Debut Album:Epic Discordant Vision
Charles Kieny-Accordion\Concepts
Théo Nguyen-Tenor Saxophone
Antonie Morisot-Guitar
Marc Karapetian-Bass
William Bur-Drums
Well,friends of Aristocracy!
We talk about our newsroom!Where in a little while, we will do in all your emotions, the seventy-third interview of the Aristocracy.A historic interview as it is the first time we see an instrumental JazzMetal band.As if that weren't enough, it's the first band that has a verve and vibe where mainly, jazz is its most intense style.All the members are fundamental, but Charles, who is the founder of the band and who wrote the band's drum sounds and created a music label for his own band and professional life deserves a huge highlight here.We reiterate our affection, respect and admiration for all the members and also a strong thanks to Davide Pulito, an Italian who is a valued partner of the Aristocracy and who introduced us to this spectacular French band.Thanks done, Charles gives this incredible interview for the first time to a Brazilian metal page and tells about his super work. Well, as you saw, it's impossible to say that they are just a band. It's a super music company and in the most genuine way possible.
A1:Let’s talk about the composition work in Epic Discordant Vision?
Charles:This composition came to me after listening these two songs in a row:https://youtu.be/uq2HNLTxaZc- Meshuggah’s "Dancers to a Discordant System
and the Middle-Ages’ Gregorian chant “Visionem Quam Vidistis”, sung by some monks in the most traditional way-https://youtu.be/lOevSluzwtQ
Visionem Quam Vidistis” is about a vision that you see and that you should keep for yourself "until the son of Men comes back from the dead”. Religions are full of these little scenes, described in these chants. They’re supposed to fuel people's reverence, contemplation and celebration towards their gods, but I always found that there’s something more to it, something deeper, sometimes epic, dark, even cynical, but always “TRVE” if you know what I mean. These melodies are hundreds of years old, they were at the very origins of Western culture and music. The first minute of the song is about setting up the intricate, discordant, but crushing Meshuggah-influenced rhythmical idea and after 00:59 you can clearly hear the melody, like an epic vision coming straight from Middle-Ages, played by sax and synthesiser-accordion. Then the calm and harmonious interlude in the middle of the track is clearly influenced by what Opted was doing in the late 1990s / early 2000s, “Still Life” and "Ghost Reveries” are two of my favourite records in the history of Metal I basically grew up listening to them!) And of course after all the development in which we play again the Medieval melody again, and add large, slow and epic, nearly-classical textures, the discordant riff suddenly comes back to destroy every bit of hope created earlier in the song. Classic! Who doesn't like to crush stuff here?
A2:-How the band mixes the jazz with progressive in lyrics and in the band ́s sound?
Charles:CKRAFT mixes jazz and what we could call progressive death metal thanks to our main influences Gojira and Meshuggah of course, we spent hours listening to them, they're the great masters of the genre in my humble opinion, and a great inspiration. As for the Jazz part, nearly all of us are conservatoire jazz trained musicians so I guess it's written in our musical DNA now, after studying it for years.
A3:Why the 11th century influences the band?
Charles: The Middle Ages influence the sound of CKRAFT through the melodic material of Gregorian chants: these religious chants, sang unison by monks and at the very beginning of Westerner music as we know it today. So the question might as well be : is there any band in Europe that isn't influenced by the 11th century?{Aristocracy Notes:I think no!}
A4:How do compositions happen in an instrumental band?
Charles:I am not only the bandleader, but also the composer for all this music. I write down everything, even the drums parts, I bring it to my guys, and we learn it and make a few changes/adaptations together, until we're satisfied.
A5:Some literature or film inspired the band?
Charles:Not directly, but personally I very much enjoy 19th century French literature, especially Zola, Balzac and Proust.
A6:Not that I don't like the instruments mentioned, but in which songs can we see the sax and the accodion in your songs?
Charles:In all the songs! What you hear in the album is the same as how we play it on stage. If you want to listen to the acoustic instruments purely on their own I suggest checking out the intro of "The Loudest Victim.
A7:Why do you say your melodies are immortal?
Charles:The Gregorian melodies are immortal because they crossed all the centuries, from the Middle Ages to nowadays, and despite the loss of the sacred context,nearly all westerner countries are secular now musicians/singers still play/sing them the same, they still influence our music, hundreds of years after, and I suspect they will survive forever!
A8:It was an excellent idea to make your own production company. But, I think someone came up with this idea first. Who was that person and why was this idea taken?
Charles:Thanks! It's me again! My idea was to be completely free, produce the music that we want and be completely uninfluenced from anyone outside of the band, artistic direction completely belongs to us and we have no one to answer to.At least for our first album! Maybe in the future if we find a likeminded producer, just like Gojira with Josh Wilbur for example, then we will maybe think of a collab.
A9:This album is conceptual?
Charles:In a way it is, it mixes jazz and metal with medieval melodies... I'd say it's a concept already!
A10:What ́s the idea behind artwork?
Charles:It's a massacre. Our illustrator drew by hand, in his own way, a part of this ancient tapestry : https://www.artic.edu/artworks/78965/the-massacre-at-jerusalem-from-the-story-of-titus-and-vespasian "The Massacre at Jerusalem, from The Story of Titus and Vespasian" He then added a few chaotic elements in the background, drawn by hand as well: a city on fire and a huge tsunami. I wouldn't bet on the characters' survival. This artwork pictures the incredible violence of men and natural elements and takes inspiration in a classic work of art. Just like our Gregorian inspired jazz-metal music!
A11:The band works in metal styles with Death and Djent. They are similar, but not the same. Is one of these two more latent than the other or do both work in harmony in your sound?
Charles:For me, it's just an interesting colour, a relationship with rhythm and sound impact, that I sometimes use for CKRAFT compositions. So I'd say Death, because it's broader, it takes more bands under its umbrella! As for the harmonies, I'd say we're more influenced by modern jazz than by metal.
A12:Even though there is no melody, their sounds are based on a theme. What would be the theme of this debut song?
Charles:If you're referring to the title track "Epic Discordand Vision", I think I unintentionally already replied in question nr.1 {hahahhahaha!}
A13:Why Gregorian chants?
Charles:Because whatever you play around them, they're so powerful that they will always sound incredible, straight from Middle Ages and gathering all the music around them to make sense in a composition. That's why I keep on saying that they're immortal and strong, and so on.
A14:What are the epic disagreements the band has the most in their respective personal lives?
Charles:Haha no disagreement that can't be discussed so far, we're a bunch of very good friends and we support each other when needed :-)
A15:Based on your sound and your personal truth, answer: Because of social networks, is there in you the feeling that we lie more than in the time of our parents?
Charles:Very easy answer: not at all! I think it's just self-promotion, made easier and cheaper now than it has ever been. It's like having your own TV-channel, you can broadcast whatever you like and showcase your project, find an audience... I'm a bit annoyed by the "algorithm" technicalities sometimes but I think the tool is overall great and we're lucky to have it. No lies in there as far as I'm concerned!
A16:Despite the respect, which style of metal could never be played by CKRAFT and why?
Charles: I guess we're going to stick to playing our own self-created style actually ! I'd say I'm not a huge fan of steady 4/4 with strong backbeat and simple harmony kind of metal. That's not a very specific reply, sorry!
A17:What does jazz\metal represent in your life?
Charles:It represents so much. I've been dreaming of mixing these styles for years now, and I finally found the right people to do so! Jazz-Metal is a life goal!
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