Agoria

Agoria
Ward Hemeryck · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
Name	Agoria
Birth name	Sébastien Devaud
Birth date	1976
Birth place	Lyon, France
Genres	Techno, House, Electronica
Occupations	DJ, Producer, Composer, Label founder
Years active	1999–present
Labels	Sapiens, Different, PIAS, InFiné
Associated acts	Rone (musician), Paul Kalkbrenner, Carl Craig, Laurent Garnier, Nicolas Jaar

Agoria is the stage name of Sébastien Devaud, a French electronic music producer, DJ, and composer active since the late 1990s. He is known for blending techno, house, and ambient textures while engaging in film scoring, label management, and curatorial projects. Devaud has released albums, EPs, and remixes on multiple independent labels and has performed at major festivals, clubs, and concert halls across Europe and beyond.

Early life and education

Born in Lyon, Devaud attended local schools before moving into the French electronic scene influenced by contemporaries from Paris and Berlin. He studied architecture and design, pursuing formal training that intersected with interests in acoustics and sound design; his background connected him with institutions and scenes in Lyon and Grenoble. Early encounters with figures from the French Touch movement and exposure to venues associated with Laurent Garnier and Daft Punk scenes helped shape his early trajectory.

Musical career

Devaud began releasing music in the early 2000s on independent labels such as Different Recordings and later founded his own imprint, Sapiens, to release artist albums and curate compilations. He toured extensively, playing at clubs and festivals including Sonar, Transmusicales, Coachella, Dekmantel, and Time Warp, and shared bills with DJs like Carl Cox and producers like Richie Hawtin. He has produced remixes for artists across genres, worked with vocalists and instrumentalists associated with Rone (musician), Nicolas Jaar, and Paul Kalkbrenner, and composed scores for films screened at festivals such as Cannes Film Festival and Locarno Festival.

Style and influences

His productions combine elements drawn from European techno lineages associated with Berlin and Düsseldorf, the melodic sensibilities of the French Touch cohort from Paris, and minimal textures akin to artists on the Ostgut Ton and M_nus rosters. Influences cited in interviews include producers and composers such as Aphex Twin, Brian Eno, Kraftwerk, Laurent Garnier, and Maurice Ravel; he has referenced collaborations and shared stages with peers including Carl Craig and Ricardo Villalobos. His approach to rhythm and timbre reflects club-oriented frameworks found in the catalogs of Warp Records and Ostgut Ton while also integrating cinematic techniques resonant with composers linked to ECM Records.

Discography

Select studio albums, EPs and notable releases include: - Early EPs and singles released on Different Recordings and other labels alongside peers from Paris and Berlin. - Studio albums issued via Sapiens and independent distributors, aligning him with catalogues from PIAS and InFiné. - Remixes for artists on labels associated with Ninja Tune and XL Recordings; notable remix partners include acts who have worked with Hot Chip and The Chemical Brothers. - Compilation and DJ-mix entries for series connected to festivals such as Sonar and labels like Fabric and Resident Advisor.

Other projects and collaborations

Devaud has spearheaded multidisciplinary projects that intersect with filmmakers from Cannes Film Festival, visual artists represented in galleries in Paris and Berlin, and choreographers linked to venues such as Opéra de Lyon. He curated club nights and label showcases featuring DJs from the Warp Records and Ostgut Ton communities, and collaborated with producers and live performers including Rone (musician), Nicolas Jaar, and instrumentalists who have recorded for ECM Records. He has contributed to soundtrack work alongside directors and composers whose films screened at Venice Film Festival and collaborated on installation pieces presented at arts centers in Lyon and Marseille.

Awards and recognition

His recordings and soundtracks have received attention from European music press and broadcasters associated with BBC Radio 1, Arte (TV channel), and France Inter. He has been featured in year-end lists by publications connected to Pitchfork, Resident Advisor, and Mixmag, and received nominations and accolades at regional awards tied to festivals such as Les Victoires de la Musique and industry bodies connected to independent labels across France and Germany.

Category:French electronic musicians Category:Living people Category:1976 births