Fred learned his trade in Paris as a recording engineer at the Studio du Palais des Congres working on movie scores and top French artists, he became the personal assistant to
producer Andy Scott and worked on the last two albums of Daniel Balavoine.
He moved to England to be the personal recording and mixing engineer of the Eurythmics recording and mixing album: Savage, Revenge.
Throughout his career, he has mixed, recorded, and produced albums for the likes of,
Danny Wilson, The Prodigy, Depeche mode, Tom Petty, Paddy Casey, David Gray, Bob Dylan
and was nominated for two Grammy Awards.
https://www.discogs.com/artist/89938-Fred-Defaye
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​ Fred's main field of composing music is for the contemporary dance world: Jose Agudo Dance 'Time/Dropper' (2010), 'Sweetshop Revolution Tree' (2015), London College of Fashion (2010/15),
artistic director Garance Marneur for Levy Dance in San Francisco, 'Pull Me Closer, Rush Part 1/2, Alone Together' at SF International Art Festival (2016/21), and so many more.
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He was a member of People Show Theatre, sound designing People Show '119: Ghost Sonata'.
with Oscar-nominated composer and film director Mike Figgis, directed by award-winning Josette Busshell-Mingo (2007/11).
Sound designed for theatrical experiences created by Punchdrunk, 'The Black Diamond' (2010).
Sound designer, 'Quantum Ghost' for artist Libita Sinbungu and musician Demelza Toy Toy (2019), sound designed and composed music for the director Valentino Villa 'Au Bord', Triennale Milano Festival (2022).
Sound designed 'The Gates of Kyiv' directed by Roxana Silbert (2024), associate sound designer, 'Quite Songs' directed by Finn Beams with Academy Award Nominee Ruth Negga, Barbican Theatre (2024/25), associate sound designer, 'Krapp's Last Tape' directed by Vicky Featherstone with Stephen Rea, Barbican Theatre, Skirball Centre NYC (2025), associate sound designer,
'Deaf Republic' directed by Dead Centre, Royal Court (2025), sound designer, 'Caliban', Sadler's East, Shobana Jeyasingh (2025/26)
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He has composed the music for Philipp Plein show 'Women's Fall/Winter' Milan (2016/17).
Sound designed for Tod's, Burberry, London/Paris shows, Google, Microsoft. Samsung.
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International touring as a live sound engineer includes choreographers:
Lea Anderson (2015/16), Yang Liping's 'Under Siege, Rite of Spring' (2017/19), working with
Composers: Steve Reich, Michael Nyman, Gabriel Prokofiev, Kareem Roustom, Sk Slhomo for Shobana Jeyasingh Dance (2010/Present),
Viviana Durante Company & Joy Alpuerto Ritter, composer Lihn Qun Wong 'Isadora Now' (2020/21), Ivan Putrov 'Dance for Ukraine' (2022/present).
Akram Khan Company 'Portraits in Otherness' (2021/24), Dickson Mbi 'Enowate' Sadler'Wells composer Roger Goula (2022/ Present), Fengling Production, 'Nine Songs, Ten Thousand Tons of Moonlight' (2021/Present), The Barbican Theatre (2021/Present), Sadler'wells (2018/Present).
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Live sound engineering for artists, Patti Smith (2015), Richard Reed Parry (2019).
Andrew Poppy (2012/Present), The KLF 'Welcome to the Dark Ages' (2017/Present),
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Collaborating with Lighting designers: Fabiana Piccioli, Lucy Carter, Lee Curran,
Guy Hoare, and Video artists: Will Duke, Yeast Culture, Sander Loonen.
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His artistic footprint spans continents from the UK houses of Sadlers Wells, Barbican, Limbury,
Royal Festival Hall, the music venues of the O2 Arena, Glastonbury Festival, International touring: Lincoln Centre NYC, Internationale Amsterdam, Amare Den Hagg the Hague, Guzen X Macao, to the classical stages of The Bolshoi, Canadian Opera Toronto, Dante Alighieri Ravenna,
Opera de Rouen, Dongguan Opera China and the challenges of Desert X AlUla.
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Fred is a guest Tutor at Montview University for site-specific theatre practice (2021/present),
has guest lectured at the Scandinavian University of Art and SAE London.
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Sound designing, mixing in VR and 5.1 surround for Valve Corporation (1998/2011), on acclaimed video game titles: Half -life (1&2) Portal (1&2), Team Fortress (1&2), Left for Dead(1&2).
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