I already interviewed BySenses four years ago right after the release of the third album “People”. This Belgian solo-project driven by Didier Dewachtere took me by surprise dealing with an intelligent Electro-Ambient style which is clearly inspired by the ‘Berliner School’. The artist this year self-released his fifth opus “MonoCHROOM” on which he confirmed to have a talent for sophisticated Ambient music. This is an album appealing for fans of Tangerine Dream but more than simply an emulation BySenses is a project with an own approach and a fascinating sound.

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: Tell us a bit more about your musical background and roots? How did you finally come to set up BySenses? 

Didier:As a little boy, at home I was mainly brought into contact with French chansons, Charles Aznavour or American artists, such as Nat King Cole, Dean Martin or Orchestral melodic music. The time on the radio is still in my head today, and yes, I did like that. As a child, you develop naturally and you end up in your own world. A world of New-Wave, Front 242, The Neon Judgement, Simple Minds etc… New-Wave pubs were the place where a lot of my music started. In Ghent, there was no shortage of such nice bars either, The Fifty Five for instance. 

At one point I heard the opening tune “Equinoxe 5” by Jean-Michel Jarre on the “Musique de France” broadcast on the radio, presented by Zaki, father of, father of the Soulwax-brothers. It was a bit of a surprise, because the opening tune really didn’t match the French chansons that were presented, but it was a start. “Equinoxe 5” did catch my attention. I went looking for that music and finally bought the single. Later, the LP-version was added, so my parents were obliged to buy me a record player. But actually, my first distant contact with Electronic music was at the Bargee’s institute in Wetteren, where the catholic brother played Vangelis’ music at night, while the lights were off… very special, but I think that has stuck. He then played “To The Unknown Man”. It was only when I bought “Spiral” that I recognized it.

In Sluis (Holland) I came across an album with a purple background and a big X sign. I didn’t know what and who it was, but I had the album played on the turntable in that shop. I was overwhelmed. After a long time of sawing, my parents let me buy it… and then the purchase of many albums by Klaus Schulze.

Also the album “Live” came up and if it would just happen that the song “Sense” is on it and that’s how I came to the name BySenses. I thought it was a nice pun on one of my great examples

Q: Your work is clearly inspired by Ambient music. Does this label fit with what you’re doing and what means Ambient music to you? 

Didier: I can imagine that people place my music in that genre. Just putting together different sounds, looking for a setting, atmosphere is very important to me. Music has to be able to take you along, whether it’s Rock, Jazz, Hard-Rock or House or Classical music, if it takes you along, I think you’re on the right track. 

You can’t compare Klaus Schulze’s music with VANGELIS’ music. These are two different environments, two different atmospheres, two different worlds. Where Vangelis mainly feeds on his fantastic melodies, Klaus Schulze feeds more on his Soundscapes, composer of different tones, sounds. I find that an incredible thing. Am I influenced by it, certainly, and that’s no problem, they will have been influenced by other artists as well. “Le Grand Petit”, from the digital album “5 Jours De Liberté” tends much more towards the melodic, while on the same album there are pieces where I try to create an atmosphere with pure sounds. It’s the same on “MonoCHROOM”. The album “People” tends more towards sequencer work and more Techno-like rhythms. 

Q: You already mentioned Klaus Schulze and Vangelis who both passed away quite recently. You already talked about it but in which way do you feel connected with their work and what made both artists and their work that special? 

Didier: It is indeed terrible, Electronic music is losing its founding fathers. Let’s not forget Edgar Froese of Tangerine Dream.

Both are absolute founding fathers of Electronic music, each in their style the synthesizer was used in a totally different way. 

Klaus Schulze in his own style took me into his environment, the build-up, his build-down, his sounds… “Dune” is the biggest example for me, a song that carries me away in all its facets. I feel the same way about Brian Eno’s “Dune”-melody. If you play Frank Herbert from the album “X”, you get sucked into his own way of sequencing. Tangerine Dream on “Rubicon” or “Stratosfear” and “Ricochet” give me that same feeling.

