Press
Press
Short biography
Fransoafran is the electric violin project of violinist, composer and producer François Mathian. It began with electric violin over his own beats and has grown into fully composed pieces that blend acoustic and electric strings with electro tango, latin, lofi, deep house and ambient textures, recorded at Soulbow in Ho Chi Minh City.
Full biography
Fransoafran is the electric violin project of François Mathian, a violinist, composer and producer trained in both music and science. After a classical training he toured and recorded for years as a jazz and rock violinist in French bands, among them Hoy, Payou Rabalat and Corcovado Trio, playing everything from jazz standards to pop rock and latin jazz, before moving to Australia to release his own music.
Fransoafran began with electric violin over his own beats and has grown, release by release, into fully composed pieces. They put solo strings in the foreground and fuse them with electronic and popular influences: electro tango and habanera in Tyrian Dance, deep house in Live Your Love, bossa nova and lofi in Cafe Contigo, binaural meditation with Vietnamese gongs and bamboo flute in Island Dream. Many begin as improvisations, and some keep the improvised take exactly as it was played. He plays electric violins made by the Australian maker David Guscott and the American luthier Evan Fourness, formerly head luthier at ZETA, among them a 5-string electric violin for a deeper tone.
He has performed Fransoafran music live with a full band in Sydney, and records with pianists and composers including Sarah Coponat, Laura Christie Wall, Lena Matienko and Von Lucrezia. Based in Ho Chi Minh City, he records at Soulbow, his studio and creative home. His chamber and classical music appears under his own name, François Mathian.
Photographs
Heard by others
Exceptional music in every sense of the word.
Sleeping Bag Studios · on Tyrian Dance
Through his bow, you hear his soul.
Sleeping Bag Studios · on Waiting For You
From the first scrape of the bow, this piece begins to weave a story. The emotional thread carries through a variety of instruments and sounds as it builds toward climax.
LA On Lock · on Sky Tribe
Nice unusual melody and Jean Luc Ponty tone in your violin.
CelticBuzzMama · on Live Your Love
It is quite refreshing and invigorating to listen to, displaying a profound creativity and magnetic energy in its unique style.
ReverbNation Crowd Review listener · on Live Your Love
It incorporates a unique blend of instruments and crosses multiple musical genres, including classical, R&B and electronica. It would translate magnificently to either screen or stage.
ReverbNation Crowd Review listener · on Tyrian Dance
"Waiting For You" is enchanting, captivating, mesmerizing.
Sleeping Bag Studios · on Waiting For You
The playing style of the violin indicates that there's a pro at work.
kms reviews · on Dance Without You
The groove is very tight, nice sound design, love the use of the instrumentals.
CC Records · on Cafe Contigo
The dance between the piano and strings is gorgeous.
Jeremy Lim · on Home
This piece is absolutely beautiful! Your playing is magnificent!
Peace Of Mind · on Island Dream
This piece sounds totally great, the work with the wind instruments is insanely great.
Sxul · on Summer Child
Loving the ethereal atmosphere as usual!
Summer U Yap · on Full Moon Drift
Contact
info@soulbow.com