Eric
Serra

ABOUT

Eric Serra is an award-winning French film music composer best known for his work with director Luc Besson on international blockbusters such as The Fifth Element.

ERIC SERRA (aka R.X.R.A.) was born in Paris – France 09/09/59.
He started to play the guitar when he was 5 years old.
  • 1974 – 1980 : Guitarist or Bass-player – ERIC formed his first Rock and Jazz-Rock bands when he was 15 years old. In 1976, he became a professional guitarist and started to perform and record with several singers. In the meantime, ERIC started to play the electric 5 strings fretless bassand was soon to become one of the greatest and most famous bass-players in France. For the next twenty years, ERIC appeared in more than fifty albums as a Guitarist or a Bass-Playerand performed over twothousand concerts as a Bass-Player with some of the most famous bands in France : JACQUES HIGELIN, ARMANDE ALTAI, CATHERINE LARA, DIDIER LOCKWOOD, MAGMA, PIERRE VASSILIU, CHANCE ORCHESTRA, ZAKA PERCUSSIONS, …
  • 1980 – 1984 : Bass-player, musical director, composer – During these years, ERIC worked essentially with two artists : JACQUES HIGELIN and LUC BESSON.
    With JACQUES HIGELIN, the most famous french rock-star at this time, ERIC was the bass-player as well as the musical director of the band. He performed in the legendary shows CIRQUE D’HIVER 1981, CASINO DE PARIS 1983, and P.O.P. BERCY 1985. During this period, ERIC also composed the music for some of HIGELIN’s most famous songs : SLIM BLACK BOOGIE, COUP DE LUNE, MANQUE DE CLASSE, VICTORIA …With LUC BESSON, ERIC SERRA entered the movie world.
  • 1981 : ERIC composed the music for LUC BESSON’s only short movie “L’AVANT-DERNIER”.
  • 1982 : He wrote the score for BESSON’s first feature film “THE LAST BATTLE” (aka“LE DERNIER COMBAT”).
  • 1984 : ERIC composed the music for the film “SUBWAY” directed by LUC BESSON. For thissoundtrack he received his first french music award VICTOIRE for best soundtrack 1985, a nomination for the CESAR (french movie award) and a DOUBLE GOLD ALBUM (more than 200.000 albums sold in France).
  • 1985 – 1990 : ERIC SERRA composer
  • 1985 : Original music for the film “LA NUIT DU FLINGUEUR”, TV thriller directed by PIERRE GRIMBLAT.
  • 1986 : Original music for the film “KAMIKAZE” directed by DIDIER GROUSSET.
  • 1988 : ERIC SERRA composed the music for the film “THE BIG BLUE” (aka“LE GRAND BLEU”) directed by LUC BESSON. #1 ALBUM SALES in France for more than six months, DIAMOND ALBUM in France, PLATINUM AND GOLD ALBUMS in many countries (more than 3.5 MILLION ALBUMS sold worldwide), this soundtrack earned ERIC a CESAR (french movie award), a VICTOIRE (french music award), and the GRAND PRIX SACEM (french equivalent of ASCAP/BMI).
  • 1989 : ERIC was made a CHEVALIER DE L’ORDRE DES ARTS ET DES LETTRES by the french Minister of Culture JACK LANG.
  • 1990 : ERIC composed the music for the film “LA FEMME NIKITA” (aka“NIKITA”) directed by LUC BESSON. He received a GOLD ALBUM and nominations for both CESAR and VICTOIRE.
  • 1991 – 2003 : Composer, Producer, Lyricist, Musician, Singer …
  • 1991 : Original music for the film “ATLANTIS” directed by LUC BESSON. For the first time, ERIC mixed rock, electronic, ethnic and symphonic music. Mixing different cultures was soon to become a passion and his signature. He received a GOLD ALBUM and a VICTOIRE nomination.
  • 1991 : ERIC SERRA produced “DJABOTE”, first album by master-percussionist DOUDOU N’DIAYE ROSE. Recorded on the island of Gorée, Senegal, with 50 percussionists and 80 singers.
  • 1994 : ERIC SERRA composed the music for the film “THE PROFESSIONAL” (aka“LEON”) directed by LUC BESSON. He received his third VICTOIRE, and a CESAR nomination.
  • 1995 : JAMES BOND 007 … ERIC SERRA composed the original music for the film “GOLDENEYE” directed by MARTIN CAMPBELL. With more than 800.000 ALBUMS sold worldwide, he received the BMI AMERICAN FILM MUSIC AWARD and a nomination for the french music awards VICTOIRES DE LA MUSIQUE.
  • 1997 : Original music for the film “THE FIFTH ELEMENT” (aka“LE CINQUIEME ELEMENT”) directed by LUC BESSON. More than 1 MILLION ALBUMS sold worldwide, PLATINUM AND GOLD ALBUMS in many countries.Nominated for both VICTOIRES& CESAR (french music & movie awards).
  • 1998 :ERIC SERRA released his first solo album as a singer-songwriter: “R.X.R.A.” This album was produced by RUPERT HINE (TINA TURNER, ROBERT PALMER, BOB GELDOF, RUSH, HOWARD JONES, …). It was written and recorded in both french and english language versions. It features a duet with CHRISSIE HYNDEand the song “LITTLE LIGHT OF LOVE”, already synchronized as the end-titles song in the Fifth Element.