Vangelis, also in his own style, takes me into his melodic music. He manages to play every note in the right way, less experimental, more in the sense of ‘ Here I am, here I present you something to accompany me in my journey through this album’. For a man who hasn’t learned a note and wins an Oscar… hats off. “To The Unknown Man” is a great example of how he manages to change the melody in one song.

To me, both are pioneers of the highest level, both can be placed next to great composers such as Mozart, Beethoven…

Q: Over now to your own work and the newest opus “MonoCHROOM”. How did this work took shape and what kind of album did you want to achieve?

Didier: “MonoCHROOM” has a small history. When I was at boarding school in Wetteren, an educator told me: ‘There are people who only like one colour. White or black’. He gave it a name. I had forgotten that name and actually spent a long time looking for it. A friend of mine, I think it was Johan Depaepe from Owann, my friend in “The Tower Tree”, told me that it might be that word. “MonoCHROOM” was born.

At first I had in mind to make pieces that were separate from each other again, but more and more the album grew into one big whole. Had I been able to make one 60-minute song, I might have done so. But I still wanted to see the differences between black and white and other colors. That’s why the cover is black and white and the inside is colored balls of different sizes (an idea of Alain Wymeels of Midician by the way). 

When the album was OK for me… the music goes to the mastering man, Dries De Vreeze. A man who regularly puts me in my place, in the positive sense of course… but he gives it an extra dimension through his mixing and mastering. I can only be grateful to him for the additions he makes.

I wanted to release an album that pushed the monotony aside, and made it like a multi-color festival. There is more than one color in your life, and when you open the book (the CD cover), you see the diversity. It’s the same in everyday life. 

Q: Your albums are always composed around a theme or should I say conceptual theme, which is not that different for “MonoCHROOM”. Does the theme and/or concept become the main inspiration to compose your music or how does it happen? And how do you transpose ideas/concepts into notes and songs? 

Didier: I like to talk about one subject, because that is what I can focus on best. I then try to further develop the project, the idea. Maybe in the future I will try to make a story CD, spread over several CDs. 

In “Monos” (cf. the first track), I wanted to bring out the monotony of color by working very hard on a light build-up, repetitive song, which eventually ends in an uptempo. The Industrial beginning points to how hard it must be to enjoy only one color. “Monos” means one color. 

“Chroom” means more colors, which makes me start more rhythmically. I also wanted to add another instrument. I had seen Peter Moorkens playing his experimental guitar solos when we were in Ghent for the Sonic Emissions concert. At the Antenna Festival in Evergem I saw him working on his modular systems and thought, maybe we should do something together. Peter immediately liked the idea of playing guitar on “Chroom”. Because of this mixture, I think that the diversity has come out well. 

Most of the ideas grow bit by bit. The melody lines are sometimes done in one night. The rhythmic piece on “Monos”, the solo, was recorded in one take. I like that. You’re in the zone, and … then it comes anyway… 

Q: What did you try to express by live performances and how do you transpose the songs on stage?

Didier:I try to draw people into the story. Since live performances are a bit monotonous for EM musicians, we usually bring in some film, so that the movements are more pleasant than watching one person behind a battery of synthesizers. I find film very important in EM. Once I asked Johan De Paepe (Owann) at the concert in Ghent, Sonic Emission 1, when “People” came out, to take pictures of the people who were there. These were then incorporated into the film, directly, and put on the screen. That clicked well, because the CD “People” had just come out and you’re bringing people live. You can imagine that the people who suddenly saw their faces on the screen were shocked, and they liked that. Involving the audience, I find that very important.

I also try to adapt the songs, so that we don’t get the feeling that we are playing a play button. It goes without saying that I can’t manipulate all synthesizers with two hands. Some sequencers and samples are recorded beforehand… the PC is therefore the replacement of the old tape recorders that used to be on stage during live performances.

On Youtube, a 45-minute film called “45 Minutes De Liberté” is circulating, a precursor to the digital CD 5 “Jours De liberté”. There you can also see a film during my concert. 

I am very happy when people say to me after the concert, ‘we enjoyed it’. I think that is the intention of all artists.

