“Art is a reflection on life. Life isn’t something we can cut and fix. It’s always in a state of flux.” – El Anatsui

Fabrice Quentin has led a life full of twists and turns, across countries and continents, during which he has soaked up influences from the varied places he has been and people he has met. His adventures have informed his art, and consequently, his music is a rich melting pot of sounds made up of his unique experiences.

Born in a small village in the North of France, Fabrice listened to music and imagined the wider world it could evoke for him. Dreaming of getting away from his sleepy home, he developed a passion for music and began collecting records.
Encouraged into playing an instrument by a friend, he picked up the bass in his teens, and so the foundations for his life journey as a musician began.

Whilst completing a degree in English and American Literature and Civilisation, Fabrice’s mind was on strings and notes rather than books. As soon as he graduated, he used what little money he had to enrol in the Musicians Institute in London, where he finally indulged his musical passion by studying music and bass guitar. From this point he knew there was no question of returning to France and pursuing a quiet academic life – he was on the path to becoming a professional musician and he was willing to work hard to follow it.

Over the following years, Fabrice faced the impossible challenges that many do when trying to break into the music industry. Little opportunity and little money meant a hard life grafting in minimum wage jobs to make ends meet. However, his spirit wasn’t dampened for what he lacked in income was more than compensated by the experiences he had, throwing himself into London’s rich cultural scene. He met musicians and artists from all over the world, who had come to London in pursuit of the same dreams he was following. During this period Fabrice absorbed multicultural influences from fellow musicians, friends and peers. Many of whom he still collaborates with today. 

Just as Fabrice reached the end of the line and was forced to take a 9 to 5 office job, he took the opportunity to audition for a musical act called Mofro, led by JJ Grey. This became the turning point that would lead Fabrice to the next chapter of his story.

JJ Grey & Mofro, with Fabrice playing bass, recorded their first album Blackwater in 2001. It was voted one of the best soul albums of 2021 and sold 50,000 copies. Multiple US tours ensued playing greasy local juke joints to headlining major festivals. During this time Fabrice met and played alongside many of his heroes, such as BB King, Jeff Beck, Bill Withers, the Wailers, Ben Harper, Les Claypool and provided the low end for the band’s appearances on MTV, NPR, KEXP, the discovery channel. 

Fabrice opted to return to London shortly after recording their second album, Lochloosa. He had realised that though he enjoys performing, he had developed a passion for writing and producing music, using technology and collaborating with other musicians to turn an idea into a track. Fabrice set up a studio in London and wrote and produced music for aspiring artists as well as the media: the BBC (2010 World cup), Channel 4 (Californication series trailer). He created a huge body of work, much of which was never heard by anyone else.

Recently, Fabrice has opened up his archive of work and pulled out a rich catalogue of samples, partly finished tracks and snippets which he has reworked to create the album Ensemble. This multi-layered album is a celebration of the journey he has been on and a collection of collaborations. Meet and listen to the vocals of Munyaradzi from Zimbabwe, Italee from Jamaica, Fachadaz from Portugal, Salymata from Mali, L.I.F.E from Essex, Tshepo and Yusuf from South Africa.

And the musicians, and their instruments: Jally Kebba Susso (Gambia) on Kora, Tendai Mudimu (Zimbabwe) on Marimba, long time friend and fellow producer Niko Tsonev (Bulgaria) on guitar. And so many more: Anders Rye (Denmark) and Jules Faife (UK) on guitar, Bubu (Italy) and Pharoah Smeaton-Russell (UK) on Drums, Tayeb Fghoul (France/Algeria) on Oud, Fabrice Reynolds (UK/France) on Keys.

Each of them adding their musical expertise, cultural perspective and life experience to the harmony, beat and bass lines that Fabrice was exploring at the time.

Fabrice Quentin will release Ensemble in 2021 as an independent musician and producer.