Storytelling is the art of telling a story and engaging your audience through a well-constructed narrative. As an artist, this means building a universe around your music and creating a strong, recognizable identity for your fans. That can include lots of different things: the genesis of your project, visual aesthetics, collaborations with other artists, and tons more.
In the French electronic music scene, many artists use storytelling to promote their projects, in France and abroad. In this article, we’ll show you how you can draw inspiration from the French Touch artists from the 90s, as well as from the new generation of French electronic music artists.
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1. Building an identity
When you think of the French Touch, of course you’re gonna think of the robot duo Daft Punk. Throughout their career, the characters they play have given them a strong identity, particularly in their concerts and music videos.
Many other French artists have created strong identities around their music, such as:
- L’Impératrice, with its retro-futuristic vibe visible in every aspect of their communications: artworks, videos, onstage costumes, etc.
- Bolivard, with his quirky, humorous style in lyrics, music videos, and the tone used on his social networks. His black-and-white outfits are also an easy way to identify him.
- Jacques, who uses everyday objects on stage to build his songs.
These artists are a good source of inspiration if you want to develop a world of your own. This doesn’t require huge financial resources: the key is to find elements that distinguish and resemble you.
To ensure that your audience is truly involved with your project, remember to transcribe this identity in all your actions: communications on social networks and with the media, concerts, music videos, visuals, etc. Through repetition, the audience will naturally understand your universe and remember you.
2. Capitalize on collaborations
In the French Touch music of the 90s, there was a strong notion of bands and collaboration between different artists. They understood that there’s strength in numbers! One example is the Stardust project, in which Alan Braxe collaborated with Thomas Bangalter (half of the group Daft Punk) and Benjamin Diamond for the famous “Music Sounds Better With You.” Versailles is also a key location for the French Touch, with artists such as Air, Phoenix, and Alex Gopher. All these artists collaborated in different ways, via their productions or for concerts. And this continues to the present day, with Alan Braxe and DJ Falcon‘s joint project.
They aren’t the only collaboration in the new generation: with labels like Ed Banger (Justice, Breakbot & Irfane, MYD), Roche Musique (Darius, Kartell, Cézaire) and Club Azur (Kungs, Upsilone, Victor Flash). These collectives are like families, with artists evolving together over several years and supporting each other.
This type of collaboration is an asset for storytelling. There’s a lot to say about collaboration:
- Explain the context of the encounter: how it came about, why you decided to work together, etc. Audiences love to hear behind-the-scenes stories and anecdotes. Social networks are excellent tools for maintaining this close bond.
- Share moments of collaborative work: publish photos or videos of your studio sessions, rehearsals, exchanges of ideas, etc. This allows audiences for both artists to see how you work together.
- Organize a joint interview to explain your complementarity, the creative process, etc. You can do this on video, on your social networks, or by contacting electronic music media.
- Create exclusive content: making-of, alternative versions of the track, remixes, etc. This exclusive content can be offered to the most loyal fans, with the purchase of an album or on a special edition of the release.
In addition to collaborations with members of your collective or labels, you can also gradually turn to other artists, in your country and abroad. This could involve producing a remix or featuring a track. In this way, you can reach a new audience and reinforce your storytelling.
3. Paying tribute to French culture
French culture is rich and enjoys a strong international reputation. In recent years, more and more French artists have capitalized on this. French lyrics, for example, are much more common in electronic music than they used to be.
One of the groups that started this trend was the Paradis duo, who covered French chanson classics by Alain Souchon, for example. Bon Entendeur has also followed this trend, first with mixtapes featuring the voices of French celebrities, then with remixes of artists such as Françoise Hardy and Pierre Bachelet.
Producing a cover of a French song is also a good way of paying tribute to French culture. One example is Isaac Delusion‘s “Couleur Menthe à l’Eau,” a cover of Eddy Mitchell, which has become one of the band’s most popular tracks on streaming platforms.
Taking inspiration from a culture has to be done with sincerity, not just to ride a trend. This is where storytelling comes in: when releasing a cover version, for example, take the time to explain why you chose the track, what it means to you and how you approached the production of the song. This will reinforce your authenticity and show your willingness to pay tribute to the track.
4. Join forces with other creative fields
In addition to culture, there are many other areas associated with France, such as fashion and gastronomy. Relying on these areas for your storytelling can help you gain popularity, even abroad. Electronic artists understand this, and regularly associate themselves with brands or events.
The Ed Banger label, for example, has collaborated with Chanel on an exclusive vinyl release (“Midday / Midnight”) and a show on Radio Chanel. The Kitsuné label also plays on this complementarity, offering releases on its label, a fashion brand, and cafés in major capitals, like Paris, New York, and Tokyo.
Companies and brands in the creative fields are looking for original tracks that you don’t hear on the radio. So they’re on the lookout for new talent. Promoting your tracks to music professionals, the media, etc. and radio stations could therefore help you gain visibility with this target audience and obtain a synch opportunity. For example, the soundtrack to the Emily in Paris series features many French electronic artists in their development phase.
You can also take advantage of this trend without necessarily having an official partnership with a brand or event. An example is Anoraak and its track “Gang”, which has become very popular on Instagram, thanks to fashion brands and media using it in Reels.
For example:
- Highlight iconic locations in your visuals and videos. If you produce electronic tracks without lyrics, your audience may not know where you’re from. So, you can introduce a few references to your nationality if you like. A well-known example is Else’s worldwide hit “Paris.” In reference to the title, its artwork shows a panoramic view of Paris with the Eiffel Tower.
- Create content around cultural and sporting events, such as the Cannes Film Festival or the Olympic Games: a playlist, a mixtape, a YouTube video, etc. This can give you visibility on social networks and in media outlets looking for musical content linked to these events.
- Team up with creators in other fields, such as art, cooking, sports, etc. For example, you could ask people whose work you appreciate to use your track in a video, or to let you mix at an event. This collaboration will be an opportunity to broaden your audience and create storytelling around the project.
5. Keep the mystery
Finally, of course, we can’t talk about the French touch without mentioning the question of anonymity. Daft Punk decided to be totally anonymous, but your mystery doesn’t have to go that deep.
In the age of social networking, it’s more difficult to be totally anonymous, but many French electronic artists play on an element of mystery. Examples include Vladimir Cauchemar, who uses a mask, and Gesaffelstein, who has a dark universe and is not present on social networks.
There are many ways of cultivating a sense of mystery to strengthen your storytelling:
- Tease upcoming releases or concert dates with visuals and videos that hint at upcoming projects.
- Organize surprises: last-minute concerts, unannounced releases, online Q&A sessions, etc.
- Use intriguing visuals: if it suits your identity, you can use visuals where you’re not fully visible, or leave clues that leave the audience free to interpret.
- Limit your online presence: to go against overexposure on social networks, some artists choose to limit their presence to a few key posts: announcing a release, a concert date, etc. This is particularly relevant if you already have a base of loyal subscribers who will see your posts, even if you don’t post regularly.
Storytelling is an indispensable element in making your musical project visible and cultivating a bond with your audience. In electronic music, taking inspiration from French Touch artists can be a good way of building your identity. Take a look at the communications of the artists you like, too. Strong storytelling will be a real asset when it comes to contacting the music media and developing your visibility!
– Translated by Kole Wright –
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