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com

The French formation The Funeral Warehouse once started as a solo-project set up by singer/guitarist /keyboarder Sébastyén D. Later on the solo-project evolved into a real band. Aurélien Jobard on bass/keyboards and Rodolphe Goujet on drums joined in.  They by the end of 2021 unleashed their debut album “Hours & Days”. The album has been released by Icy Cold Records and reveals a great mix between Shoegaze and Dark-Wave with a strong Indie touch on top. This interview is an introduction to The Funeral Warehouse.

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: I noticed you guys are already active for a couple of years now. How did The Funeral Warehouse see the daylight and what did you want to express through your music?

Rodolphe: First of all I would like to say that it is a real pleasure for me to answer to a Belgium website because a lot of bands from your beautiful country have educated my ears since the 90’s: Deus, ZITA SWOON, VENUS, SOULWAX, GHINZU, GIRLS IN HAWAÏ…

As an answer to your question, I would say that I am the last member to join the band. They wanted to see if a real drum could surpass a drum machine… the used one in the first releases of the band. As I’m still here, I guess I passed the test. I really think that drums are underrated instruments to express emotions. I’m not a real drummer so I have a rhythmical and melodical approach to it. To be fair I should say since I’m technically limited, I have to find something to make an illusion.

Sébastyén D: Yes Belgium has so many great bands. Last one I saw was Annabel Le. Real cool band and nice people. Well, The Funeral Warehouse was born not exactly but almost a side-project from my main one at that time, Opium Dream Estate – though now both are equally important to me. I was writing Post-Punk/Cold-Wave-like songs and I thought of keeping it for a new project, then making an EP. I met Aurélien Jobard (bass) in a club and then he introduced me to Rodolphe, we rehearsed and that was it. The alchemy was right there. We started doing some live shows, things went great and it still is today. I think I need to express feelings, or images, sensations… things I experienced in my life but not things too real. I’m not quite good at it. Music is perfect to express immaterial things, to make people feel pure sensations, like a trance, to let go.

Q: You last year released your debut album “Hours & Days” which I think has been composed over several years. Tell us a bit more about the composition, the input of each member and the different stages you’d to go through to achieve this album?

Rodolphe : At the beginning, The Funeral Warehouse was a one-man band… Seb’s. So a good part of “Hours & Days” are his songs. But some others have been composed by the whole band as we got to know each other’s. Now every new song can come from a guitar riff, a bass sound or a drumbeat. Personally, I see myself as the cardiovascular system of the band.

Sébastyén D: Yes, most of the songs on “Hours & Days” are ‘mine’ but apart from “Stop” and maybe “In Love” we reworked most of the songs and three out of ten are by the band. “Hours & Days” is a full band composition album and the next one will probably the same. We just brought ideas, we play them, see if it works out or not. We already have new stuff on the table…

About the making of the album, it was collective work. We recorded our part in our places during the lockdown and our bass player mixed it, send us mixes to see how the songs sounded, made some changes, etc. We were involved in the process of the record. And it went super well. I am quite proud od it.

Q: How do you perceive “Hours & Days” compared to the early stuff of the band? What have been the main changes and evolutions in song writing and global production?

Rodolphe : As I said it’s more the result of a team work now. Each one of us has brought his own world and influences. So I’m a bit responsible for the indie part of our sound as I’ve always listened to that kind of music. Now The Funeral Warehouse sounds much Rock-like and less New-Wave than in its early days.

Sébastyén D: The first releases were a solo effort. Pretty good I think but it lacked something. As a band songs just reached a far upper level. Louder, better… More organic, more lively. And others’ members influences. We shared a lot of influences but we all have our vision of ‘what good music is’, how to play, etc.

Q: “Hours & Days” reveals a true sonic canvas of influences; Dark-Wave for sure, but Shoegaze inspired with an Indie-touch on top. Where do all these influences come from and how would you describe/define your album to people who never heard of you before?

Rodolphe: I notice that I’m still a step ahead of the expected answer. I have a real problem of synchronicity! Is it bad for a drummer? Please guys don’t fire me! I have a wife and two children to feed.

