What inspired you to create Whimsical Fantasy?
I would say that my desire to use music as a therapy was my first factor of motivation, otherwise, the will to create something and to begin from scratch, learning step by step the (very long) creation process of a CD was also very attractive. I really wanted to make a transfer of what I had in my head into a CD, I didn't expected it would be so difficult, but as I worked with an involved and talented crew, that really motivated me.
Its astounding how you recorded this in your room tell me about that?
Yes, all of the CD is recorded in a 25m² room, the same room I'm using to sleep, work, read, or watching movies etc ... I used several microphones (Shure SM58 beta and PG58) for voices and effect recordings and a powerful computer with specific musical skills to mix all the different tracks. But there was a huge work of artistic coordination & research (by posing my hands on a piano, or by roaming in a church etc ...) and it's not so easy and not really motivating to work in the dark in front of two computer screens. It's also all a work to produce the realism ... If some people are thinking : "Ah ah Underground Orchestral Music don't exist !" i would say : Hum not really !.
Do you only play the keyboards on this CD or other instruments too?
I only played the Piano and some Organ parts, but as it wasn't in my possibility to record them for real, it's still the electronic sound used. But electronic music has really changed since the "blip blip" time, with some work and skills you can have interesting and realistic results. But the final objective of Whimsical Fantasy wasn't the realism of the sounds; I was very attracted to the idea of mixing real and unreal instruments to create confusion and a blurred border between real and unreal. But even today with an orchestra, all the music is electronic, it always pass through computers, being mastered and all. There are no guitars in Whimsical Fantasy, so my guitar skills were useless.
Will there be a film clip?
Hum a film clip, it's an idea that I have had. Even the creation of a film, because I always think of my music like a movie. But all ideas need time and money, so I may later. It's a possibility, not certain ... we will see. It could be interesting to have a film clip for the introduction or some piano tracks. I really don't know, I should think about this.
The story line is very interesting, What is it all about?
The storyline of the CD is very complex. It talks about a character called Nescii (meaning ignorant in Spanglish language) who travel in a dangerous world being attacked by a kind of an enormous dark cloud called the Void, able to erase the world.
The Void is created by The Laboratory, placed on a flying island at the middle of the cloud. An evil character called The Boor is traveling into the void on a flying train (The Pandemonium Train), he got an army of iron puppets and several henchmen like The Alchemist or The Thingumabob (A draught board carried by toads).
So Nescii crosses the universe in order to reach The Void and tries to stop it. But, he quickly understands the true face of The Boor : a mirror. The Void is the reflection of the ignorance of the people, and he can't do anything about this, that's why the world is finally erased, everything is gone, unless Nescii can do something, and The Thingumabob, it's very pessimistic, almost alarmist. After each place, Nescii cross gets his own message, like the Asylum, where he understands that the crazy people are maybe less crazy than those who placed them here (isn't that so crazy?).
Not really. It's the Hero's journey. Facing challenges and overcoming them, Learning lessons...The universal story that touches on the soul within, Nescii is the reluctant hero who hears the call to adventure.
Indeed ...
What is your musical background?
I don't consider myself as being a musician, because I just transposed my thoughts, my history and my experience in this album. Musical skills are just the tool, but you need a reason and a motivation to use the right tool, I know a lot of very good musicians unable to compose or to create a universe.
I began Piano and Musical Theory at the age of seven for five years. That gave me a good basis and the Musical Theory really helped me to compose and express my ideas. I also played trumpet during one year, it was very interesting, but I was still young and didn't really understand the meaning of all this academic education. I made a break and then I played guitars for four years and it's only after that I restarted all my piano research and that I've been attracted by film or games scoring.
Do you have a strong interest in fantasy or science fiction?
Oh yes I do! I'm a huge fan of Terry Pratchett, Burton and Medieval Universes. I'm also fond of Post Apocalyptic Universes (Fallout) featuring dark ambient music (in the vein of Krill Minima, or cmi productions). The Cyber Punk Universe also appeals to my eyes, especially when it's mixed with a dose of Fantasy like in the famous production Final Fantasy (VII especially). I'm very interested about music in general, especially when it's used in a precise context or universe like in games or certain films, I also used to listen to a lot of Metal, and I think Whimsical Fantasy reflects a bit of each those influences.
Tell me about the artworks?
I didn't want to make only music. I could never present music without its universe, that's why I decided to link the album with a sixteen pages booklet and look for an illustrator. Finally, Charlotte Koziel joined the project, it has been very difficult with the timing to finish the booklet on time but she succeeded, with hard work and perseverance. I really gave the big lines to Charlotte, the elements of each place, but not all the rest, that's why I could say the same thing like Terry Pratchett with Paul Kidby :
"I invented the universe of Whimsical Fantasy, Charlotte created it".
She really mixed its art and imagination with my will, and it's not easy, just imagine someone calling you and saying:
"Hey! I need a draught board carried by toads!"
Héhé, but finally, I don't think I really have my word to say on Charlotte's work, because each person has a different perception on the art of the universe and music, just imagine this is like an illustrated book telling the story, the artworks are not photography's but artistic representations.
Interview by Lisa Lamb.