After soundtracking Ryan Gosling in Drive, Secret Diary could put College in the driving seat

As well as turning Ryan Gosling into an action hero, the noirish thriller Drive has also given a nitro boost to the career of musician David Grellier. Under his pseudonym College, the French electronica producer provides the backing for one of the film's rare romantic interludes – when Gosling's getaway driver takes Carey Mulligan and son for a jaunt down that iconic urban idyll, the Los Angeles River.

Music plays a vital role in helping flesh out Drive's almost fairy-tale narrative, with Grellier's “A Real Hero” sung by Electric Youth returning at the end when the Gosling character finally proves his worth.

“Drive director Winding Refn used the track exactly in a way that we imagined when we created the song together. Also, the LA River is a huge reference in my movie culture. We see that very graphical landscape in Terminator or TV series likes Street Hawk and CHiPs,” he says.

The Drive soundtrack proved a hit in its own right, especially for the label founded by Portishead's Geoff Barrows that has the vinyl rights, selling well in hipster emporium Urban Outfitters. Now Invada Records is set to release College's previous works on 12“ for the first time, fitting given their retro aesthetic.

College's album 'Secret Diary' and 'Teenage Color' EP are out on 6 May