In the world of turntablism -- a vocation to which many are called but few are chosen -- Birdy Nam Nam need no introduction. Since the release of their first album in October 2005, the four members of the collective – DJ Pone, DJ Need, Little Mike, and Crazy D – have earned themselves a hoard of fans that are far from all being hip-hop amateurs.

Indeed, after several French and international shows, Birdy Nam Nam have proved that their way with the decks appeals to a large audience, from connoisseurs of electronica to the most demanding hip hop heads. Their unique style, which takes its inspiration from everything from the most acid-drenched electro to the smoothest hip hop, has helped the four musicians prove that, whatever people might say, the art of the turntables can and does work live. They all boast technical prowess – each of them has been successful in international competitions with other collectives – but the Birdy boys’ stage presence means they can do something that few DJs before them have managed to do: transcend the DJ’s traditionally ornamental role.

When Birdy Nam Nam hit La Cigale for the two historic nights of July 27th and 28th 2006, they didn’t just scratch over a few LPs. Indeed, just one third of the group’s live tracks comes from their eponymous October 2005 album. The quartet’s inventiveness pushes them to surpass themselves, and to avoid the tired gimmicks of other, more orthodox, scratchers.

In the space of ninety mind-blowing minutes, this François Bergeron (NTM, Mano Negra, Manu Chao, Béruier Noir) produced recording features not one second of gratuitous, sterile virtuosity. From the show’s opener, “Abbesses,” one of the tracks that best represents the group’s first album, the turntablists cover every base: everyone has his role to play in a BNN live show. “That’s Michael on bass, Denis on accordion, Nicolas and Thomas on guitar,” say the boys, by way of introduction. Throughout their jubilant set, Pone, Need, Mike and Crazy B show that the incessant touring has done them good. Simultaneously relaxed and deep in concentration, they are deeply charismatic – which the response from the capacity crowd only proves.

Since a taste for risk and innovation characterizes the collective, there’s a live group (consisting of Sylvain Moser on keyboards, Yann Gourhand on acoustic bass, Julien Sérié on drums and Gaëlle Salomon on percussion) at hand, adding a pinch of funky groove to the mix at different moments throughout the show.

It’s now official: French turntablism has its heroes, and they’re convincing and seductive both on CD and on stage -- as this exceptional live performance proves. Dim lighting and expert direction help reconstitute the magical atmosphere of these two nights. BNN live could well become as cult as the Blake Edwards and Peter Sellers film to which their name refers!

More infos on :
www.birdynamnam.com

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BIRDY NAM NAM have played at…

JAPAN : Fuji Rock Festival (Mont Fuji), Yellow In Roppongi (Tokyo), French Institute (Tokyo),
UNITED STATES: Central Park Summer Stage (New York), French Tuesdays (New York), Ultra Festival (Miami), South By South West (Austin), Empty Bottle (Chicago), Oslo (Detroit), The Fire (Philadelphie), Knitting Factory (New York), Tangier (Los Angeles), Club Six (San Francisco)
BELGIUM : Dour Festival, Klara Festival (Brussels), Festival de Flandres (Gand),
SPAIN : Sonar Festival (Barcelona),
DENMARK : Roskilde Festival
GERMANY : Popdeurope Festival (Berlin), Fusion festival
TURKEY: Akbank Jazz Festival
RUSSIA : Stereoleto (Moscow and St Petersburg),
GREECE : Fête De La Musique (Athénes),
MOROCCO:Boulevard des Musiciens (Casablanca),
SWITZERLAND: Electron
FRANCE : Printemps de Bourges (Bourges), Transmusicales (Rennes), Marsatac (Marseille), Scopitone (Nantes), La Route du rock (Saint-Malo), Ososphere (Strasbourg), La Cigale (Paris), Rex Club (Paris), Nouveau Casino (Paris), Triptyque (Paris), Flèche D’or (Paris), Maroquinerie (Paris), La Villette Jazz Festival (Paris), Factory (Paris), Nancy Jazz Pulsation (Nancy), Pêcheurs de Thons (Toulouse), Astropolis (Brest), Chant de Foire (Bournezeau), Artsonic (Briouze), Festival en Othe (Aix en Othe), Free Festival (Montendre), Les Invités de Villeurbanne (Villeurbanne), Skabazac (Onet le Chateau), Panorama (Morlaix), TILT (Perpignan), Artefact (Strasbourg), Des lendemains qui chantent (Tulle), Garorock (Marmande),), De L'oxygène pour les oreilles (Ax les Thermes), Aglagla (Mûrs-Erigné), Festikwane (Viviers), Le Foirail, La Nef (Angoulème), Le Moulin (Istres), La Poudrière (Belfort), Brise-Glace (Annecy), Chatodo (Blois), Lune des pirates (Amiens), Ramier (Toulouse), Confort Moderne (Poitiers), Théatre de la Ville (Paris), EMB (Sannois), Condition Publique (Roubaix), Cargo De Nuit (Arles), Tandem (Toulon), Cabaret Aleatoire (Marseille), Fuzz’yon (La Roche Sur Yon),Rio Grande (Montauban), L'Abordage (Evreux), L’appel d’air (Trebry), Vauban(Brest), Jimmy’s (Cannes), 4 Sans (Bordeaux), Les Passagers Du Zinc (Avignon), Rockstore (Montpellier), Moulin de Brainan (Poligny), Rencontres urbaines de la Villette (Nancy), La Marquise (Lyon), Astrolabe (Orléans)…