Introducing the band

FANTASTICUS is the rock’n roll outcome of an improvising band of musicians,
FANTASTICUS
Introducing the band
gathered around Martin Béziers’s composing, that have crossed paths in multiple
configurations these last years. They attended various higher musical education
institutions (Jazz and Musiques Actuelles classes from Aix and Marseille’s
Conservatoires, IMFP, various master-classes of Improvised Musics).
These artists opened to several artistic practices, and their global approach naturally led
them to rock, a music about achievement, emancipation from conventions.
The aesthetic result lines the band up in the Art-Rock, psychedelic-rock category.
FANTASTICUS can echo like memorable 70’s bands or artists, as CAN, The Velvet
Underground, The Pink Floyd, The Doors, Zappa…
Being innovative is not the band’s first concern, even though they are intrinsically
innovative ; beyond the human adventure pleasure, some research trails : individuals
« sounds » and collective « sound », technical bareness and natural virtuosity.
Controlling the let-go in the end remains all artists’ major preoccupation, leading them
to an essential, raw, transcendental search.
www.fantasticus.fr
Texts are as plain as the sound, mixed of french and english. Irony, casualness and
some cynism are bore one stage with off-beat humour and big energy.
Martin Béziers
Rémy Jouffroy
Lead voice/Keyboards/Composing
Guitar/Chorus
He creates in 2008 the company « Les
Brûlants ». He signed TV-documentary
soundtracks (F3, Arte), music for a Hélène
Milano short-film in Grenoble (Grand Prix
from 2006 festival).
He studies jazz at Aix-en-Provence
Conservatoire from 2002 to 2006, at the
same time as musicology studies at the
University of Provence.
Pianist composer of the Théâtre du Maquis’
plays for 10 years, plays that will be
performed in CDN (Théâtre des Amandiers,
in Nanterre), National Stages (Théâtre des Salins, Martigues), he is always as demanding, whether he
performs in institutional stages or in villages. Some plays from the Théâtre du Maquis : « Les Bougres »,
« Monstres », « Le cabaret des Hérétiques », « Les Poules auront des dents », « Soulomi Rouge »,
« Kawa », « Falesa », « Lilith et Icare », « Les lettres perdues d’Honoré Bonnaventure », « 208, une année
comme les autres », « Anne ma sœur Anne ». Each play will be an occasion for musical encounters with
artists like Nicolas Delorme, Samuel Bobin, Cédric Beck, Stéphane Diamantakiou… Some of those
encounters sometimes gave birth to bands : in 2005, he founds Les Biches de Mer, supported by the city
of Aix-en-Provence, the region and the department, produced at that time by the Théâtre du Maquis. He
takes on the production when his company is created ; in 2010, Fantasticus sees the day.
He creates original arrangements for « Irma la Douce » (Théâtre 13), and has been composing all the
stage musics for the Compagnie de l’Échelle for six years (puppet shows). He composes and plays
« Épopée Lubrique », by Marion Aubert (Oktobre des Écritures Contemporaines, Théâtre des 13 Vents,
CDN of Montpellier).
He composes the soundtrack for Danielle Bré’s last creation « Des PaPis dans la tête » (Théâtre Vitez) as
composer/pianist, and signs the soundtrack for « Poucet », Jeanne Béziers’ last play (« MaCompagnie »,
first stage in Aix-en-Provence, Théâtre du Jeu de Paume, march 21012).
Passioned composer, his universe evolves from folk to jazz, from Andes to Balkans, restlessly inviting us
to voyage through enchanting and peculiar landscpaes.
He gets the arranging and composing diplomae with Ivan Julien and Michel Zenino, at the IMFP. He also
owns first prize of the Marseillle jazz class.
At the IMFP, he meets Jules Bernable and Matthieu Pé, with who he creates in 2003 Kaosmoz, and the
project « Les Aventures de Barnabé ».
