Down the Rabbit Hole: Win Tickets to Chapelier Fou

Classically trained violinist cum neo-electronicist Chapelier Fou performs in Beijing on Thursday night as the JUE festival continues to attract an eclectic mix of artists from around the world for its 2012 edition. We asked the Metz-native about his penchant for Lewis Carroll characters, performing in China and his love for electro. We've also got tickets for tomorrow's gig to give away. Read on to win.

For those of us not up on our French, what does your name mean, and what was the inspiration behind choosing it?
It does mean "mad hatter", from Alice in Wonderland. I didn't really choose it by myself. I used to sample lots of records, including fairy tales. I've used the Mad Hatter's voice a lot, and make weird narrative stories with it. I gave loads of CDs to my friends, and they began to write "chapelier fou" on them. It remained ...

Is this your first visit to China? What are you hoping to do while you’re here?
Actually, I did a Chinese tour last year. I’ve played already in Guangzhou, Shunde, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Beijing. I really enjoyed the country and the people. I am very pleased to come back, but it will be a very, very short visit.

What precipitated the transition from classically trained violinist to electro artist?
Several things,

Learning violin in a classical school became unbearable when I was 16, so I stopped attending the school and started to play in bands, improvise, etc. I also bought my first computer and began to sample a lot of records. I was influenced by bands like Kid Koala, Bonobo, Aphex Twin, Plaid, Autechre, and To Rococo Rot amongst others. Electronic music and computers are an infinite world – it's a never-ending process ...

Is there a track that when you hear it you think, ‘I wish I had written that’?
Connan Mockasin, "Forever Dolphin Love".

To win tickets to the show, answer the following question: Why do hatters go mad? Email your answer to win@thebeijinger.com. The contest will end at noon on March 22.

Chapelier Fou performs at MAO Livehouse at 9pm on Thursday, March 22. Tickets cost RMB 60.