When the first warm days of spring arrived in 2009, Antoine Bellanger decided to let Belone Quartet vanish and head to disused hotel in Normandy to work on his first solo efforts.

Combining keyboards and drum machines, Gratuit sings and yelps like a helpless dog. Dances and tripping on his own feet while his harsh words collide with the beat.

Somewhere in between Mr Oizo, Depeche Mode and Programme, his live sets as disturbing as they can get seem to be fascinating to the young hype electro wankers and to the old rocker farts.

Over the past years, Gratuit has shared stages with Sexy Sushi, Electric Electric, Zbigniew Karkowski, Ben Et Béné, Ghislain Poirier, Marvin (6) and Gablé.

And when he doesn't change names, Antoine Bellanger is also producing the likes of Mansfield.TYA, Mein Sohn William and The Healthy Boy.

Artist biography from Discogs