Benoît
studied classical percussion with Jean Batigne, co-founder of
"Les Percussions de Strasbourg", focusing very early on mallet
instruments. Soon he began to play professionally with classical
orchestras and for French composers such as Guy Reibel, Yves Prin
or Georges Aperghis.
His
first live appearance as a vibes and marimba player in the rock
field was with Gong at the Redding, England festival
in 1976. He became a core member of the legendary band that included
players such as Allan Holdsworth,
Mino Cinelu, his brother Pierre Moerlen,
Didier Malherbes, Hansford Rowe,
Didier Lockwood and Bon Lozaga.
Benoît spent four years touring and recording with Gong before
joining Mike Oldfield.
In
the early 90's Benoît met the guitarist Jon
Catler who was working with Hansford Rowe in a band using
an unusual musical language (Just Intonation). He began using
a mallet Kat with totally retuned synthesizers. In 1994 Benoît,
bassist Hansford Rowe and guitarist Bon Lozaga formed Gongzilla
and made the now cult recording Suffer.
Benoît
has also been busy playing solo marimba concerts in France, Belgium
and Germany, and in a duo (marimba-vibes) called "Akimbo" with
the German vibes player Stefan Traub. He is also
performing the music of Darius Milhaud, Eric Satie, Ney Rosauro,
J.S. Bach and others with his father (organist at the Cathedral
of Strasbourg), keeping in touch with classical music.
Several
of Benoît's solo marimba compositions are published by François
Dhalmann.
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