Composition Tiersen subsequently assembled the album La Valse des monstres out of some tracks he had worked on in 1993, together with other compositions from the following months, and divided the track listing into two sections, each one named after the material it had been inspired by: "Freaks" (comprising the first ten tracks) and "Le Tambourin de Soie" (comprising the remaining seven). Recording took place in Paris in the spring of 1995. The album consists of instrumental acoustic compositions, featuring piano, violin, toy piano, accordion, harpsichord, melodica chime and percussion. Tiersen played all instruments (except for the drums on two tracks) and carried on the mixing himself. He proceeded recording each element individually and subsequently layered the multiple tracks to obtain the final compositions. On "La Rue", for instance, each one of the four violins was recorded separately and the four recordings were later assembled into a more complex string section. Behind their apparently playful and whimsical melodies, Tiersen's early compositions hide a bitter feeling of sadness and loss, as he himself repeatedly pointed out. Years later the composer spoke about the music from his first three albums, underlining its double nature: "There has always been a context where it's naïve, but also dark and linked to death." Legacy Several of the unreleased compositions from the recording sessions that produced La Valse des monstres eventually saw the light as part of Tiersen's second studio album Rue des cascades, published in the following year, which would continue exploring the musical direction set by its predecessor. A violin solo version of the "Mouvement introductif" theme also appears on Rue des cascades. Two tracks from La Valse des monstres ("La Valse des monstres" and "Le Banquet") were later included in the soundtrack of Jean-Pierre Jeunet's 2001 film Amélie, along with other songs from Tiersen's first three albums and original compositions the musician had worked on. Track listing All music written and arranged by Yann Tiersen. Personnel Credits according to the album liner notes. Musicians Yann Tiersen – piano, violin, harpsichord, accordion, toy piano, melodica, carillon, carillon (tubular bells), charleston Laurent Heudes – drums and charleston on "Quimper 94", drums on "Le Banquet" Production Yann Tiersen – engineering, mixing Jonz – mastering Artwork Frank Loriou – artwork and design Anne Boissez – artwork and design Gilles André – photography Charts References 1995 albums Yann Tiersen albums