Biography

At the age of 9, Julian Julien started saxophone course at the Paris conservatory (CNR). After classical music studies, he turned towards other musical trends.
Before to start composing and forming his own projects, he had played in various jazz big bands and rock groups.

In 1993, he composed for the musical ensemble « ArteViva »: Obsession 3.5.4.1. (drums, bass guitar, music keyboard, brass instruments, cello and voice) under the direction of Pascal Pistone (Sorbonne University – Paris).

In 1999, he composed his first self-produced five tracks album « Tupperware et bibelot ». At the same time, he traveled to Asia (India, Nepal, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam). Thereafter, his travels have had an important influence on his work.

In 2000 was released his album « Terre » (Priskosnovenie Label). Its orientation is turned to world music with a lot of influences: Keith Jarrett, Michael Nyman, John Surman and film music compositors as John Barry or Nino Rota. This album is highly acclaimed by reviews and critics. It has been sold all around the world. Regularly, radios broadcast excerpts from this album and some pieces are used as soundtracks for documentaries.

In 2007, he composed his second album « Strange » (Cristal records label). Electro-world orientated musical experience, it may be considered as a cultural syncretism with a lot of influences (Michel Portal, Keith Jarrett, Magma). It was composed in the spirit of 70/80’s comics and Japanese mangas. It is an inventive music with sound colors and sound layers which clash and intertwine each others, another material for a parallel world with Indian instruments (sitar and tabla), string instruments, music samples, electric guitar and African and Indian drums. Strange was played at Scene Bastille (Paris) and this album has won rave reviews by the critics : Prog Archives (USA), Jazz Music Archives (USA), Music Street Journal (USA), PraugNaut (USA), Progressor (Uzbekistan), ProGGnosis (Italy), Babyblaue (Germany).

In 2008, Julian created the band Fractale with progressive music inflected tendencies. The collective is made of seven musicians (electrified tuba, electrified baritone, alto and tenor saxophone, trumpets, drums and computer). Julian was inspired by Javier Marias’ book “Tomorrow in the Battle think on me”. So, Fractale takes place in an innovative trend. Julian invites us to explore original sounds fields. Instruments are used in an unexpected way: tuba and baritone are electrified and saturated, the whole thing sustained by looped computer-like sequences.

The compositions are inspired by jazz or rock. Improvised solos are incorporated in couplet, refrain structure. Melodies are minimal, furious and spiced up by saturated riffs. Fractale draw its inspiration from various influences: literature (Javier Marias, Moravia, Buzzati…), cinema (Kubrick, Fellini, Ettore Scola) and visuals (Comic strips Corto Maltese, Hulet, Schultheiss).

In 2008 and 2010, Fractale played in Paris (Zèbre de Belleville and Sunset). In 2009, the musical collective started its first US tour (Joe Squared at BALTIMORE, Bossa Lounge at WASHINGTON, The Camel at RICHMOND, Eyedrum and The Kavarna at ATLANTA, Morseland at CHICAGO, Wilbert's at CLEVELAND and The Drom at NEW YORK).

In 2010 was released Fractale’s live album entitled « Suranné » under Julian’s label “A bout de son”. It was highly acclaimed by reviews and critics such as Prog Archives (USA), Jazz Music Archives (USA), Jazzuality (Indonesia), The Rocktologist (Slovenia), Unprogged (Italy), Merlinprog (Norway), Eurock (USA), Ytsejam (USA), Hanging Sounds (USA), Music Street Journal (USA), Arlequins (Italy), Rockateca (Mexico), Autopoietican ( Peru), Sonidos Latentes Produccion (Peru), Progressor (Uzbekistan), Ragazzi (Germany), noisy Neighbours (Germany), Proggies.ch (Germany), Babyblaue (Germany), Progrock (Poland), Sea of Tranquility (England), OJE Music (Netherlands), DragonJazz (France), Zikannuaire (France), Deep Music (France), etc…

In 2016, he finalized his fourth album « Terre II ». The concept behind this project attempts to harmonize music with the world of photography. For this reason, well-known musicians and photographers have accepted to collaborate on it: musicians Médéric Collignon (2013 Jazz Victory) and Rémi Dumoulin (National Jazz Orchestra), the English photographer Chris Steele Perkins (Magnum agency), the Japanese photographer Junku Nishimura or also the Canadian photographer Rebecca Cairns. Several compositions will be accompanied by a video which includes photographers’ works.
At the same time, Julian composes music for short and long films, theater or documentaries.

For the future, Julian plans to release Fractale’s next album “Fractale I”. It will be the first studio album for this variable geometry project where music meets comic strips.
Actually, he works for several contemporary dance compagnies in USA (New York, North Carolina), Swiss, UK, Israel, etc.