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Dieses Interview (in Englisch) mit der französischen New Wave Band Guerre Froide wurde uns von Cloudy (Kainklangmusikmagazin) zur Verfügung gestellt. Vielen Dank dafür!
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| Cloudy: |
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How was your last album received by your fans? Which were the (scene – sector) press' reactions? |
| Yves: |
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We only had positive reactions! I think most of people have felt that this second LP was more ambitious than the previous one, and that we had tried (and succeeded in, I hope) to make it the better it was possible to do at this moment. |
| Fabrice: |
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Pretty well. |
| Cloudy: |
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Did anyone support you, or did you do all by yourselves? |
| Yves: |
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We are supported by our label "Brouillard Définitif" in which our manager Emmanuel is really involved. He is also the man who finds dates and places to play our music. |
Fabrice:
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We did everything all by ourselves. The recording/mixing is part of the creative process and we don't want to entrust anyone else with it. Besides, Doctor F who's in charge of all this is kind of antisocial. He's got a home studio where he produced 95% of the album. |
| Cloudy: |
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Do you need any particular inner mood or a special atmosphere when you compose new songs?
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| Fabrice: |
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A bit of aggressiveness is necessary, a feeling of rejection of the society that allows introspection. If all is too well in your mind, nothing interesting can be done.
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| Cloudy: |
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Are there any particular places where you can better concentrate when you write new songs and lyrics?
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| Yves: |
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I often take notes, write some words or phrases, just because I don't want to forget them. This can be anywhere. But I need to be in a quiet place and in a particular state of mind to work on my lyrics. Usually I write at home! (sweet home?)
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| Fabrice: |
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Train travel.
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| Cloudy: |
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What are the themes of your lyrics and in which way they influence you?
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| Yves: |
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It depends on my own angers. There are too many things that are not acceptable in this crazy world ... So what's the matter about work, money, family, love, food, etc And which future for the children? This world stinks despair. |
| Cloudy: |
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Do you believe that lyrics are more important than music, don't you? |
| Yves: |
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Well, it's a question of balance and atmosphere. For me, if you can't understand the lyrics because the music's too present, what's the use to write songs ... The voice is not only a different noise. It's here to seduce the audience and give it some words to make them dream or think about life. |
| Fabrice: |
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No I don't. This is a coherent whole. Even if, due to the somewhat weird personalities of the two creators, music and lyrics are created in parallel, the last step of the process is always a fusion of music and lyrics, with just a few adjustments (a word, a note, a measure...).
This doesn't work every time, but often enough for us to keep on this way. |
| Cloudy: |
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What should we know about the story of the Band?
Are you satisfied with everything you have achieved until now or what would you change, if you could come back? |
| Yves: |
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No, I'm not, but when things are achieved, well ... that's all. That's done, so let's go further. |
| Fabrice: |
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The last album ("Abrutir les masses") is pretty satisfying, not excellent but satisfying nonetheless. Since I'm almost never satisfied, it's very unusual to hear me say that. For the rest, all that have been made before, I claim the ideas, but the productions are pretty poor. If I could redo one thing: re-record everything and release it with a really good sound quality. |
| Cloudy: |
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Why did you choose the band's name? Is there a deeper meaning behind it? |
| Yves: |
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When the band began, the Berlin wall was here. It was such a symbol, and it still is even if it's more virtual! This world is in a dead end: communism has failed but capitalism has failed too (and it keeps on failing with a total absurdity). None of them is better than the other ... So what? |
| Cloudy: |
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Which were your personal experiences that urged you to play? |
| Yves: |
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My life was saved by Rock 'n' Roll. ; -)) David Bowie first, with Nico, then the punk movement, and in the 80's Einstürzende Neubauten was a great salvation too. |
| Fabrice: |
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I don't ask myself that kind of question. |
| Cloudy: |
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How important is in your opinion the image and personal appearance of a Band in the current (Gothic) music scene? Do you have a special way of dressing? |
| Yves: |
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I've always think that black is a nice colour. But I don't only wear dark clothes. On stage I often wear the same things because I'm rather lazy about this... |
| Fabrice: |
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We don't feel like being part of a music scene, be it gothic or else.
