Philippe Besombes

Philippe Besombes is an underground but now cult french artist from the 70’s avant garde-prog scene. After a student doctoral degree to become a chemist he turned to music and was partly formed by Stockhusen and Xenakis. He rapidly showed an interest to electronic synth dispositifs (AKS, MiniMoog, Polyphonic ensemble Korg...). In 1976 Philippe Besombes had opened his own recording studio with Jean-Louis Rizet. He produced three major albums under his name. He recorded his most notorious effort in 1975 with Jean Louis Rizet. The duo published the enigmatic and complex “Pôle” (1975) for synthesisers orchestration and shimmering, spacious, nebulous electronic textures. The same year Besombes recorded the soundtrack of the movie “Libra”.The music delivers an hybridation of electroacoustic experimentations, bizarre ambient soundscapes and jazzy-folkish ingredients. In 1976 “Ceci est Cela” is a collection of experimental electronic pieces more in the genre of Pierre Henry and Stokhausen). Philippe Besombes is also known for his group “Hydravion” and for being the founder of the obscure label “Pôle –Tapioca” (have been published different works from Magma, Gong, Pôle, Potemkine...).