“This video is a metaphor of the genesis of my debut album Presence: a long journey from one unreal situation to the next,” says Petit Biscuit. “It’s only now that I’ve begun to realize everything that’s happened in the last few months: the disproportionate achievements we’ve forged with hard work, with the kind of stubbornness that enables us to realize our dreams. The colossus that you see on my album cover and in the video is my music, or rather is the album. Today is November 3, I’m almost 18 and I’m proud to introduce you to it.”
“Beam” follows debut single “Waterfall” featuring Panama, which has been streamed more than 7 million times to date—listen here and preorder the album here.
Recorded over the course of the past year, Petit Biscuit—a.k.a. Mehdi Benjelloun—wrote, produced and mixed Presence completely independently, finding time between high school exams and sold out tours across the U.S., Europe and beyond. The album is his complete creative vision, and includes contributions from Lido, Bipolar Sunshine and the aforementioned Panama. The album was mastered by legendary engineer Chab (Daft Punk, Air, Sebastien Tellier) in a nod to the forefathers of French dance music.
Presence is the first new music from Petit Biscuit (\pə.ti bis.kɥi\) since the release of his debut EP featuring smash hit “Sunset Lover,” released in 2015 when he was only 15 and streamed more than 350 million times to date.
The new album caps off a whirlwind year for the 17-year-old producer, who has played this year to sold-out crowds at New York’s Brooklyn Steel, Los Angeles’ The Novo, SanFrancisco’s The Warfield, Washington, D.C.’s 9:30 Club, Denver’s Gothic Theatre and more in addition to festival plays and headline dates across his native Europe. Petit Biscuit will return to the U.S. for select dates this winter, with stops in Seattle, Boston and Chicago.
A classically trained musician from a young age, Petit Biscuit plays piano, guitar, cello and more, and began experimenting with electronics to form his signature sound at age 11. Presence is heavily informed by his schooling, combining acoustic elements with innovative electronic production and his trademark vocal manipulations.
PETIT BISCUIT LIVE
November 14 Lille, France Zénith
November 16 Nantes, France Zénith
November 20 Toulouse, France Zénith
November 21 Paris, France Zénith
November 27 Brussels, Belgium Ancienne Belgique
November 30 London, UK Electric Ballroom
December 1 Berlin, Germany Kulturehaus
December 6 Seattle, WA Neptune
December 11 Boston, MA Royale
December 12 Chicago, IL Concord Music Hall
December 14 Amsterdam, Netherlands Paradiso
December 30 Phoenix, AZ Decadence
December 31 Lake Tahoe, CA Snowglobe
February 1 Roueun, France Zenith
February 10 London, U.K. O2 Forum
February 27 Amsterdam, Netherlands Paradiso
