This album by Stephan Eicher has flowed his career

For more than 45 years. Nevertheless, Stephan Eicher has led his career at his own pace, ignoring conventions. In addition, In his new show “Alone on stage”. Similarly, which he plays until next spring, the Swiss musician also traces the key stages of his career, from his New-Wave debut with his Grauzone group (“Eisbär”) to his huge pop-rock success (“Lunch in peace”), including the influences that forged him (Lou Reed, Patti Smith, Prince). For example, It must be said that Stephan Eicher has had a career like no other: revealed to the general public in the Mitan of the 80s with “Two People in a room” then “how long”. Meanwhile, he became a superstar at the beginning of the 90’s. However, Carried by the tubes “Lunch in peace”. Therefore, “No friend (like you)” and “Rivière”, his albums this album stephan eicher flowed “Engelberg” and “Carcassonne” sell for more than a million copies each, triggering a real “Eichermania” forcing him to play in the big leagues, namely the zenith. However, Except that after an exhausting tour of more than 100 dates in 1994. Therefore, the singer stops everything and left to recharge his batteries during travel to Africa and Asia. Similarly,

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“It does not contain the hoped -for tube”

It was not until 1996 that Stephan Eicher returned to work. Therefore, preparing his eighth studio album, named “1000 lives”. In addition, The Swiss musician takes the pulse of the modes of the time. However, and sails between World Music (“tell me where”, “der Rand de Welt”), symphonic (“1000 lives”), rock (“she badly embraced”), folk (“bones”, very beck in the soul), trip-hop (“71/200”) and electronics (“oh irony”). However, Those who expected a “Engelberg bis” fall from the this album stephan eicher flowed clouds. Furthermore, His record company, Barclay, first. “” “1000 lives” is then the subject of many marketing discussions to which I assist from afar. not being directly concerned, and does not contain the hoped -for tube, which breaks the dynamics of his career »Remember the journalist Yves Bigot, in the biography dedicated to Stephan Eicher written by Sébastien Bataille and available at the L’Archipel editions. While the new heroes of French rock are called Noir Désir, Eicher’s original proposal appears to be out.

Tinted with electronic pulsations, the single “Oh irony” is sent to a scout. The song ranks 23rd from the top 50, before disappearing from the rankings four weeks later. “” [“Oh ironie”] Was more than fifteen times a day on NRJ. The clip was also in maximum rotation on M6. but this is the moment when the “radio tests” arrived [afin de tester la popularité d’une chanson auprès this album stephan eicher flowed d’une audience cible, ndlr]and, overnight, NRJ stopped playing “oh ironie” … Remember Alain Lahana, turner of Stephan Eicher for 20 years. Without a real tube on the program, the album “1000 lives” is struggling to take off. He did not exceed 18th place in the charts when it was released in November 1996. remains classified only two months. It flows to 250,000 copies, a score far from being ashamed but four times lower than its two predecessors. A disappointment for the one who, three years ago, was at the top of his popularity.

As a result of this ” semi-dryer “. The huge tour” 1000 lives “, planned in the largest French rooms in 1998, is canceled. Concerts were however scheduled at the Zenith in Paris or at the National Forest in Brussels. “” We were going to go on the road with Manu Katché, Pino Palladino, etc., it was this album stephan eicher flowed a real thing of things! (…) I canceled the tour. We did not do the planned zenith, we lost more than a million … We thought that we were not going to do this now »Recalls Alain Lahana. Instead. Stephan Eicher is programming “Backstage Concerto”, with an apartment setting and where he hosts spectators himself entering the rooms, more intimate.

This album stephan eicher flowed

“A monumental waffle with cancellation”

Despite this commercial disappointment, Stephan Eicher can count on the support of Pascal Nègre and Olivier Caillart de Barclay, who decide to reinject a million francs in the promotion of the disc. “” We had taken a monumental waffle with the cancellation of the tour, and despite everything, Pascal continued to Marketer … He said to me: “Here, I add a million marketing”. And that does not exist, this album stephan eicher flowed it no longer exists! (…) While now, to be reimbursed for a taxi note, you have to go … Underlines the artist’s former turner.

With hindsight. Stephan Eicher says he wanted to voluntarily sabotage his success: ” I failed to make “Carcassonne 2” or “Engelberg 2”; It was vital for me to move on. It was a demolition album. But it’s like that. It was a bit wanted, honestly. I wanted to do everything alone. I still defend it ». More accessible musically speaking. his following album “Praise” will allow him to find part of his audience, with more than 300,000 sales to the key in 1999.