Son of filmmaker Paul de Roubaix, François became interested in both scuba-diving and music as a teen. While working as an assistant on a film by Robert Enrico in 1959, he was given the opportunity to write the soundtrack. This led to dozens of film soundtracks beginning in 1965 with Les Grandes Gueules, mainly of the orchestral variety, but sprinkled in with bits of rock, jazz and funk. He eventually began to incorporate electronic elements into his music