“Endlessly imaginative keyboard arrangements”
“Mature songwriter with a focus on what’s important in his music and the knowledge of how to bring it out in unique ways.”
“An extraordinary fusion of the depth and artistry of progressive music, intertwined with the accessibility of pop at its best.”
“Lalu got the sense of fine-tuned technicality and majestic flair.”
“Mind-boggling progressive tendencies as one would expect from Lalu”
“Meticulous progressive craftmanship, all finished with a virtuoso panache.”
Vivien Lalu is a French music composer, keyboard player, songwriter, and record producer. His passion for music began at an early age, thanks to his parents Noelle (keyboardist) and Michel Lalu (guitarist), both accomplished musicians from the ‘70s French progressive act Polène.
In addition to his musical upbringing, Vivien briefly studied with Emmanuel David, a former student of jazz pianist and composer Thelonius Monk. Since 1997, Vivien has been releasing a multitude of recordings across various bands and projects, gaining recognition for his contributions to progressive metal music. He is perhaps best known for his work with his own band, LALU, which has garnered numerous accolades and a dedicated fan base.
Vivien’s talent and creativity have earned him several awards and recognitions, including an Album of the Month title from Rock Hard Magazine and a mention in Roadrunner Records’ Top Ten Albums of 2013 by Dream Theater’s Jordan Rudess. In 2008, Vivien achieved his first movie score for Warner Bros’ Seuls Two, directed by French comedy duo Éric & Ramzy. This opened the door to other exciting opportunities in soundtracks, including Igor & Grichka Bogdanoff’ Science X TV show in collaboration with Lucasfilm Ltd.
In addition to his work in film, Vivien has composed numerous soundtracks for French television and has created music and sound effects for Ubisoft and Neko Entertainment games on Nintendo DS, 3DS, and Wii U. Vivien is an avid endorser of Roland keyboards and has been featured on over twenty albums released through Universal, Sony, Frontiers, InsideOut, and AFM Records as a composer and/or keyboardist.
With a unique musical background and creative approach, Vivien Lalu continues to inspire and innovate in the world of music. Whether he’s composing new soundtracks, producing records, or performing on stage, Vivien’s passion and talent are undeniable and he never fails to captivate his audience.
Progressive Rock / Metal Works
ONIRIC METAL (2005)
Lalu’s debut album, “Oniric Metal”, was released in 2005 through Lion Music. Featuring an all-star lineup that included guitarist Joop Wolters, drummer Ryan Van Poederooyen (The Devin Townsend Band), bassist Russel Bergquist (ex-Annihilator), and vocalist Martin LeMar (Mekong Delta, Nachtgeschrei), the album showcased Lalu’s unique approach to progressive metal. With its mind-expanding, cinematic soundscapes, “Oniric Metal” received critical acclaim and introduced Lalu as a promising new talent in the genre.
ATOMIC ARK (2013)
Vivien finally settled in and began work on the second LALU opus around 2012. Handling all composition and songwriting duties, as well as all keyboards, Vivien weaved the cloth of the new album together with vocalist Martin LeMar, bassist Mike LePond (Symphony X), guitarist Simone Mularoni (DGM), and renowned drummer Virgil Donati (Planet X, Allan Holdsworth).
The recordings took place in several countries including the United States (Los Angeles and New York), Germany and Italy. The album was produced by Lalu in his own studio, and mixed at Boumbox Studio in Paris by Yan Memmi (Dio’s ‘Lock Up The Wolves’, Marcus Miller’s ‘The Sun Don’t Lie’, etc.). Additional contributions came from Jens Johansson (Stratovarius), Joop Wolters (Shadrane), Jordan Rudess (Dream Theater), Marco Sfogli (James LaBrie), Mike Andersson (Cloudscape) and Peter Wildoer (James LaBrie). The final product, boasting over fifty minutes of exceptional, massive cinematic, atmospheric metal was dubbed ‘Atomic Ark’. Signed by Sensory Records immediately upon hearing the opus, the album was released worldwide in 2013.
LIVE AT P60 (2015)
The best songs of both ‘Oniric Metal’ and ‘Atomic Ark’ have now been captured alive. Spring 2014 saw Vivien Lalu venturing out on a unique live tour, hosting only a few select shows featuring the all-star Atomic Ark line-up of Martin LeMar, Mike LePond, Simone Mularoni and Virgil Donati, adding Joop Wolters as a second guitarist on stage. After a few weeks’ practice, the short tour culminated in the live recording during the final evening at P60. Produced by Lalu himself, mixed and mastered by Simone Mularoni at Domination Studio, the digital only ‘Live at P60’ was officially released 29 June 2015 through Bandcamp, iTunes, Google Play and Amazon.
PAINT THE SKY (2022)
Enter, ‘Paint The Sky’! Being the son of two musicians from the 70’s, and growing up surrounded by progressive music, Lalu always wanted to craft a true-to-its-roots progressive rock album. He spent a lot of time writing out what he thinks this new effort should entail, and truly believes that the end result is as sincere as it gets. He just couldn’t see himself making anything else right now. Along with this new album came a change in vocalist specifically for this lighter, more progressive version of LALU”. In May 2020,Lalu released the following statement on his Official Facebook page:
“I am so proud to announce Damian Wilson as the lead vocalist on ´Paint The Sky’. I have been a fan of Damian since forever, and his friend for quite a long time. During the MySpace years, we discussed writing an album together about fairy tales and stuff, but it never happened. It means a lot to me that today Damian and I found the right project, and time and setting, to finally work together. His voice is truly unique, instantly recognisable, and very well suited for progressive rock. Damian is such a versatile and emotional singer. I am thrilled about our partnership.”
“And don’t worry – I’ve still got a few surprises up my sleeve for this new record from names you all know and love!”