1. Hello Neige and welcome in second interview you’re doing for Mortem zine. Your new album is going to be released very soon, so how do you feel about? Are you looking forward to all circumstances that are connected with the release date (shows, opinions of listeners etc.)?

Hey Fastred, I hope you are fine! I feel very glad about this album, moreover Prophecy will make beautiful editions so I can't wait to hold it in my hands. I worked hard on this album and don't have any regret. I think this really is an "alien" release, it doesn't sound like anything else; it's a pure ALCEST record. Now I am just looking forward to go on the roads in order to make shows!

2. I think you’re not the same guy like in 2007, am I right? Did you find some experiences in last three years as important ones regarding your music?

In a way you are right, yes. You know, "Souvenirs..." wasn't composed in 2007, but from 2002 to 2006. When I composed "Souvenirs..." I was 18-19 years old, now I am 24 so for sure I am not exactly the same guy like 5 years ago. I can say that at the "Souvenirs" period I was much more positive, even naive in a way but not necessary in the good way. For personal reasons these last years I came to be disillusioned, almost cynic, I felt really bad if I can say and obviously this can be heard in the "Écailles De Lune ." album. In addition to this I really came to think I wasn't in the right place here, I’ve had so strong nostalgia for the world of my visions and felt quite lonely due to the fact I can't share this with anyone. Fortunately I am feeling really better since "Écailles De Lune" is recorded, I don't know why. I'm having a kind of inner peace now and I think I am going to the happier period, I hope so at least!

3. Is “Écailles de lune” more personal album than “Souvenirs d'un Autre Monde”? Because I don’t speak French, will be good if you can say something about all the songs, their ideas, sense… And tell us if is there again some kind of story behind the album etc…

Contrary to what it seems to be this album is deeply linked to the last album and to the ALCEST concept. As you may know from previous interviews, something very strange happened to me in the very first years of my life, until the age of 8-9 years old maybe. I was used to have sudden visions, like flashes, exactly like if you were reminding a nice moment of your life, with all the precise emotions you could feel with it, but in my case these memories had nothing to do with what I was seeing around me in the real world. Different colors, different sounds, a way to perceive what is around you as a whole, not through the enclosed 5 senses we are used to know here. As if your soul and what surrounds you was making a single entity. And this place was so indescribably beautiful and perfect, like an immense heavenly garden with pearly shiny streams and emerald green fields all around. Nobody can imagine the beauty and the serenity of it. Everything being static and moving at the same time, like water waves, all bathed in pearly colors and lived by kind of benevolent spirits. I was very strong, real, and had nothing to do with what we can see here, that's why I know it was not just my imagination. Well after a lot of research I guessed that it was memories of what could be "after life" like you say, or "before life" in my case because I've noticed that they are very similar elements with what describe people that had a Near Death Experience. It could be A place where the soul would rest between two earthly incarnations, a kind of peaceful haven. ALCEST is a way to express my feelings front of this experience, to describe it, and hopefully to find answers to my numerous interrogations.

While "Souvenirs" was a description these memories "Écailles De Lune" could be seen as a metaphor of how I manage to live with this experience now in my everyday life. You know I can be very confused due to the fact I often feel not to belong to this place. Just like if a non-human part of my soul was screaming inside me, supplying me to be back in the world he belongs to. This explains besides the "Écailles De Lune" lyrical theme’s melancholy. These lyrics are a story about a man sitting in front of the sea at night and thinking about his life, the fact he can't find any interest anymore in his earthly existence, nothing and nobody that could give him joy. He falls in love with the night, being captivated by the voices of the waves and the spirits of the sea. He goes swimming in the depth, all surrounded by aquatic guardian spirits for finally having a serene sleep in the bottoms of the sea and never coming back in the real world. This story is not really a metaphor of death, like it would seem to be. It's like a passage to another reality, another state of existence.