I think proximity to gothic is due to a certain search for aesthetics, some form of romanticism in our approach. If the image conveyed by the band is important (underground, uncommon, weird...), appearance is not, though we don't really like wearing nike tracksuits. In other words, we've no part in musical marketing or mercantile packaging. Black suits us all very well. |
| Cloudy: |
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What is your favourite audience? Is there a special one, you would like address your music to? Is there "the" difference between the German audience and the audience abroad? What can you tell us about your Live performances? |
| Yves: |
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We only play five or six gigs a year for lack of time. It is not our job (unfortunately?), so everything is rather difficult (creation, rehearsals, travels, ...) But playing live, when technique is all right, is always a great pleasure for me! |
| Fabrice: |
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Concerts are difficult to set up for the diversity of sounds from one GF's song to the other is difficult to recreate live. Nevertheless, without sounds, noises and sound effects, the songs we play live don't really represent what we want to achieve, so this is somehow frustrating. Of course, in front of a fan audience who knows the songs, it's easier, for they will interpret what they hear and mentally add some of the lacking subtleties.
Anyway, we favour energetic songs rather than sophisticated ones when we play live.
Furthermore, we like to add to our performances a visual dimension by projecting videos and pictures, always synchronized with the music, thanks to the computer. This (for my taste) adds a lot to the set and balances out the sound quality problems described above. |
| Cloudy: |
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Do you often have the opportunity to play Live? |
| Fabrice: |
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Just enough. |
| Cloudy: |
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In which country would you like to go on tour? |
| Yves: |
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I know all the countries in which I really don't want to go on tour! But the one I'd like to, I'm not quite sure... |
| Fabrice: |
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Japan. |
| Cloudy: |
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Which country did you strike most on your last tour? How could you describe your music to those people who haven't listened to it yet? |
| Yves: |
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Could I... ?! |
| Fabrice: |
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GF has many influences but sounds like nothing else, the songs are very varied and show some kind of aggressive melancholy. Use of sequencers and beat box is recurring and favour the creation of a mechanical, industrial mood - not in an infernal way but rather in the way of a life passing by in a harsh world. |
| Cloudy: |
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How important is the (musical) success for you? |
| Yves: |
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Well, does the ego increase with years? |
| Fabrice: |
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Some kind of recognition is necessary, for it's stimulating; just a few people are enough to get this recognition... We're not looking for an unconditional success, which would mean a lot of artistic compromises. |
| Cloudy: |
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Do you associate any of your dreams with music? (If yes, which ones?) |
| Fabrice: |
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Some obsessions rather than dreams. |
| Cloudy: |
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What kind of difficulties are you facing as a band at the moment? Or everything goes, as it should be? |
| Yves: |
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It could be worse! |
| Fabrice: |
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Not enough time available to work on new songs. |
| Cloudy: |
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Is it important for you to be also known on the Net? |
| Yves: |
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Yes, but I'm not sure to know why exactly! |
| Cloudy: |
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What would you like to achieve, musically speaking, in the next future? |
| Yves: |
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I'd like to begin working on the next album. Really, I mean. For the moment we have just a few songs, and we haven't much time for music... |
| Fabrice: |
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A new album, but as we want it in no way to be in the same style as the previous ones, we need time, new inspirations, new machines... |
| Cloudy: |
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What wouldn't you ever do for money? |
| Yves: |
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I don't know, I never even try! |
| Fabrice: |
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Work. lol |
| Cloudy: |
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Which models or heroes do you have? |
| Fabrice: |
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No more heroes. |
| Cloudy: |
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What would you do after playing music? |
| Yves: |
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Usually I feel totally depressed, but I try to behave such as if I wasn't. I don't always succeed in it! |
| Fabrice: |
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Drinking and listening to music. |
| Cloudy: |
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What would you take with you on a desert island? |
| Yves: |
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A loaded gun. And chocolate. |
| Fabrice: |
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My passport. |
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Guerre Froide @ LabelLos.de
Guerre Froide @ myspace |
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