées. Yet, at the peak of this effervescence, a vital need for a break emerged. Far from the protective bubble of tour life (sound engineers, managers, crowds), Simon Henner felt the urgent need to return to calm, to lose himself in order to find himself, and to listen to the silence. A huge enthusiast of extreme and outdoor sports (paragliding, kite surfing, ski touring, sailing, etc.), the artist has made radical adventure his new creative laboratory. To design his fourth album, expected by the end of 2026, French 79 relocated his studio. Fleeing software and sedentary comfort, he built his own modular synthesizer housed in a suitcase. This nomadic studio followed him into extreme environments: from his sailboat in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea in the dead of night, to isolated mountain huts surrounding the 4,000-meter peaks of Chamonix. By reconnecting with a primitive and carnal relationship with electronics (plugging in cables in the freezing cold, recording sound directly to tape), he has transformed adrenaline and physical fear into musical matter. This new opus will be a philosophical quest, resonating as a double homage to the pioneers of extreme exploration and to the overwhelming immensity of nature.