La Valse des monstres (international English title: The Waltz of the Monsters) is the first album released by Breton composer Yann Tiersen.

In the early 1990s the musician was experimenting with synths and samplers, looping samples from existing works to create his original compositions.

To further expand his sound palette he brought in the accordion and the melodica which would act as wind instruments in his pieces, along with the toy piano and the harpsichord, this one playing the role of the guitar.

[...] Let's play with sound, forget all knowledge and instrumental skills, and just use instinct – the same way punk did.Some of these tracks were written for the theatrical adaptation of Freaks, a 1932 American horror film by Tod Browning, while others were inspired by Yukio Mishima's 1955 The Damask Drum and also served as an accompaniment for its representation.

[7] 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.

[10] 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.