Biography
Gael Baillier, hyperactive Parisian, has been down with the rock kids since he was very young. He started as a guitarist in the band the Smouth Mohols (the Sweet Mussels), whose short career culminated in a single gig at the Rex Club in Paris.On this mythical stage, Gael hypnotised his friends with never-ending Van Halen-style solos. But faced with a general lack of interest from the public and the record labels he left the ?mussels? behind and looked for a day job? Whereupon, he founded a company of sound design. With his first fees he bought records, discovered electronic music and rediscovered Shuggie Otis, Johnny ?Guitar? Watson and Timmy Thomas. Clients were knocking at his door, business was growing fast and Gael was leading the good life. He could have become a rich businessman, bought a villa in St Tropez and the shiniest sports cars, but his old ghosts came back to haunt him. He decided to start making music again and invested all he had in audio equipment. At this point, his company went bust, and to this day, his business partner wants him dead?Gael went into hiding in his small Parisian flat, which became not only his studio but a refuge for other wandering souls of Paris by night. CHOK ROCK was born. One of these creative and agitated nights, Gael met Camille Bazbaz, a sensitive fragile and well known crooner, who defined the CHOK ROCK sound as ?a futuristic dampness impregnated with sex?. He also met Cyril Kebellian, genius and mega-guitarist. Then Check Morris, graphic designer and videomaker, who created the CHOK ROCK visual universe. The ?Big City Loser? EP was released on a very limited vinyl pressing on the hip Ch?teau Rouge label in France. Gael?s Parisian musical life continued on merrily, without him realising that across the channel, something big was happening. While wandering the streets of London, a member of the band !!! bought ?Big City Loser? in Rough Trade records by pure chance. Blown away by this funky and brutal deconstruction, he played it to Steve Beckett who runs Warp Records. Steve flipped over this Parisian mutant. Equally, CHOK ROCK could not believe it when he received a call asking for him to jump on the next Eurostar for a very important meeting, where he then signed to Warp Records. Instant fans include Trevor Jackson who calls CHOK ROCK ?fun, mutant, sonic madness?, like ?Akufen meets Parliament?. ?Big City Loser? is re-released by Warp on 2nd May 2005, re-mastered and with an extra track on the CD entitled ?Take A Plane?. Another EP and album will follow this year. Waiting for the spring, CHOK ROCK is in his studio and is creating a sound which will be brutal, beautiful, Parisian party music?
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