DANIEL BIRY

Stitt Collaborator Daniel Biry Dies

It is with great sadness that I convey the news of the death of my dear friend and collaborator Daniel Biry. Daniel passed away at his home in Valauris in the south of France last Sunday 9th October. A gifted and talented composer and multi-instrumentalist Daniel scored music and worked on sound for many of my performances in the late nineteen eighties.

He was part of the London underground in the eighties and nineties. This included many artists and musicians who had moved from the south of France to form squatting co-operatives in the Islington area of London. Daniel contributed to a, lively alternative events scene in squatted warehouses, factories and apartment blocks as well as regular club venues and galleries.

Daniel and I collaborated on a series of albums during the nineties to critical acclaim. In this he was central to my recovery from alcohol and drug addiction creating a safe environment to allow me back to artistic health.

Our first CD project was "Working On The Bypass" commissioned by Locus+ in Newcastle and released by ND in Texas. Thereafter followed "Ceasefire" in 1997 and our most recent album "East Poppyfields" released on the Dogfingers label in Texas and Offmusic in Europe in 2004.Daniel himself had also a string of 'hit' solo ambient albums out on a variety of labels and was well respected in experimental/electronic music circles.

His death was sudden but it appears to have been painless. He died in his sleep as a result of pancreatic cancer. When I spoke to him in August heappeared to be in good spirits and indeed we had planned to start working on a new music project when I got back from a recent residency in China. Indeed since moving from London to Valauris two years ago and installing a new state-of-the art studio in his house he was very happy and looking forward to new and exciting projects.

Daniel was urbane, intelligent, witty, very funny, and intellectual in that specifically French way; he was my friend. I will miss him dearly.
Thus we came to the days of Resistance.
Without knowing anything except style.
It was a style all of light,
Memorable consciousness of sun.
It could never fade,
even for an instant.
Andre Stitt, Cardiff 12th October 2005