François-Eudes Chanfrault

In 2005, Chanfrault released his first music album on compact disc of his original compositions, titled Computer Assisted Sunset,[1] on the label MK2.[2][3] He received positive reception from Fnac, "Chanfrault is one of the few French musicians to accommodate both a classical and a true technological expertise."[2] Trip-Hop.net gave the album a rating of three and a half stars out of four, and characterized it as dark and nostalgic.[4] A review in Les Inrocks observed, "The listener is surrounded and absorbed by the sound."[1]

Chenfrault's first film soundtrack work was on Celebration, which was directed by Olivier Meyrou.[5] A documentary film about Yves Saint Laurent, Celebration was blocked from distribution by Pierre Bergé.[5] Chanfrault composed the music for the 2003 film Haute Tension, which was directed by Alexandre Aja.[6][7] Cinezik noted Chanfrault created a strident and scary atmosphere on the film's soundtrack.[8] Who Killed Bambi? directed by Gilles Marchand, featured compositions by Chanfrault and was released in the same year as Haute Tension.[9] He composed the music for the 2005 film Beyond Hatred, which was directed by Olivier Meyrou.[10] His work on the film was well received; a review by Variety praised François-Eudes Chanfrault's sparse, sorrowful, string-based score.[11] Chanfrault's work on the music for the 2006 film The Hills Have Eyes directed by Alexandre Aja inspired the tone for the 2011 documentary Après la gauche by filmmaker Jeremy Forni.[12]

Chanfrault composed the music of the 2007 film Inside, which was directed by Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo and starred Alysson Paradis, Béatrice Dalle, Nathalie Roussel, and Tahar Rahim.[13][14] The soundtrack to the film was released in 2007 by Asphalt Duchess.[15] In a review of the film by Popjournalism, critic Sarah Gopaul described Chanfrault's composition as a sonorous score.[16] A review of the soundtrack by Adrien Pauchet in Cinezik wrote positively of Chanfrault's "successful and eclectic score accompanying the film".[8]

He composed music for director Olly Blackburn that was used the 2008 film Donkey Punch, which was released by the British film production company Warp X.[17][18] The soundtrack and score for the film was released in 2009.[19] Film critic Kurt Loder wrote favorably of Chanfrault's work on Donkey Punch in a review for MTV.com he wrote, "The movie is powered by claustrophobic menace and a notably effective score by François-Eudes Chanfrault that features spectral synths and the eerie clack of electro-castanets."[20] A review of Donkey Punch in Libération by Alexandr Hervaud emphasized Chanfrault's "trippy soundtrack" as among the highlights of the film.[21]

Filmmaker Fabrice Du Welz utilized Chanfrault's music composition skills for his 2008 film Vinyan.[22][23] Writing for Gamona, reviewer Martin Beck commented favorably on "a hypnotic score by François-Eudes Chanfrault (known for his equally great music for Inside)."[24] A review by Splatter Container wrote that Chanfrault's composition effectively conveys "the sense of emptiness … that pervades" throughout the film.[25]

He served as music composer on director Karin Albou's 2008 film The Wedding Song (Le Chant des mariées).[26][27] Chanfrault composed the music for the television movie Belleville Story directed by Arnaud Malherbe.[28][29] A review in L'Express by Marion Festraëts observed, "The frenetic pace of the film was driven by the music."[30] A subsequent review in L'Express by Eric Libiot characterized the soundtrack by Chanfrault as, "absolutely remarkable".[29]

After a long illness, François-Eudes Chanfrault died on 11 March 2016, aged 41.[31][32]