4. Some people may have a fear if your music on the new album will be different or same like on previous release. Personally, I think that you’ve inserted not only something new into the Alcest’s music, but even some influences from the first EP (for example). How will you describe your music as its creator? How can you introduce your music for listeners that are hesitating if buy or not…?

Yes I agree with you, it has similar progressive and hypnotic feelings that the ones of "Le Secret" EP. The songs are pretty long, 3 of them are more than 8 minutes. It's a deep album, abysmal and ethereal at the same time, it's pretty hard to describe it actually. You know most of people around me are even saying they prefer "Écailles De Lune" than "Souvenirs.." because of its deeper atmospheres and complexity. In my case I like both of them; I just think they are different and complementary, like two facets of the same thing.

5. What do you think about Alcest’s future? Is possible that your music will turn totally different? Did you already compose some new songs?

Yes I think that the next album will be very different than all what I did before. This is important for me to be constantly creative, innovative and to take risks as a composer. I don't like these bands who always make the same album with just more or less blast beats, more or less rock'n'roll riffs, etc... This is opposed to my idea of art. I already have a few riffs for the new album but nothing really concrete, the only thing I know is that I will try to push away my own limit and really surpass myself.

6. Back to the “Écailles de lune”. Production of the album sounds cleaner, but still with connection to atmosphere. Did you record the album at home or in professional studio? Did you involve some guests on the album?

Contrary to "Souvenirs..." that was 100% made at home, I recorded and mixed "Écailles De Lune" in two different recording studios. I think this is the most perfect sound I could have for this album since it has the professionalism of studio recording but we really cared about not losing texture, emotions, old school feeling in the sound. This album has a concept about the sea and it's pretty evident when you listen to the clean guitar sound, it's so aquatic.

7. What is the meaning of the cover art? I saw that Prophecy production is really proud on it, and I have to agree… Is important if the cover art shows the right idea of the album? What should we find in the cover art for the first look?

I am also extremely proud of this cover art, Fursy (that has drown it) perfectly translated what I had in my mind. This cover is nothing less that the illustration of "Écailles De Lune" lyrics, a man who left human's world to sleep eternally in the arms of the sea spirits.


8. ALCEST will play in Czech Republic in April. My question is simple; ALCEST started as a project, right? And I think you haven’t any imagination that you’ll ever play live. But everything has to change soon. What is the reason that you want to play live? And what kind of musicians will support you on the tour?

Actually, I always wanted to play live somehow, since the beginning of the project. I just wanted to wait for the good moment to do it, to have a solid live line up, enough musical material, enough maturity and force to go on stage and sing what I have the deepest within me.

As for the musicians that will support me on the tour there will be Winterhalter on drums (Les Discrets, Amesoeurs, ex-Peste Noire), Fursy Teyssier on bass (Les Discrets, Amesoeurs) and Zero on second guitar/backing vocals (ZERO). All of them are very good friends of mine, we are really happy to go on tour all together.

9. Now will follow question that is connected with the previous one and that I forget to ask you in 2007. What are you doing in real life when you don’t create music? Is hard to connect your personal life with tour etc.?

I am doing music related things most of the time, I am obsessed with it. I made classical guitar conservatory for 4 years, so even my studies were linked with this. Otherwise I am like everyone, I love to spend time with my girlfriend, having drinking nights with my friends, going to restaurant (I love good food :), to visit museums, to watch films. Now I can't wait the weather to turn better to go walking in Paris and taking advantage of the first warm spring days.

10. I don’t want to ask you about some non-interesting questions so let’s end now. Neige, thanks for the interview. I can say only one thing; in 2007, when “Souvenirs d'un Autre Monde” has been released, my long relationship ended so the album was like a memory to her. And now, after “Écailles de lune” rested in my hands, the memories are back. I don’t know if this is good, but I’m pretty sure about one thing, ALCEST’s music is for me emotional and personal like any other.

Thanks for this interesting interview Fastred, I am really happy that you liked the new album!