picture credit Roddy Cunningham
Please give us a description of your surroundings so that we can all get cosy.
I currently live in the heart of Paris near the Eiffel Tower. Paris is under the sun today. My windows are open and I can hear the hum of traffic in the distance.
Please tell us how you first became interested in music. Did you have a musical
family? What is your first musical memory?
My mother and father-in-law are both professional musicians. For as long as I can remember, music has been part of my daily life. I learned early on not to disturb my parents when they were practicing. I took my first instrumental lesson at the age of 5, in London where I lived with my mother. My teacher was a concertmaster with the London Symphony Orchestra. Back in France, I
tried out a number of instruments because I was curious, and my parents made it easy for me to learn a variety of instruments. I devoted myself to the drums during my teenage years, until I became interested in more unusual and unknown instruments.
At what age did you write your first composition? What was it?
I really started writing when I was 18. I’d been playing with a band, as a drummer, for a few years. We played our own compositions. I had a lot of melodic and rhythmic ideas. I went to live in Morocco for a while at 19. I was inspired by the culture, the atmosphere and the landscape of the country. I started composing in Morocco. Since then, composition has been part of my DNA.
Please tell us why the instrument, the Cristal Baschet, means so much to you and what it is?
In 2005, I crossed paths with the Baschet brothers, electro-acoustic geniuses who, in the 20th century, invented the Baschet instrumentarium and the Cristal Baschet, the centerpiece of their work. The Cristal Baschet is the last polyphonic instrument invented. It’s an instrument made of metal and glass that creates strong vibrations.
Is it true that you are one of only 6 professional players of the Cristal Baschet?
There are very few of us in the world who play this instrument, and I’m glad to be one of the happy few.
You have a new album out in June. It is called ‘immineo’. Why the title? What are we going to be hearing?
Immineo means the imminence of something to come. In each piece there is a sense of anticipation created by the harmonies, the sound texture, the rhythmic structures. I’m not going to reveal what you’re about to hear, as it’s impossible for me to summarize the album with words. The first single, Passio, released on April 2, is available on streaming platforms. It introduces the Immineo album
better than words can. I invite all your readers to listen to it and make up their own minds.
What music do you like to listen to?
I listen to a wide spectrum of music: Indian, Middle Eastern, classical and contemporary. I also like hip hop, metal, UK drill, jazz… Basically, I like music in general.
Is there going to be a tour?
I composed Immineo because I have a dream. In this dream, I compose for the cinema. I’m a great cinephile. I go to the cinema several times a week and I love both American productions and international independent films. Producing Immineo with Sonic Ritual in Los Angeles allows me to
get closer to the world of cinema and present my work to professionals. Immineo is not an album I will tour at the moment. It may be different in the years to come. A tour with the Cristal Baschet and a symphony orchestra would be a real adventure.
Since I was very young, I’ve been performing on stage and touring the world regularly. At the end of May 2024, I’ll be playing in Morocco at the Fèz Festival of Sacred Music.
You have travelled the world. Is there any place that you would love to see, or play, that you have yet to manage to get to? Do you have a favourite place to visit?
Each trip is a unique experience where I get to meet musicians, technical teams and audiences. If I had to choose one trip that had the greatest impact on me, it would have to be a trip to Japan. I really appreciated the relationship the audience had with music and art in general. I felt an almost mystical emotion during my performances. I love Japanese culture.
I’d like to go to Iceland, where the scenery must be very inspiring.
Do you have other talents, away from music? Maybe you’re a mean juggler or a master at origami.
I love wrestling and martial arts. I like walking and running. I practice sports as much as I practice music. I’m also a chef in the kitchen. Cooking is also the art of composition.
Many thanks, Loup, for taking the time with DeClunk. We look forward to the
new album.
The album ‘Immineo‘ is out on the 7th of june. Click the link to hear ‘Passio‘.
DeClunk 