Sébastyén D: Sorry mate, we gonna use a drum machine now!! Haha. More seriously like I said, we share influences, bands like Nirvana, The Cure, The Beatles. I’m really into Post-Punk/Goth and Grunge music. Rodophe is sharing similar influences but he’s more into Indie music and Aurélien is into Shoegaze and Industrial, Post-Punk. Rodolphe and I are also Pearl Jam and Tom Waits fans. I like also bands like Nick Cave, 16 Horsepower, Depeche Mode, Chris IsaaK, Psychedelic music, Blues-stuff… Many different things. We tried to combine almost all these things in our music. Also all these songs from the album has been writen through out many years so it reflects how we evolved, how some influences came and go, how we kinda grew up. Yes I think this could define our album. An Indie and dark reflection of us and how getting old haha. “Hours & Days” is just a combination of all Indie music can make.

Q: What inspires you in the lyrical part of the work and how important are the lyrics?

Sébastyén D: Images, feelings. I like when lyrics are kinda blurry. It makes people think, reinterprete them, appropiate them. Nothing fancy, snobby or pretentious. I’m not teaching anyone. To me lyrics are just part of the process, the sound of words, lines… it must fit the atmosphere of the song. I always write the lyrics and the vocals are kinda like another instrument. But I sure have my influences: art, some writers, nature, some themes like death, madness, love, wandering… and other happy things that happened in life…

Rodolphe: The fact that Seb’s shrink failed.

Sébastyén D: Hahaaaaa!! Gotta find a new one…

Q: Your album has been released during the ongoing pandemic. I know there’s a lot to do about it in France, but in which way did it affect you as citizens at one side and musicians at the other side? And how do you manage the release of an album considering promotion, live shows etc in times of Covid?

Sébastyén D: This was a hard period for all of us and many of my friends to come through. Making the record during the lockdown kinda helped us I guess. Lots of my friends (and I) were tired of streaming live sessions. It felt kinda nice at the beginning but then… No crowd, no interraction, nothing. When we played our show for the release of our album, hundreds of people came and it was a very powerful and emotional moment that proved live music is only vialable onstage with people and not behind a screen and also people need music, to party, to dance so much in their life. It was cathartic and liberating.

Now things got better and fortunately, webzines, magazines, venues are helping us. We normally have some shows to come to promote our music. Let’s hope that there’ll be more.

Rodolphe: “Hours & Days” is a pandemic album. We finished it when we were each one of us were in our homes. So it helped a lot to overcome that weird period. We all know that it was a difficult period for artists and the whole music industry. Personally, it was time to open back concert halls cause I couldn’t stand any more all the videos on social medias by frustrated and too serious artists whose ego needed to share their production: a little bit invasive and without any sense of humor unfortunately.

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com

Set up and driven by the creative spirit of Yves Schelpe, Psy’Aviah is already active since 2004. The band has been inspired by numerous influences becoming a kind of sonic chameleon or simply a pure sonic ‘pop’ enigma. Electro-pop has been often the basis of their work while multiple influences like electro-clash, trance, electro-rock, trip-hop and even dance have been explored. The new opus “Seven Sorrows, Seven Stars” again is a new sonic exorcism of new influences while featuring multiple and talented guest singers. Time for a chat with Yves Schelpe.

(by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: What were the main ideas and purposes when starting the writing of the new album “Seven Sorrows, Seven Stars”?

Yves: After writing the 6^th album “The Xenogamous Endeavour”, which came out in 2014, I was suffering from ‘blank-paper-syndrome’ or commonly known as writer’s block. I did make music, but I just had no connection emotionally to it. The turning point came after watching the movie “Interstellar”, the atmosphere really inspired me and kickstarted the first song “Alcubierre Drive” (look at our video), in which both the music and lyrics are my personal soundtrack for the movie. After that the process shifted gears, most of the other tracks are also loosely based on the movie, yet, if you don’t know it you won’t notice it – as every lyric can be translated to the ‘real world’. I like it that they have this double meaning.

Q: So what is this new album dealing with and what’s the deeper meaning behind the title?

