TAIWANESE ESCAPADES
I have known ADT guys for a really (too) long time now, in between 10 and 15 years, I can’t remember. We connected because of our love of stupid shitty Goregrind, the stupid one everyone hates today (so we love it even more). It’s not really like we try to keep a bond altogether, we’re just in the same sphere so we meet a lot during shows and festivals (mostly Obscene Extreme Festival). We played together many times, with our respective former bands as well, so one day we’d mix our “musicians”. They’re musicians actually, I’m the only one that is not. I do “sport drumming”.
PLAYING FOR INDIGENOUS KIDS IN THE JUNGLE
This tour in Taiwan was a fucking pure experience. I think the weirdest show was in the jungle at Jiji with Aboriginal children. We shouldn’t have been playing there. Men please, what is a bunch of Goregrind / Grindcore people doing in the jungle, playing in front of Aboriginal families, from child to grandmother, dogs and goats (yes, goats). I loved it, it was so funny. I’m not sure the attendance understood our approach. And by the way, we already kissed with Larry [Wang] in the US, at the Las Vegas Death Fest, haha.
FIRST GENERATION KPOP LISTENER
Tell me about your love for K-pop. Living in Asia there is no way to avoid it and having been exposed to it I appreciate the perfectionism that’s on display and also the catchiness or ability to consistently write super hits that everyone from school kids to wine moms will listen to. Is that pretty much what draws you to it? Do you listen to K-pop to counterbalance decades of listening to pissed off guitar music?
I think I was born to listen to K-Pop ha ha. Fact are, as a fucking otaku, I was exposed to J-Pop at a very young age through animé. When K-Pop popped up, I was already ready for it, I’m a first generation K-Pop listener. Nowadays, obviously, bands are really better, the music is better, clips are better, dances are better and so on. I’m a huge fan of Blackpink (I saw them live, in the front row).
When K-Pop popped up, I was already ready for it, I’m a first generation K-Pop listener.
I bet you would stand out in a crowd at a K-pop show, I imagine a lot of “normies” there, haha. Or you don’t feel like that?
Man it’s even worse than that, I’m a K-Pop DJ & party promoter in France. First steps were really hard, it’s not everyday you’d have a person in their forties, black clothed, long braided beard when your audience is between 15 and 19 yo. But if the first impression is always special, after some minutes everything is fine. The K-Pop scene in France is really cool and open. Parents are more suspicious, ha ha.
What about the popularity of Kpop in Europe? I feel like it can’t really become mainstream there because a broader spectrum of people can’t really develop a parasocial relationship with foreign stars who look perfect to a degree where they’re not very relatable (that’s my personal feeling at least). In other words it’s an “alternative” kind of taste. What are your thoughts?
It took time to arrive but now it’s really over huge. The 1st class bands are sold out in 5 minutes even in venues with more than 20 000 capacity (last time Blackpink came to France, they had to play three shows!). But as you said, not too many people in my circle listen to K-Pop. It’s more like a teenager thing. It’s apparently underground but when you get more familiar with it, you understand that it’s stronger than Metal. About the fashion, perfect body and make-up, that’s another story. I accept that Korea is like that.
KPOP’S SUCCESS IN EUROPE
In Europe, we don’t like so much when people are too perfect; that could explain why K-Pop remains a music for teenagers, at a moment
when they’re developing themselves and they’re more tolerant. Personally I don’t care, I like catchy music, it’s fun at parties and the French K-Pop scene is dance oriented, antiracist and kind-hearted. In the French part of K-Pop, you have mostly girls, some boys, transgender, black people, white people, Asian people, Arabic people, straight or LGBTQ+ people and they all fit together, it’s heartwarming. It’s not the case in the Metal scene for example, where the audience is more Caucasian, traditional and sometimes right-wing. Perfection is not what French attenders are waiting for from K-Pop, they’re more seeking evasion and to share their passion. At least, that’s my impression.
The French K-Pop scene is dance oriented, antiracist and kind-hearted.
The French K-Pop scene is dance oriented, antiracist and kind-hearted. In the French part of K-Pop, you have mostly girls, some boys, transgender, black people, white people, Asian people, Arabic people, straight or LGBTQ+ people and they all fit together, it’s heartwarming. It’s not the case in the Metal scene for example, where the audience is more Caucasian, traditional and sometimes right-wing.
What about other musical guilty pleasures (if you would call K-pop that)?
I love techno ha ha. But not the really true underground Techno. I love hardcore because I’m a Thunderdome child, but nowadays I listen a lot to commercial shit. The shittiest it is, the more I’d love it. David Guetta and Avicii are (were) my Ibiza partners.
THE SHITTIER THE TECHNO THE BETTER
A couple of personal questions to end the interview: How do you stay motivated? I imagine that not everyone would be able to handle so many activities without burning out.
I think it’s closely related to my childhood. I was born in a housing project, poor, my father died when I was too young, my mother died as well already and I have no grandparents and so on. Really soon I had to rely only on myself to make a living. I was not good at school, frail, nerdy as fuck and constantly angry. When I was getting older I understood many things and the first one is that life is too short to care about stupid things and to lose time. So I’m trying to do the most I can, in the shortest time possible, we never know what’ll happen tomorrow. Hopefully I’m a joyful person, so I always keep the fun in the middle of the process. It’s not always easy, I make mistakes, for myself and my relatives, but that’s the price of freedom. Some people think I’m the most egotistical person they know, some others think I’m overly generous because I give a lot, but finally, I just do what I want. Some people get hurt, some others get benefits, I don’t really control myself.
I’m trying to do the most I can, in the shortest time possible, we never know what’ll happen tomorrow.
What do you plan in terms of music production or performances this year?
We’ll do some shows with B.0g-dan-Of² Conspiracy and for sure we’ll record the second opus soon enough. I’d like to tour Japan, but I’m afraid I won’t have time this year. I’m working on a new project, mixing everything I like. Your fear is totally justified, because I’ll really mix every style! But it’s quite hard for me, I’m no musician, even less a composer, but I have to handle everything by myself, because it’s my project. I hope to have something close to the end of the year. If I can do things like I want to, I think the whole Metal scene will hates me, it motivates me even more, haha.
GIGS AND RECORDING AND FRENCH METAL RECOMMENDATIONS
Give us some music recommendations for the current year’s music – Metal, K-pop, whatever. I’m especially interested in French Metal albums. What was the best Metal that came out in 2023 in France according to you?
But regarding 2024, the best French Metal album will be Seth‘s upcoming album “La France des Maudits”. I’m 100% sure of it. They did the best Black Metal album in 2021, I have followed them since something like 1999 and they never disappointed me.
Cheers and thanks for the interview!
Thanks to you ! See you soon overseas!
Proof reading by Muumi-Katja
Live concert photos by Xu Xun (Instagram: @snowdrift.li), promo pictures by Corentin Charbonnier