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Franck "Wiz" Marchand
short bio
Singer (in turns or together with Cécile) and bass player in Soysoy, Franck also takes care of the sound of the band by performing the stage and studio mixes.
Franck's unusual way of using his vocal cords often earns him comparisons with... female singers rather than male singers (Siouxsie being mostly referred to)! Yet he doesn't use falsetto so often, but rather a distinctively warm, deep and powerful tenor. Although he admits that Siouxsie is one of his major influences, he secretly dreams of singing like Adrian Belew (King Crimson's singer and crazy guitarist since the mid 80's). He considers Yanka Rupkina as the greatest living singer.
On bass, Franck has much experience in various styles. Born in Switzerland, he played with several Geneva-based bands, regularly working with guitar-player prodigy Kiet Nguyen. His experiences with bands range from p-funk to progressive rock, including rythm'n blues, cold-wave, reggae, electro and most forms of pop.
These multiple experiences can be heard in his atypic playing: he is unpredictable, precise, melodic. He can switch from a thick, minimal bass line, to complex arpeggios performed on his 5-strings, via fretless phrasing whose 'talking' sounds resemble those heard from Mick Karn.
Off-stage (for time being), Franck also plays drums and percussions.
Franck has compromised his reputation with...
- SPEEDY GONZALES (CH) on drums
- THE MAGNIFICIENT FIFTEEN (CH) on drums
- STOP 31 (CH) on bass
- COLLECTOR (CH) on lead vocals and bass
- NANOTUBES (F) on bass
- LOTUS EATERS (GB) on bass
- SEEING YOU (GB) on drums
- WHAT THE HELL on lead vocals and bass
- SO (devenu VENUS) on bass backing vocals
- JEAN-LOUIS DAULNE on backing vocals
- PEEKABOO on lead vocals and bass
- WHITE LIE on drums and backing vocals
- LEGOPARTY on bass and backing vocals
Franck's favourite artists...
- Stina Nordenstam
- Blonde Redhead
- Robert Wyatt
- Kate Bush*
- Mary Timony
- Lisa Germano
- Ani Di Franco
- Polly Jean Harvey
- Siouxsie & the Banshees
- Adrian Belew
- Minimal Compact
- Alessandro Scarlatti (autre lien)
* Only until "The Red Shoes", the latter NOT included. Since then, "Kate has totally lost track of her own genius and seems to make music with the same passion as for brushing her teeth or scratching her back", says Franck.