Heading overseas for FFF In concert this afternoon – recorded live at Le Cigale in Paris on March 12, 2015 for RTL
FFF or Fédération française de fonck in their official title, is a French rock-fusion group , whose musical style blends different styles, mainly funk and rock .
After a start during which they were mentored by Philippe Conrath, a journalist for Libération and Actuel , in 1990 , after signing a contract with Warner Chappell, they gained recognition at the Transmusicales festival in Rennes . In the following weeks, they signed with Epic Records , a subsidiary of Sony . In 1991 , they released their first album, Blast Culture, recorded in New York with producer Bill Laswell and some big names in psychedelic funk . They also opened for George Clinton . Spike Lee directed the music video for ” Marco” . They toured in France, as well as in the United States, Japan, Canada, and Africa. Philippe Herpin, who was older than the others, was dropped from the group in February 1993. Due to musical differences, the band was leaning more towards rock than funk, which put them at odds with the other members of the group.
In 1992 , they founded Salam Aleikum Amusements, a music management and publishing company, to promote their own compositions as well as those of friends like Human Spirit , Les Coquines, Scratch Massive , Ultra Orange , and Magic Malik . Initially based at the Hôpital Éphémère (Ephemeral Hospital ), they later moved to the Barbès neighborhood where they set up their own recording studio. In 1993 , FFF released their second album, Free for Fever , recorded in England . The lyrics are largely in English.March 1996. A new self-titled album, recorded in Paris, was released. FFF won the Victoires de la Musique award for Best Concert in 1997 for their Olympia performance . Félix then left the group to join Rita Mitsouko . He was replaced by Hervé Bouffartigues. A live album, Vivants , recorded at the Eurockéennes festival in Belfort , was released in 1997. They then embarked on a long tour of Asia and South America.
Having parted ways with their record label, the group was in talks with Atlantic Records when the American company was acquired by EMI , which no longer wanted foreign groups . They finally signed in 1999 with V2 Records , a Virgin subsidiary . January 29, 2000They make their grand return to the stage at the Stade de France for a Snowboard Championship . In March 2000 The album Vierge was released. Igor Nikitinsky replaced Hervé on keyboards. Worn out by touring and internal disagreements, the group disbanded in 2001. They were not officially separated, but the members went on to pursue personal projects.
In November 2023, 23 years after Vierge FFF, Marco Prince released his fifth album, / Scream , and planned a tour for the following spring (including a show at the Olympia on April 3rd). During the shows he performed in the fall of 2024 (including two dates at La Cigale), Marco Prince announced the release of an album in 2025 titled “U Scream.” The single ”
Keep On” was released on October 17, 2024.
FFF’s style is a blend of funk and rock . This is where the word “fonck” originated. They fuse these two genres in several songs. African-American influences ( James Brown , Jimi Hendrix , Sly and the Family Stone , George Clinton , Bootsy Collins , Prince , and more recently Lenny Kravitz ), as well as Caribbean influences , are evident in both their music and lyrics.
They are members of the Black Rock Coalition, an association created by Vernon Reid of Living Colour to fight against racial divisions between musical genres.
Now you know. Press Play and crank it up.
