Mike Tournier
Encyclopedia
Michael James Tournier (born May 24, 1963, High Wycombe
, Buckinghamshire
, England
) is an English
electronic musician
and one of the co-founders of the electronic music
group Fluke
along with Mike Bryant
and Jon Fugler
. He first met with other members of Fluke
in High Wycombe
where he had been involved, along with Jon Fugler
, in a band called Skin, the lineup to this band consisting of Jon Fugler, Mike Bryant, Mike Tournier, Karen Smith, Guy Lewis and managed by Julien Nugent.
, High Wycombe. Little is known of Tournier's history prior to his incorporation into Fluke
in 1988 at the age of 25 in Beaconsfield
, Buckinghamshire
and remains a high point in his career. The band's conception was influenced by Tournier's interest in acid house
music and particularly Cabaret Voltaire
and Giorgio Moroder
. Tournier stayed with Fluke until approximately 1998 when he left the group to collaborate with Jan Burton
on Syntax
's Meccano Mind. This was to be a short lived partnership with Syntax
splitting up after only a single album and two singles.
Mike's music has spanned many different genres throughout his career, which he has not seen as a problem, stating "I think it just goes to show that what you want out of music isn't necessarily as narrow minded as it being just guitars, or computers, its about feeling."
High Wycombe
High Wycombe , commonly known as Wycombe and formally called Chepping Wycombe or Chipping Wycombe until 1946,is a large town in Buckinghamshire, England. It is west-north-west of Charing Cross in London; this figure is engraved on the Corn Market building in the centre of the town...
, Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
) is an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
electronic musician
Electronic musician
An electronic musician is a musician who composes or plays music from synthetic sounds generated with synthesizers, samplers, drum machines or music sequencers....
and one of the co-founders of the electronic music
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
group Fluke
Fluke (band)
Fluke are an English electronic music group formed in the late 1980s by Mike Bryant, Jon Fugler and Mike Tournier with Julian Nugent as the band's manager...
along with Mike Bryant
Mike Bryant
Michael James Bryant is an English electronic musician and one of the co-founders of the electronic music group Fluke along with Jon Fugler and Mike Tournier...
and Jon Fugler
Jon Fugler
Jon Fugler is an English electronic musician and one of the co-founders of the electronic music group Fluke along with Mike Bryant and Mike Tournier...
. He first met with other members of Fluke
Fluke (band)
Fluke are an English electronic music group formed in the late 1980s by Mike Bryant, Jon Fugler and Mike Tournier with Julian Nugent as the band's manager...
in High Wycombe
High Wycombe
High Wycombe , commonly known as Wycombe and formally called Chepping Wycombe or Chipping Wycombe until 1946,is a large town in Buckinghamshire, England. It is west-north-west of Charing Cross in London; this figure is engraved on the Corn Market building in the centre of the town...
where he had been involved, along with Jon Fugler
Jon Fugler
Jon Fugler is an English electronic musician and one of the co-founders of the electronic music group Fluke along with Mike Bryant and Mike Tournier...
, in a band called Skin, the lineup to this band consisting of Jon Fugler, Mike Bryant, Mike Tournier, Karen Smith, Guy Lewis and managed by Julien Nugent.
History
Tournier attended the John Hampden Grammar SchoolJohn Hampden Grammar School
John Hampden Grammar School is a boys' grammar school in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England. It is named after politician and English Civil War participant John Hampden.-History:...
, High Wycombe. Little is known of Tournier's history prior to his incorporation into Fluke
Fluke (band)
Fluke are an English electronic music group formed in the late 1980s by Mike Bryant, Jon Fugler and Mike Tournier with Julian Nugent as the band's manager...
in 1988 at the age of 25 in Beaconsfield
Beaconsfield
Beaconsfield is a market town and civil parish operating as a town council within the South Bucks district in Buckinghamshire, England. It lies northwest of Charing Cross in Central London, and south-east of the county town of Aylesbury...
, Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
and remains a high point in his career. The band's conception was influenced by Tournier's interest in acid house
Acid house
Acid house is a sub-genre of house music that emphasizes a repetitive, hypnotic and trance-like style, often with samples or spoken lines rather than sung lyrics. Acid house's core electronic squelch sounds were developed around the mid-1980s, particularly by DJs from Chicago who experimented with...
music and particularly Cabaret Voltaire
Cabaret Voltaire (band)
Cabaret Voltaire were a British music group from Sheffield, England.Initially composed of Stephen Mallinder, Richard H. Kirk and Chris Watson, the group was named after the Cabaret Voltaire, a nightclub in Zürich, Switzerland that was a centre for the early Dada movement.Their earliest performances...
and Giorgio Moroder
Giorgio Moroder
Hansjörg "Giorgio" Moroder is an Italian record producer, songwriter and performer based in Los Angeles. When in Munich in the 1970s, he started his own record label called Oasis Records, which several years later became a subdivision of Casablanca Records...
. Tournier stayed with Fluke until approximately 1998 when he left the group to collaborate with Jan Burton
Jan Burton
Jan Burton is a Welsh music producer best known for his work with ex-Fluke member Mike Tournier in their joint project, Syntax. He is currently engaged in musical activities in a group called Fatal and working on Syntax's second Album....
on Syntax
Syntax (band)
Syntax is an English electronic music group originally formed in 2002 by the musicians Jan Burton and Mike Tournier . They are best known for the songs "Destiny", "Bliss" and "Pride".-History:...
's Meccano Mind. This was to be a short lived partnership with Syntax
Syntax (band)
Syntax is an English electronic music group originally formed in 2002 by the musicians Jan Burton and Mike Tournier . They are best known for the songs "Destiny", "Bliss" and "Pride".-History:...
splitting up after only a single album and two singles.
Mike's music has spanned many different genres throughout his career, which he has not seen as a problem, stating "I think it just goes to show that what you want out of music isn't necessarily as narrow minded as it being just guitars, or computers, its about feeling."