Monsieur Gontrand

Monsieur Gontrand (born Christian Braut), is a musician and a computer specialist. At the beginning of the Eighties, he combines these two activities, and as a pioneer, delves into computer music and MIDI, as soon as the first equipments are available.
In 1989, he joins the French Keyboards magazine team. He then creates Home Studio magazine – he is HS's Editor in Chief from July 1992 to April 1999. He writes stories for several specialized other magazines too (Guitarist, Time Code, Music & Business, Keyboards Recording...). He is co-author of the book Musique et ordinateur (foreword by Jean Michel Jarre), and author of the ‘Livre d’Or de la norme MIDI’ (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) – considered as a reference in the computer music domain, and, accordingly, translated in Dutch, in German and in English.
In parallel, Christian Braut writes his first score for a short film in 1983, with the help of a [Roland] TR-808 drum machine. This short film, Deux Larmes dans une poubelle, is shown commercially in French theaters before Viva la vie (by Claude Lelouch). Christian Braut then collaborates with miscellaneous artists – two songs are released, recorded in Studio d'Auteuil with [sound engineer] Pierre Jacquot producing and Pierre Jaconelli playing guitars. In 1991, he co-writes (with Isabelle Salmon) a score for a feature film. In 1999, he releases his first album, 24 heures à ses côtés. Its 11 songs are produced by [drummer] Claude Salmiéri and mixed by [sound engineer] Ludovic Lanen.
Moreover, Christian Braut designs music instruments and musical applications. In 1993, asked by Alain Daniélou and in collaboration with Michel Geiss, he designs the 'Semantic Daniélou' : an instrument playing 36 notes per octave, faithfully applying the theory Daniélou describes in his book, Sémantique musicale. This instrument follows prototypes built by Maurice Martenot and Stefan Kudelski. In 2007, to commemorate famous Indian expert and musicologist's 100th birthday, several concerts take place in the Abbaye du Thoronet and in Venise, Rome Paris. In 1998, interactive TV platform CanalWeb asks Christian Braut to develop a network musical application. In 2008, Braut creates a didactic sound creation-oriented software for Diasonic studio (founded by Louis Dandrel).
Archipel Studios, Internet department in Christian Braut's company, is deeply involved in music and new technology. Among many projects, most notable are Playback's Web site (French main on-line reseller of audio and home studio equipment), artist portal for Sony BMG France record company, etc.
Christian Braut is currently working on a double CD, under the pseudonym of « Monsieur Gontrand ». He recently began a new activity as a panoramist photographer, and shows his works in several art galleries – especially in La Baule (Galerie Hugues Pénot), in Paris and in Cap Ferret.