French Version: HERE

      In the fog of the 80’s, Phil is an autodidact with a great passion for the old Bluesmen like Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, etc. At the same time, he is attracted to the crazy rebels on the other side of the English Channel : the Sex Pistols, the Clash, the Pogues and the so-called Punk rock...    
With a devouring will, he learns in two months how to play the pentatonic rhythm guitar and proceeds with the solos and harmonies. Self-educated, he starts as a guitarist and harmonica player in his first rock band (Clandestins) with whom he’ll be touring 10 years all over France and Europe (more than 300 concerts).
      After the «rock’n’roll split» and in order to get new inspiration, he travels 6 month in the French Guyanese forest, surrounded by a strong Caribbean influence :
”When you jam with them, any song will turn to reggae after the two first measures”
At his return in Metropolitan France, following his only instinct, Phil learns how to use new computer technology and Computer Aided Music. He creates LAO and starts to compose an Electro - Trip hop - Dub - Techno repertoire. The ideas crawl...
After listening to his music, the opinions are almost unanimous : 
Richness, originality with a special mention for his strong and dark ambiances, « almost film music-like” is often being noted. Thanks to electronica, his musical dream can finally come true :
Mix a heavy rythmic bass with harmonies made from brass, string and traditional instruments, even tribal instruments, treated in the same way as the Jamaican dub standards...
This heterogeneous mix flirts sometimes with classical music and reveals therewith LAO’s clearly cosmic and original sound. One of the side effects of his sound universe is creating what Phil calls the musical voyage :
“A track is like a story. It has something to tell. The sensations it conveys must take the listener further than the emotions he experiences usually.”
To illustrate this quote, the German musician Mutant Dog wrote this commentary on LAO’s Empty Island track :
“I love how this track creeps up on you. You almost don't notice it but the mellow sounds slowly build until the dramatic ending which makes you feel like you stand at the gates of heaven surrounded by the mighty and the powerful – Mutant”
10-11-2006 03:42 PM – www.versionist.com
            This unconventional aspect of LAO’s music was also noticed by a producer from French television (France 3) who used one of his songs in a program later sold to Satellite TV.
All that LAO has composed, recorded, produced and published is due to his ears… If you want to leave the familiar path of commercial electro music and take a trip to new musical galaxies, then lend an ear to LAO... He’ll return it, you won’t be disappointed...

Discography :
- "V-Lux Dub". An album with classical composers as influence (Bach, Sati, Mozart…)*
- "Resistance in Dub". Electro-dub*
- A compilation on the internet : Dubzone Vol3
- Film music : France 3
- Compilation CD “Fire Dub Revolution” (Available on www.french-dub-released.org)
- “Woof”. Song created in collaboration with the CHAAK, a youth organization focusing on audiovisual art (www.chaak.org)

* The albums are (at the moment) not available on Red.or.Dead records  
( “V-Lux Dub” is being remixed and mastered)
Order at : rod@lao-dub.net
To avoid spams, please write « Order Lao » in the subject line.

Projects :
LAO is an undefined structure. Interventions and collaborations should be multiplied :
- Brass, voices, percussion, didjeridoo, harmonica…
- Trip hop CD inspired by the Book of Changes (I-Ching) in preparation
- Music video in preparation
- Book and CD of « The legend of Sonali » in preparation 

LAO is very open and would like to take part on other artist’s projects as well as share his own with them…

In sharing is wealth... In melting, the evolution...