How long does it take you to compose a song?
Between the moment I start a song and
until I consider it done, it can be six or seven months.
How precise are you when it comes
to what sound you would like? Do you take your time to play around with effects on
software and /or hardware?
I pay attention to everything while
remaining detached from the knowledge of the maximum potential the sound can achieve
with mixing, mastering etc. I put pressure on myself only regarding the
composition. I don’t care about the sound. It comes naturally with the song. I
don’t want to sound better than anyone else. Actually I don’t listen to anything else when I work on my songs. It
allows me to remain focused and not risk being influenced by something on the
way. So I just focus on the melody. I don’t experiment with
stupid sound effects just to fill the void. I don’t have any hardware
yet, everything is in the computer. This is enough but I am thinking about
investing in something consistent for live shows, like a Prophet 6 for example.
EP III is a tremendous sounding
record, however, "Anarchy Road" seems to have mixed views on vocals. Did you
expect negative feedback from this?
Of course. There are some [mixed views] actually, and that was predictable. Synthwave ayatollahs don’t like when you
change the rules. Well fuck them, I absolutely do what I want and I invite them
to do the same. Take your synthesizer and have fun like I do rather than crying
because I did a pop song with vocals to play at Coachella.
Depending on this feedback, do you
want more vocals in your music or less?
There will be some vocals on the next
album, that is for sure. Doesn’t matter what people think. I shall do things the way I
want and not according to what they say.
Were there any difficulties in
making EP III, any you could compare to the previous two albums?
The more you advance, the more you
don’t want to be redundant. So the hardest part is not to be
satisfied and rehashing the same stuff. Obviously I won’t do another « Roller Mobster bis » or a second « Le Perv » but I am also a technically limited musician. So the
chords or the melody would be in the same spirit no matter what. I could not
reinvent myself either. EP III might be a more condensed product of what I know
how to do and better that the two first ones. And it was hard work indeed.
The French seem to have a habit of making brilliant electronic music, who are your favorite French musicians?
Justice. I don’t know what to expect about the third album though. The
second one blew me away less than the first. But these guys are talented and
smart, they will know how to catch the current trend and put out some killer
music.
Are these favorite musicians firm
influences, or do you tend to wander off into other music genres too? You seem to
be focused on an 80s vibe.
Aging tends to make you nostalgic. I
grew up in the 80s and obviously my childhood memories lay there: the first
computers and consoles, the Star Wars or Indiana Jones sagas. It was fun and
exciting. Except one or two things, today’s music bores me.
Carpenter Brut was born from the frustration of not having any wild electro in
minor key, to change a bit. So I am obviously influenced by what I like to
listen to and I try to inject that into what I play.
How were you approached to have
your music feature on Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number?
On Twitter. Somebody mentioned me to
Jonathan and he got the two EPs on Bandcamp. I received an email later asking
me if it was ok. Of course it was. I tried to play the first one, I liked the
spirit of it but I suck so much that I could not finish it. I asked if I could
have an easy version of the second one just for me. They said "no".
Are you a fan of the first Hotline
Miami game?
I like it a lot, it’s really well thought out, visually on purpose and the
soundtrack is cool. It is the kind of stuff typically made by passionate people
who enjoyed doing it, you can tell.
Do you plan on working with
anymore people like Corridor Digital and the Deka Brothers?
Maybe, I don’t know yet. I have
Silver Strain on one side, Deka Bros on the other. I feel well surrounded. I’d like to try something with Seth Ickerman one day, I like
his style.
Where did the name Carpenter Brut
come from?
From a Champagne brand.
How often do you play live? What
is your favorite gig you've ever done?
We just started our first gigs. There is still a lot of work but the feedback is rather positive. Once again, the goal is not to please people but to please ourselves on stage. And there is still some work before reaching that goal. I think that if we have fun, people will have fun too.
We just started our first gigs. There is still a lot of work but the feedback is rather positive. Once again, the goal is not to please people but to please ourselves on stage. And there is still some work before reaching that goal. I think that if we have fun, people will have fun too.
What's the best kind of venue to
play your kind of music? Small? Big?
Average ahah. As long as the venue is
well equipped and allows us to perform with the video and a good FOH sound,
fine by us. Then I think that a venue packed with 300 hyped people is more fun
than 1,000 bored people.
What countries would you like to
visit to play live?
Aside conflict zones, any country
will be good. Montreal would be first on my wish list though. I would be happy
to play anywhere of course but Montreal is THE place I want to perform. I want
to go there, and why not stay there ahah.
How do you know when you're ready
to make new music? Is it a gut feeling or does it relate to boredom?
I know when I have an idea that seems
like a good starting point. It clicks just like that but I can’t tell what triggers it. I’m starting to think
about the concept of the album, knowing that, considering the pace I work at, it
probably won’t be out until 2016. But for now, I have nothing precise in
mind.
Your music videos have a
cinematic power to them. Do you think movie scenes while making songs?
When I compose, I need to have a
scenario in mind otherwise I have no clue where I’m heading. Each song
tells a story. The title is always a clue. My scenarios are more B movies than
anything. There’s always at least one girl who dies.
Do you know what will be next for
you? More music? Touring? Or a kick back and relax with an ice cold beverage in
your hand?
I’d
like to relax but I can’t.
I have to play, improve the show, work on songs to extend the show. I also have
two or three remixes waiting for me and maybe some video game music to score.
And this is just the work until the end of March. Then we will see.
~Questions by Matthew Clewley
~Questions by Matthew Clewley