Richard Pinhas

Born in Paris in 1951, he holds a doctorate in philosophy from the Sorbonne and founded Heldon in 1974, the pioneering French electronic rock group he led through seven albums before its dissolution in 1978. Deeply shaped by Robert Fripp's guitar work, Klaus Schulze, and the science fiction of Norman Spinrad, Heldon forged a synthesis of electric guitar and synthesizer that was entirely distinctive in French rock. He collaborated with philosopher Gilles Deleuze on Heldon's 1974 debut Electronique Guerilla. After a decade-long hiatus brought on by depression, he resumed recording in the 1990s and has since released a substantial body of solo work and collaborations.