The « Little Big Quartet » was born after encountering, in 2005, Stéphane Galeski, via La Meson in
Marseille.
He plays in « Gloot », a band founded by Cyrille Lévy and Thomas Bourgeois, and works with
multidisciplinary collectives as :
La Force Molle
Territoire, from author/plastic artist Jean-François Paillard.
Meets up with Fantasticus in 2010.
He reccords in 2006 for Denis Shaïn’s album, and also plays with the Denis Shaïn crew.
He creates in 2007 the music for Sarah Ouazzani’s short-film « De l’une à elle ».
Matthieu Chrétien
Stéphane Dunan-Battandier
Drums/Vocals
Percussions/Vocals
He attends Patrick Ohanian’s classes, at the Tama
school in Aix, and enters Jean-François Bonnel’s
class at the Aix-en-Provence Conservatoire in
2004, uptill his first prize awarding.
After experimenting free music among the
« Malperthuiii !!! » trio, he successively joins two
swing bands, « Kirby Memory » and « Cotton
Candies », with who he regularly plays in the
region. He is also frequently asked to perform
replacements in various rock and jazz bands.
Lately, Martin Béziers invited him to take part
with him in the muscial score for a theater play
about Picasso, « Des PaPis dans la tête », by
Danielle Bré, Théâtre Vitez.
He is a member of Fantasticus since the birth of
the band.
He attended the IMFP course in Salon de Provence (drums, percussions, song). Vocal singer in the band
« Midnight to Six Men » in Nîmes, he is the instigator of several funk, rock and punk bands. Former
drummer and current percussionist in « Portelli » (studio-reccording of Portelli’s first album in 2004 ; the
band received the Léo Ferré prize at « avec le Temps » festival in Marseille, as well as the Célibazat City
prize, at « Célibazat en chanson » festival).
Musician and comedian, he joins the Théâtre du Maquis company in 2004 with « Kawa », and then plays
in the musical « Soulomi Rouge » (first stage in 2006). In 2005, he takes part in the creation of the
musical tale « Les Deux Morts de Quinquin la Flotte », from Jorge Amado. He participates in the creation
of « Les Biches de Mer » as a drummer, and joins Fantasticus since the very beggining of the band.
Lately, he takes part in Pierre Béziers’ projects (Théâtre du Maquis) : « Les Bougres », « Le Cabaret des
Hérétiques ».
He is currently working on a Jeanne Béziers project (MaCompagnie) : « Poucet » (first stage Aix-enProvence, Théâtre du Jeu de Paume, march 2012).
Guillaume Mongens
Bass/Vocals
Currently attending two courses at the Aix-en-Provence
Conservatoire (Musiques Actuelles, Classique), he will
be presenting this year his first prize in the Musiques
Actuelles course, with a Frank Zappa retrospective.
He creates in 2006 l’Asso Start’Art, artistic collective
bearing various chanson française projects in which he
takes part : « Leute » (creator : Étienne Letourneur),
« Maison Rouge » (Grégory Bernard), « La Fille en
Équilibre » (Émilie Rambot). He is the instigator of the
Outch Men Orchestra project, gathering around fifteen
jazz and swing musicians from Marseille, in which he
signs several arrangements.
He joins Fantasticus in 2011.
Nicolas Hurtevent
Live video
Cédric Cartaut
Sound engineer
Aurélien Dhomont
Light engineer
Production : Les Brûlants
Résidence Le Bel Ormeau
Bâtiment n°3
398 Avenue Jean-Paul Coste
13100 Aix-en-Provence
Siret 507 724 177 00013
APE 9001Z
Licence 2-1019516
Contact : 04 42 38 94 38 / 06 82 89 91 16
Manager Fantasticus
Grégoire MARTINI : 07 60 49 06 83
Fantasticus is a qualifier for tiny venomous frogs from hot regions of the world, notably in South America.Their skin secretions, often
letal, are sometimes used by chamans for their psychedelic properties close to mezcal.