  • 1999 : ERIC SERRA composed the music for the film “THE MESSENGER – THE STORY OF JOAN OF ARC” (aka“JEANNE D’ARC”) directed by LUC BESSON. For this almost entirely symphonic score, ERIC recorded in ABBEY-ROAD studios, and conducted 120 musicians and a choir of 40 singers. He asked NOA to perform the end-titles song. He was once more nominated for both VICTOIRESand CESAR (french music and movie awards).
  • 1999 : Together with PHIL COLLINS, ERIC SERRA produced the french version of WALT DISNEY’s “TARZAN”.
  • 2000 : ERIC produced and supervised the music for the film “L’ART DELICAT DE LA SEDUCTION”, first movie directed by RICHARD BERRY. He co-composed this soundtrack with SEBASTIEN CORTELLA and STEPHANE BROSSOLLET.
  • 2000 : He produced the song “PAUVRES DIABLES”,performed by JOHNNY HALLYDAYfor the film “15 AOUT” directed by PATRICK ALLESSANDRIN.
  • 2001 : ERIC produced the music for the film “WASABI”directed by GERARD KRAWCZYK. He co-composed this soundtrack with JULIEN SCHULTHEIS.
  • 2001 : ERIC composed the music for “ROLLERBALL” directed by JOHN MC TIERNAN.
  • 2002 : He produced “LOVE BOMBING”, 1st album by the electro-rock band HARRY MORSE PROJECT.
  • 2002 : ERIC SERRA composed the music for the film “JET-LAG” directed by DANIELE THOMPSON.
  • 2003 : He composed and recorded in Los Angeles the soundtrack for “BULLETPROOF MONK” directed by PAUL HUNTER.
  • 2005 : New era, first concerts with the RXRA GROUP …
  • 2005 : ERIC SERRA is promoted to OFFICIER DE L’ORDRE DES ARTS ET DES LETTRES by the french Minister of Culture RENAUD DONNEDIEU DE VABRES.
  • 2005 : ERIC performed his first LIVE SHOW with his RXRA GROUP and a 70 MUSICIAN SYMPHONIC ORCHESTRA.
  • 2005 : He composed the music for the film “BANDIDAS” directed by JOACHIM ROENNING and ESPEN SANDBERG, featuring PENELOPE CRUZ and SALMA HAYEK.
  • 2006 : ERIC composed the music for the film “ARTHUR AND THE INVISIBLES” (aka“ARTHUR AND THE MINIMOYS”)directed by LUC BESSON. He received his fourth VICTOIRE (french music award).
  • 2007 :He played live at the mythical french concert hall OLYMPIA with his RXRA GROUP and a60 MUSICIAN SYMPHONIC ORCHESTRA.
  • 2008 : ERIC composed the music for a new CIRQUE DU SOLEIL Las Vegas show“CRISS ANGEL BELIEVE”,still playing twice a day since october 2008.
  • 2009 : Original music for the film “ARTHUR AND THE REVENGE OF MALTAZARD” directed by LUC BESSON.
  • 2009 :ERIC SERRA was one of the 60 international artiststaking part in the TCK TCKTCK TIME FOR CLIMATE JUSTICE campaign,initiated by KOFI ANNAN on the sidelines of the Copenhagenclimate change conference.The artistic collective performed a cover of MIDNIGHT OIL’s hit songBEDS ARE BURNING.
  • 2010 : ERIC composed the music for the film “THE EXTRAORDINARY ADVENTURES OF ADELE BLANC-SEC”directed by LUC BESSON. The end-titles song originateda collaboration with CATHERINE RINGER from RITA MITSOUKO.
  • 2010 : Original music for the film “ARTHUR AND THE TWO WORLDS WAR” directed by LUC BESSON.
  • 2011 : ERIC composed the music for “THE LADY” directed by LUC BESSON, featuring MICHELLE YEOH and DAVID THEWLIS.
  • 2011 : July 29th, the festival “UN VIOLON SUR LE SABLE” invited ERIC to conduct the OPERA DE PARIS SYMPHONIC ORCHESTRA, performing a symphonic suite of ARTHUR AND THE MINIMOYSfor an audience of 60.000 PEOPLE on Royan’s beach.
  • 2012 : He wrote the song “HEADING FOR HEIGHTS”for IRINA BOUGLIONE in the CIRQUE D’HIVER BOUGLIONE’s new show “ECLAT”.
  • 2012 : ERIC composed the theme “ADVENT OF THE KIANS”, the musical signature for KIA MOTORS.
  • 2013 : For the 25th anniversary of THE BIG BLUE, Eric remastered the soundtrack as well as SUBWAY’s.These reissues were embellished with many bonuses (audio, pictures, …)
  • 2014 : He reissued remastered versions of LA FEMME NIKITA, THE PROFESSIONAL, THE FIFTH ELEMENT and THE MESSENGER – THE STORY OF JOAN OF ARC.
  • 2014 : ERIC composed the music for the film “LUCY” directed by LUC BESSON, featuring SCARLETT JOHANSSON, MORGAN FREEMAN and CHOI MIN-SIK.

“I was playing with the same amplifiers for many years until I met Marco de Virgiliis last year at the NAMM in Los Angeles.Then I tried Markbass and I really love it !

Compared to my previous equipment,”-says Eric- “it sounds much better in all the frequency range, very warm bottom and clear highs, a real gift for my fingers and my ears ! On stage I use a little Mark Tube 800 combined with a standard 151HR and a 104HR and that was a real gift for my backliner too … I still don’t understand how it can sound so good and be so light?
At home I use a CMD 151P Jeff Berlin and it really sounds amazing for such a small combo!
Thanks again Marco and congratulations, you are really doing a great work!”

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