Benoit Pioulard

Benoît Pioulard
Birth name	Thomas Meluch
Born	(1984-08-04) August 4, 1984
Origin	Michigan, United States
Genres	Electronic, ambient, folk, shoegaze
Years active	2001–present
Labels	Kranky, Moodgadget, Type, Ghostly International

Thomas Meluch (born August 4, 1984) is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, writer, and photographer, best known by his pseudonym Benoît Pioulard.

Biography

Meluch began documenting field recordings and his own lo-fi compositions on dictaphones, discarded stereos and four-track machines in the mid 1990s, later focusing on highly limited CD-R and cassette releases of his experimental, folk-influenced songs for friends and family.

His first recordings as Benoît Pioulard appeared on the Random Number...Colors Start compilation released by the Ann Arbor-based Moodgadget label in 2004. After 2005's Enge EP Meluch was signed to Chicago's Kranky imprint, for whom he recorded the albums Précis (2006),Temper (2008), Lasted (2010), and Hymnal (2013).

In 2010, Meluch formed Orcas with minimalist composer Rafael Anton Irisarri. The duo's self-titled debut was released in April 2012 on Germany's Morr Music imprint, and its follow-up Yearling was released in early 2014.

Meluch lives in Seattle, Washington with his wife, an antiquarian horologist.

Discography

Solo

• Blurred CD-R (self-released, 2001)
• Clear CD-R (self-released, 2001)
• Skymost CD-R (self-released, 2003)
• Enge 7" EP (Moodgadget, 2005)
• Dakota / Housecoat CD-R (self-released, 2006)
• Précis CD (Kranky, 2006)
• Fir 7" EP (Type, 2007)
• Temper LP (Kranky, 2008)
• Lee 7" (Hall Of Owls, 2008)
• Flocks 7" (Blue Flea, 2009)
• Lasted LP (Kranky, 2010)
• Plays Thelma EP (Desire Path Recordings, 2011)
• Hymnal LP (Kranky, 2013)
• Sonnet LP (Kranky, 2015)
• Noyaux EP (Kranky, 2015)

Appeared on

• Random Number...Colors Start (Moodgadget, 2004)
• Idol Tryouts 2 (Ghostly International, 2006)
• The Rorschach Suite (Moodgadget, 2006)
• Four-beat Rhythm: The Writings of Wilhelm Reich (Workshop, 2013)

External links

• Official website
• Myspace page
• Kranky website
• Moodgadget website
• Press Play and Record interview