In 1987 the first album Young Gods came out. Since then the band don't stopped to looking for new sounds, atmospheres, mixing genres ... While in Mantes in the "Knock on wood tour," I met Franz, who agrees with simplicity and generosity to answer to my questions.
To start, what do you think of the tonight show?
Franz (singer): hum… I found that people were very receptive, they were well here, well rested, so that was nice. It was not necessarily easy at the technical level, the sound ... But at the same time, here ... It's every day a little different. I think that with this project there, we can do that in places we can not make electricity, that's what's interesting, too.
How do you chose the titles you play acoustics on "Knock on Wood"?
So... We did a little trial and error. Some titles was that suddenly good and others not. So we have a little bit .... It was isolated for two weeks, all together , you know we have a fourth member in this project, Vincent, and it came a little trial and error, but relatively quickly eliminated because, when a piece doesn't work well we did not do. We tried another piece and they said "oh yeah that is it's great like that, it's good. Eh ....
It's been quite some time that you turn to this album, can we expect a live album or a real live DVD from this tour?
Look ... Here is a 8 tracks or 10 tracks, I can not remember now on DVD with the album I believe, so I do not think What will reregister the same thing. I think there is a willingness to go ... a little ... to start out electricity. There's DVDs that are in preparation but not acoustic DVDs ... There's a DVD of the 2007 electric tour, there's a DVD of our anniversary in 2005 with an orchestra, 30 violinists, is not really an orchestra, that was also something intimate, and there would also, hopefully, a DVD of the show we did with Dälek, a hip hop band from New York.
You can just tell me who's the fourth musician?
Yeah so…. it's funny because Vincent played in the project with Bernard, our drummer, and in fact I knew him mainly because they took training in computer music together. I met earlier behind a laptop, and it was after I learned the guitar. It was in the project with him where we made a rereading of the film Woodstock, it was called "Young Gods play Woodstock" with screening of the film and played over, we'll also do it again in France this summer. But ... Here it since 2005, we had this first experience, and in 2006 when they tried to make the acoustic project we all three said: "he must be done with Vincent. And here ... And here we will continue with him for more ... for electricity.
So precisely while ago you mentioned the band Dälek, where it is today, it will continue or it was a specific project?
It was two shows together. In fact it is the organizer of a festival that gave us the idea. After the other organizers were quite "chilly" so we could not do so much. It was really something punctual.
And the project with the tambours du bronx?
Hum… and it is a project that was done. Was a time project, we did one show. It was for their anniversary. It was very good ... very impressive.
Is-it's going out?
I don't know... I ... I don't think,I don't know if they recorded the show.
Which other artists would you collaborate?
Yeah ... There are full of projects, but for now we are concentrate on the next album.
Few years ago you gave a concert at the Furia Sound Festival, you keep good memories?
Yeah I remember I remembers... It started to rain ropes, it was very late ... in fact was done twice, once with Dälek and once only ...
When you were alone, I was there and there were not many people ..
.
Yeah yeah .... No there are not many people but people who were there were there for us, so it's good.
In the past, in the late 80s, you worked with a band, Bérurier Noir, I wanted to know how you met them?
So it was pretty simple really ... I think they had much loved the album that was released at the time (editor's note: "The L'Eau Rouge") and they were preparing their latest album (ndr: "Souvent fauchés toujours martaux") and they wanted to test several producers and I was in their list, choices they had done so .... Have known 'em like that. , I met in the studio.
And you were, and are always in agreement with the political message they advocated at the time?
Oh, yes, for me if you want .... Yes, absolutely yes ... For me it was still a good political message, which was not always understood fairly by the audience, but basically I think it did much good. Is anti racist is social ... No, no absolutely no worries eh ... I agree completely with this kind of thing.
In your discography, what is the album you're most proud of?
I could not say .... I can not say ... I love 'em all, you see, they all have a kind of history, it represents a period.
And same question but ...
(interrupted) ... Nah! Same answer as before. Love 'em all. They all have a history, memories you see ... I can't say .... I dunno.
I would like to talk a little about your lyrics, people will say they are quite "psychedelic." Which authors have inspired you to write?
Listen, I'm inspired by much of the everyday and there are many books that I read. I write it ... I'm not someone who writes spontaneously, I need music to write. Sounds ... So listen to me I have lots of different periods eh ... There's poets like Rimbaud, Bukowski, or as you see it jump from the ass ... It can be ... Sometimes I catch the words on dialogue I hear. I'm a little bit ... I don't know how to say .... I have a thing with words. I love words, double meanings, misinterpretations of things, the puns .... I love it. In the things that inspired me, which I could quote you .... Many people who write texts. Every 70 years, punks also influenced me greatly. Really full of things inspire me ....
And I wanted to know if now is what you have started working on a new album?
There are already species of skeletons of songs yeah ... Not quite ... It's draw like something a little hybrid of everything we have learned with acoustic instruments and .... You want a return to electronics and electricity, it will be mixed.
And what do you think about download in general?
Hum…. is a great debate, downloading. If you want, obviously it changes the deal compared to the livelihoods of artists. CD sales have significantly reduced since there downloading. Now if you want ... .. What is paradoxical is that makes people believe that it is free, but in fact it is not because one must have a good connection, you need a computer. We forget that only 10 to 15% of the planet who has access to all this is what our Western society to us. There's still ways .... Otherwise what I think is that you finally put everything available to people so they can do and then you their forbidden to do so, then there also is a paradox, you know it's completely ridiculous. All the people who complain about the downloads and people who burn CDs are the people who make the burned CD you know ... Sony and all the boxes record what ...
I just have one last question, you gave a concert with a string quartet, April 30, 2008 in festival. Apparently there were more people from what you said ...
While there have been several things. The string quartet was recently last year and the orchestra was in 2005, was a unique moment.
And so to return to the quartet how it was?
Hum…. is easier to manage a band ... what a string quartet is something ... It was a new experience too, so you see we are quite open to these things but we need ... It sound very well, super property between acoustics. It was this training that is four musicians.
Interview by Spike, March 6, 2009 in Mantes-la-Jolie.