Yves: The title refers to several things. The most obvious is that this is my seventh studio album. “Sorrows vs Stars” alludes to the fact that the songs are sometimes positive, and sometimes totally depressing, just like life. The album itself is of course inspired by the events and atmosphere of the movie “Interstellar” as I mentioned before – but each and every track can be interpreted as if it would happen in the ‘real world’.

“Alcubierre Drive” for example deals with lovers, people, friends, slowly growing apart – whilst “Stronger” is a song about rising again after a deep fall. Every song has each own unique story to share.

Q: You again worked with multiple guest singers (and a lot of male vocalists this time). I can’t imagine it’s possible to get a similar connection with a guest singer instead of a band singer so how did it happen and how did the recording and production of the vocals happened?

Yves: You’d think it isn’t easy to connect, but when recording and preparing to record I always have lengthy mails or sometimes skype or telephone calls with the vocalists so that we connect and understand each other. As I write most of the lyrics myself I do also explain what’s behind it, record a demo guide vocal for them to interpret.

This makes it so that the sound stays true to my songwriting ideas. It’s actually the very same way I worked before with a ‘fixed’ singer, the only upside now is that I have a lot more creative freedom and a range of talented vocalists who each have their unique strengths.

Q: I got the impression every new album by Psy’Aviah sounds like a new sonic travel where you explore different influences. How do you see this evolution as composer and master mind of the band?

Yves: It’s a deliberate choice from the inception of the band. I always wanted to incorporate styles and not pin myself down to just one genre, as it limits my songwriting and storytelling. I think it’s because of listening to bands like Faithless, Moby, The Chemical Brothers, Praga Khan and Soulwax – who showed that you don’t have to keep to just one genre. A mix of ambient, trip-hop, dance anthems, aggressive tunes is possible and keeps it fresh and more interesting for me as well. Whilst I do mix up the genres, I always try to keep that certain ‘Psy’Aviah’-sound though.

Q: You once posted an interesting quote about the reason(s) you stopped playing live with Psy’Aviah. I think it’s an interesting point to share with us and what’s your opinion about the subject right now?

Yves: I still think it’s true, there’s a lot of promoters that don’t take their job seriously. In the end it then always reflects on the band when the sound is off, the lights don’t work, the soundcheck settings weren’t recorded, or the PA just walks out… And there’s a lot more. You might argue it’s part of the job, but in all honesty, I loathe that part and it lacks of professionalism.

Mind, I’m not talking about all promoters, but it’s always a gamble what you’ll be facing. Hence we’re always double prepared with our own mixing engineer, etc… Part of the reason might also have been a lack of motivation of the previous ‘live band vocalist’ to continue to push and go for it.

But, surprise, surprise, after three years (our last gig was with Praga Khan at ‘Anciennce Belgique’), we’ll be back on stage on September 9^th, 2016 at ‘Kinky Star’ Ghent with a new live band: Marieke Lightband on vocals (winner of several singer/songwriter awards, and has massive experience outside the ‘scene’ as well), my favorite live guitarist Ben Van de Cruys and me behind the keys. Very much looking forward to this new journey! And bookings are open at http://www.psyaviah.com/contact/live-bookings/.

Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com

Soulwax (aka Stephen and David Dewaele), an alternative rock/electronic band from Ghent, Belgium, will compose, record and produce the soundtrack for the new film “Belgica” which will be out on March 3.

“Belgica” is a new film by Oscar nominated director, Felix Van Groeningen (previously nominated for Best Foreign Language in 2014 with “The Broken Circle Breakdown”). The film is about two brothers who open a bar in Ghent in 2000 and rapidly become consumed by the Belgian nightclub scene. The Soulwax songs are performed by a varied set of artists.

All the music was recorded and mixed at Soulwax’s new Deewee studio HQ in Ghent, where every release is mixed and produced (and sometimes written and recorded) by Stephen and David Dewaele. The entire project has been over 12 months in the making. “Belgica” will be an entrant at the prestigious Sundance Film Festival in January.

You can view a short trailer below.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

side-line.com