Rinôçérôse must be one of the only bands in the world whose two members, Jean-Philippe Freu and Patrice Carrié - aka Patou - moonlight as psychologists (Freu is actually an acting professor of psychology at Montpellier University). With an insight into the workings of the human mind and their own unique take on music, Jean-Philippe and Patou came together to work as a double act after their old band, Les Maracas, split up in 1993. Their wacky animal name is a reference to a painting by the artist Gaston Duf, who belonged to the ‘Art brut’ movement in the ‘50s. Working out of a mental hospital after being certified insane, Duf painted a weirdly-coloured rhinoceros with an enormous penis which appears to have inspired the avant-garde duo from Montpellier. 

Right from the start of their career, Rinôçérôse decided to whip up a pioneering mix of electronica and rock, as both of them were equally passionate about guitars and synthesiser loops. The duo’s fusion did not take off in France straightaway, however, so they headed off to Spain, just across the border from their native Montpellier, and it was here that they released their debut eponymous album in 1997 (distributed by Elefant Records). The buzz around the duo soon reached the ears of talent scouts back home – and French labels, who hadn’t wanted to touch their music just a few months before, began to open their doors. The duo went on to sign a recording contract in France and released a mini-album entitled "Machines pour les oreilles." (This debut experimentation would later be reissued under a new title: "Rétrospective.")

It was Rinôçérôse’s next album, "Installation Sonore", that really rocketed the duo to fame on the specialist music scene and brought them to wider attention. The French duo were even invited to support Moby in the U .S. as part of his mega 200-date international tour. Never mind the famous French electro touch, it looked as though the "Languedoc Touch" was the order of the day abroad. And deservedly so, the ten tracks on the duo’s second album sent a breath of fresh air rushing through the electro scene and the single "Le Mobilier" went on to become something of a cult classic in its own right. "Installation Sonore" arrived in record shops on 9 August 1999 and shortly afterwards the duo found themselves headlining at the famous "Boréalis" festival (organised each summer in Montpellier). Audiences went wild for Rinôçérôse’s hypnotic house-rock fusion, but fans would have to wait a further three years for a follow-up.

Rinôçérôse, who went on to establish themselves as a group in a music category all of their own, finally released a third album, the acclaimed "Music Kills Me", on 26 February 2002. The album, which tapped directly into the same musical vein as their previous releases, required almost a year’s intensive work in Brussels (between July 2000 and March 2001). It was produced by Phil Délire (famous for working with the likes of Bashung, Aubert, Thiéfaine and Zazie). The album cover of "Music Kills Me" was a knowing nod to Andy Warhol’s "car crashes" and the twelve ultra-danceable tracks on it revolved around Rinôçérôse’s signature sound : ‘60s and ‘70s-style guitar riffs and late ‘80s electro beats. Percussion and flutes also put in an appearance on tracks such as "Le Rock Summer", "Dead Flowers" and "Brian Jones: Last Picture" (a tribute to the legendary Stones guitarist) which, together with "Highway To Heaven", acknowledged the duo’s diverse influences.

Rinôçérôse presented tracks from their new album at that year’s festivals, performing at non-music circuit events like the annual ‘cartoon strip’ festival organised in Angoulême as well as festivals in Spain, Italy, Switzerland and Belgium. "Music Kills Me" went on to win the duo a nomination at the annual Victoires de la Musique awards in the "Best  Electronic/Dance Album of the Year" category. At the start of 2003, Rinôçérôse launched a novel competition on their website giving fans the chance to win a Gibson Flying IV guitar. Competitors were required to film themselves playing air guitar and the lucky winner was invited to baptise their new instrument live on stage with the group at a concert at Le Nouveau Casino de Paris. At the end of that year, a special boxed set of Rinôçérôse’s last two albums was released for Christmas.  

Rinôçérôse took another two-year break before bringing out their fourth album, "Schizophonia", on 26 September 2005. This time round, the group had headed off to record in studios in Paris, Lausanne and London as well as working locally in Montpellier. "Schizophonia" proved to be like a new analysis session in the group’s career, Jean-Philippe and Patou delving into personal experiences and events in their own lives  - as well as those of their guest stars – to compose their new material.

By this stage in their career it had become clear that Rinôçérôse had moved on from being avant-garde pioneers out on a musical limb to more of a mainstream success story, making music that had become gradually more accessible along the way. The twelve tracks on "Schizophonia", rightly hailed as a musical masterpiece, featured a tougher, harder sound than before as one listen to the new single "Bitch" confirmed. "Schizophonia" featured contributions from an impressive collective of guest stars including Mark Gardener (ex-frontman of pop group The Ride), Nuuti Kataja (Dead Combo), Jessie Chaton (lead singer with Parisian band Fancy), Dominique Keegan (The Glass), Bnann (The Infadels), Daniel Zak Watts, David Lavaysse (I&Fused), Florian Brinker and Emma Djob.

Practically pushing this choice cast of patients to lie down and open up on the couch, Montpellier’s musical psychologists drew remarkable performances from their guests on the album. Or maybe it was a case of collective schizophrenia seizing one and all! The elaborate work on "Schizophonia", which required two years’ intensive input, certainly bore fruit and the overall sound on the album benefited from ultra-honed production courtesy of Johnny Palumbo, Shakedown and Steve Dub (The Chemical Brothers). Following the release of the album, Rinôçérôse hit the road for another tour, confirming their reputation as an explosive live act. 

What’s more, the duo travelled far beyond their usual sphere, playing concerts and putting in festival appearances not only in Europe, but also in Guadalaraja (Mexico), Bogota (Colombia) and Montreal (Quebec). Meanwhile, back home in France, in July, they performed at the Radio France summer festival and brought the house down at Les Nuits de Fourvière in Lyons. In the autumn, the duo’s "Schizophonia European Autumn Tour", featuring some 30 dates, rounded off with a final appearance on 7 December at La Boule Noire in Paris. Rinôçérôse started off the new year as they meant to go on, playing at the Actual festival in Logroño, Spain, on 2 January 2006.

Throughout 2006, the duo went on to play concerts across central America and Spain (which had proved to be so important for Rinôçérôse right from the start of their career). On 9 February 2006, the audience gathered at cutting-edge music venue La Paloma, in Barcelona, were treated to an exceptional evening of music, the duo inviting all the artists who had collaborated on "Schizophonia" to share the stage with them. Needless to say, the concert was an overwhelming success.  

Meanwhile, the computer giant Apple chose one of the tracks from the album ("Cubicle") with vocals by Bnann, lead singer from British band The Infadels, as the soundtrack to its advertising campaign for the Ipod Nano launched in March. And you don’t need a degree in psychology to grasp that this is proof that the Montpellier psycho-music duo have hit the big time at last!

May 2006