Yes, I do, but London's not that far away - it's just a hop, skip and a jump on the Eurostar! The trip doesn't take any longer than travelling to Rennes, in fact. What I do miss about London, though, is the fact that over there I could just pop out to bars whenever I felt like it and get my 'fix' of concerts every night. In London I felt like I was really involved in the music scene. I'm lucky enough to know a lot of musicians over in London and you just feel like there's always something going on, you feel like you're part of a movement, you know. And that's incredibly exciting for someone like me who's really passionate about music. It's great to be involved in the whole London scene. I mean, let's face it, London is the happening place as far as music is concerned. Besides, I think that when I'm in the U.K. my whole approach to music is very different. I mean I'm not hugely famous in England or anything. I've made a name for myself on a small scale. I'm popular, but no more than that. No-one's rushing up to me in the street or anything. People know I've worked with the English band St Etienne and that's that. I'm not a huge French pop star!

Your new album "Singles" looks back over an extremely successful career spanning 18 years. Now that you've become a major fixture on the French music scene, what's your next move?
There are so many things I'd still like to do. My greatest priority right now is to get to work on a new album. I'd like to do something radically different. You know, break away from the old Daho sound and branch out in a totally new direction. I'd really like to start experimenting with a more acoustic sound, in fact … As for my new album, "Singles", I don't really see it as a retrospective of the last 18 years. It's not like I'm sitting down and taking stock of everything I've ever done. I mean, if I had to sit down and look back over my entire career every time I put out an album, I wouldn't get very far! Anyway, I guess one retrospective in 18 years is not so bad! (laughs).
No, the way I see the album, it's more like I sat down and put my work in some kind of provisional order. It's not meant to be a commemorative thing, an album which 'fixes' the real Etienne Daho once and for all. It's not like that at all! Actually, to tell the truth, I had no real desire to put together a "Best of" compilation. But a lot of fans were interested in the idea of all the hits being on one album. They loved the idea of an album featuring all the most popular stuff like "Mon Manège à Moi", "Heures Hindoues" and "Week-end à Rome". Basically, everyone loves "Best of" compilations. I guess they like the idea of having all the good stuff without the B-sides! So anyway, I got caught up in the whole thing and compiled a kind of track-listing. I ended up chucking a few songs off the final compilation, and others I sat down and listened to several times before deciding to include them. It's a peculiar thing to do really, listening to all the stuff from your early career and comparing it with your new songs. But I ended up enjoying it!

The only new track on this "Best of" Daho compilation is "Idéal". The song was obviously inspired by the French football team's victory in the World Cup …
Yeah, I actually sat down and wrote the song on the day of the World Cup final. In fact, what happened was I was working with Arnold Turboust in a studio over near Bastille (Ed. a lively neighbourhood in the centre of Paris). We were in the middle of a session and we could hear all this noise building up in the streets outside. You could just hear this real buzz of excitement getting louder and louder. It really blew me away! You know, the World Cup made French people realise something that's been under out noses for a long time - France is a totally multi-cultural country! (Ed. the French football team was made up of players from Algeria, Guadeloupe etc.) And it was this mix that enabled us to win the World Cup. I think this finally got French people to accept the fact that France has always been a kind of 'mosaic' of different races, different cultures. And our strength comes from recognising those differences and accepting others as they are. It's a very simple idea, but it became a really big thing in France overnight. The morning after the French football team carried off the World Cup the papers were full of it!

Are you a bit of a footballing man then? Do you follow the performance of the Rennes squad in the national league? (laughs)
No, I must admit I'm not really into football. There's only one sport I'm really interested in and that's swimming. It's a bit of a solitary old activity, I know, but I love it. Swimming's my big thing!

When it comes to listening to other artists' albums, what was the last album which really made a big impact on you?
I really love Beck's new album. When you look at the new generation of young artists on the current music scene, Beck's the one who really stands out. In my opinion, he's the one who really makes you feel that he's changed music in some way - that, after him, things are going to be a bit different. I find Beck's new album really powerful.
When it comes to French artists, I'm a big fan of new bands like Air and Daft Punk. They've really thrown off a lot of old hang-ups and proved that the French music scene's got something to offer the world. And they've ended up scoring an even greater hit abroad than at home! I mean I got to hear about a lot of the new French bands when I was in London, long before anyone started talking about them in France. I'm also a big fan of Miossec. He does a lot of really interesting stuff. I love his albums. And I also like the work of Doriand and Jérôme Minière. But what I really enjoy listening to right now is the whole techno/house/dance thing, all the new electro stuff which you can't really pigeon-hole into any neat little musical category - which is great! I think these kind of groups are really bringing something new to music. They're sending a breath of fresh air through the French music scene and making things happen.

In an interview published in the French weekly Télérama in 1992 someone asked you "What aspect of contemporary society shocks you the most?" and you replied "The new puritanism". Would you still answer the same thing today ?
Definitely, I think it's even more relevant now than it was then! I mean, I would defend the idea of 'purity'. But I'm absolutely against this kind of moral majority who dictate everyone else's behaviour. People are forced into a mould. They make themselves sick trying to keep up a public image which has got nothing to do with how they really are. They're forced into a straitjacket of so-called 'normal' behaviour which is completely and utterly ridiculous! (…)

The French music festival "Les Transmusicales de Rennes" has just celebrated its 20th anniversary. This was the festival which helped launch your career all those years ago. Do you ever get down to Rennes and join in the fun every now and then?
Yeah, I try and get down to the "Transmusicales" as often as I can. I think it's the only French music festival which hasn't become too commercial. The "Transmusicales" is still prepared to go out on a limb and take risks. It's still trying to go out there and discover new bands who might make it big tomorrow. It's never really lost this side of things - and I'm glad 'cos a lot of other festivals have.
As far as my own career was concerned, the "Transmusicales" really provided a launch-pad for me. Although I must admit, I don't really remember my first concert there. All I remember is that I walked off stage halfway through a song, but I couldn't tell you why! We'd got this group together for the occasion, called "Entre les fils dénudés de la dynamo". I wasn't involved in the singing at the time. There were all these people from different bands on the local Rennes scene, and we teamed up together to perform this disco number called "Sboing! Sboing!" or something like that. Then I remember the next few times I appeared at the "Transmusicales" it was with Marquis de Sade. That was great! There was a really festive atmosphere, with people throwing flowers on stage and cheering their heads off. I can remember thinking at the time that we must have been giving a really good show - but actually, the audience were going wild because this guy had leapt on stage behind us and taken all his clothes off! It was for a bet or something, I think! (laughs).

Just as you release your "Singles" album, Brigitte Fontaine is about to go into the studio and set to work on her next album. You worked with Brigitte on the album "Genre Humain" back in 1995, didn't you?
Yeah, I loved working with Brigitte. We had such a great time together in the studio. I end up lying on the floor, doubled up with laughter every time I work with her. She's such good fun and, what's more, I really really respect her work. As far as I'm concerned, Brigitte Fontaine has never achieved the recognition she deserves on the French music scene. I mean, for me, there's no doubt about it, Brigitte's up there with Barbara and Serge Gainsbourg! But the French public are only just beginning to rediscover her work. Brigitte's a very original kind of artist - she's just out there doing her own thing. And I think we could do with a few more singers like that on the French music scene! We need a few more artists like Brigitte. Artists who the public find a bit strange, a bit scary, but who are able to get out there on stage and provoke a mini-revolution! I mean, either you get down and take cover under the table, or you end up standing on the table cheering your head off. Whatever your reaction, you can bet it's a strong one. Basically, I think Brigitte Fontaine's the Salvador Dali of the music world!