Maelstrom

Born in Nantes in 1980, Maelstrom, the stage name of Maël Péneau, has developed since the mid-1990s a trajectory rooted in techno, electro and more experimental forms of electronic music. His journey began in the milieu of French free parties, in contact with sound systems such as Spiral Tribe and Heretik, before joining the Nantes collective Karbon 14 and later Sweat Lodge, between rave culture and hybrid festive formats. After an initial period marked by techno and hard techno productions, Maelstrom broadened his scope from the late 2000s with releases on Expressillon, Boysnoize Records, Sound Pellegrino, Bromance and Zone, in a colder, taut and detailed register where club rhythms, industrial textures and electro heritage intersect. His collaboration with Louisahhh occupies a lasting place in his career, first through several EPs and then with the creation of the RAAR label in 2015. Maelstrom released the album Her Empty Eyes there in 2017, followed by Rhizome in 2021. In parallel, he works with Djedjotronic within Lost Echoes and continues to perform across clubs, festivals and cross-disciplinary projects. In 2024, Maelstrom issued The FM Tapes on Central Processing Unit, an album that extends his interest in electronic music that is precise, abrasive and melodic at once.