Dominique A

French artist Dominique A. sang in his birth language without putting aside overseas pop influences. He often performed alone with synths, guitars, and microphones in a minimalist style that made him famous, relying partly on his high-pitched emphatic voice. His first hit, "Le Courage des Oiseaux" (1992), inspired a generation of artists and quickly gained cult status. Even after he added more instrumentation and sophistication to his works, he kept following the same path of stripped-down-to-the-core songwriting. Though some surprised critics weren't necessarily following Dominique A. in his more and more challenging new formula, he kept adding more and more literature influences and musical subtlety to his material. ~ Olivier Duboc