Merzhin (Merlin in Breton) is a French rock band from Landerneau, Brittany, formed in 1996 by six friends from high school. Their music is characterized by the energy deployed and the use of unusual instruments to rock standards. Indeed, inspired by their native Brittany, the six musicians do not hesitate to bring in the lead instrument the bombarde or different types of flutes or brass in addition to traditional guitars, bass and drums.
Merzhin is a "story of mates" who met in college. The group trained at the San Sebastian high school in Landerneau in 1996 and performed in a local bar, "Le Spleen"; the boss, now their manager, helps high school students to produce a 4 tracks CD. It follows a 5 titles, First Moon (1999), distributed by BMG, which includes several pieces to dance, including a kost ar c'hoat, an an-dro and a round of St. Vincent. In 2000, the group produced its first album, Full Moon, whose song Garden Dwarves Meets Success. While the EP has sold 50,000 copies, the album almost doubles that number.
Stéphane can not join the national tour that follows the release of the album, it will be with Inophis who replaces him on the guitar. >
The sources and inspirations of Merzhin are eclectic: "You can hit folk-rock as well as punk, American rock music from the 1960s / 70s, and especially the music of the alternative scene of the 1990s in France. (Black Desire, Mano Negra ...), even in more "atmospheric" things. We do not limit ourselves to a single door ">. But the opening to the world does not erase their roots because Peter, the singer, admires the sound of young Breton Ar Re Yaouank. Thus, for Full Moon, Merzhin invites the fest-noz group Wig a Wag and Jean-Pierre Riou, the singer of Red Cardell; a constant reference for Landernéens "korrigans".
In 2007, for the album Pieds Nus sur la Coise, the band recorded a live album during their tour in India. Merzhin formalizes his collaboration with Matthieu Ballet, who is the artistic director of the albums and whose references are Fersen, Alexis HK, Miossec, Bashung> ... He is at the origin of the collaboration with Jérôme Bensoussan, multi-instrumentalist who plays brass on the studio album. This musical contribution is developed in the album and the creation Merzhin Moon Orchestra by appealing to a section of brass and putting forward the accordion. In Farther West, Merzhin opens up more to American folk and rock, while confirming its evolution towards resolutely "coppery" atmospheres. The single The spark is played in May 2011 in the Taratata show on France 2, as well as The Partisan by Leonard Cohen.
