1. Hello Robin, pleasure to have you on Rotten Pages ´zine. How are you doing today? Let us set the scene first. Where do we find you right now? Please describe your surroundings.
Greetings Rotten Pages !
Always fine ! I'm in the shitter.
2. You play the guitars, bass and do all vocal and composition work on all Wycca songs. Who inspired you to become a musician and who would you say paved the way to get you exposed into hearing different subgenres of extreme metal?
Yes, yes, in any case I try...
I started playing music with heavy metal (Blind Guardian, Iron Maiden, Wasp,...) and black metal (Immortal, Bathory, Marduk,...). Basical influences but these bands took me to other horizons of subgenres, the list is too long ;-)
Besides that, I have a lot of different influences in many kind of music (death, thrash, blues/rock, trad celtique music, electro, synthwave, classical music, OST games/movies...).
In all sort of music, you can find an influence that you like, if you look hard enough.
3. I can't really imagine the amount of work involved, but as a one-man project it's certainly huge. Is it worth it that you can implement your own ideas 100% without making compromises with other band members?
It's crazy work !
I like both versions. I love composing alone, you can do 100% what you want.
But on the other hand, group composition bring a mix of interesting influences. More or less... that's why choose your musical brotherhood wisely;-)
I don't like the use of this sentence : alone we go faster, together we go further, but sometimes it makes sense...
4. Certainly, you have Jordan taking care of the drums, what is his role during the composition work? How the songwriting process all start?
I really like Jordan's way of playing and what's more, he's a friend.
I wrote a basic drum part on midi map with just the essentials and Jordan brought his own drum patterns, fills... he just has to respect (roughly) the mood (snare and kick placements) on the main parts, he does what he wants for the rest.
5. Wycca is a journey halfway between shadow and light. It is a return to the sources as well as a future projection, a journey of acceptance of the old legends and new spiritual heritages. What is the spiritual ideology or philosophy that drives you as individual? Do you think it can become a limit to your creativity?
In life, I like balance.
Black metal's darkness/melodic metal, clean/scream voices, clean/overdrive guitars...
I don't like the « extremes » : not too much on one side, not too much on the other, 1 milions of examples, be balance.
Metal is considerate like « extreme » music but usually metal peoples are cool, so, be very careful of people who listen to music that is too soft ;-)
And yes, every concept is doomed to exhaustion when time is come, and when this day will come for me, I'll see ! But for now, I have in head a lot of stuff in this wave.
6. “Lumiere” is your debut full album, tell us about the recording sessions, how did it go? Was it your first time in the studio? How long did it take you to finish everything?
I have already recorded several albums in studio with other bands (guitar and/or bass) death metal, stoner, death tech,... but for Wycca, it's my first time for the vocals (and french lyrics writting). For Rec part, I made it on my own with my little home studio. Rec all flat tracks (guitar, bass, voices,...) and midi drum kit for the pré-prods.
Jordan recorded his drum patterns in his studio dedicated to percussions.
Next, we did the reamping, mix and mastering with Mario Dahmen at the Liquid Aether Studio (GER).
From the first composed note to the finished product, it took a year and a half (almost 2 years).
7. Were there any songs that didn’t make it onto album or did you use all of the material you wrote?
Of course ! I have already some stuff for one other album ;-)
8. When you sit down and rehearse, does it go smooth or and you do full songs or do you really have to insist on certain parts all the time?
I don't understood the question, sorry :-D it depends, one day it works, another it's crap.
9. Do you ever feel any kind of pressure or lack of creating new riffs when writing new material? Does everything happen more in the flow way? Do you have to be in a certain mood?
No pressure, but yes, sometimes sometimes we have a lot of ideas for one day and the other day nothing. Overall the composition was fluid and the album represents a share of my emotions at a specific moment.
Artistically, emotions condition musical composition. If you are in bad or good mood, it influe. If in your life you live some strong stages, it influe.
For « Lumière » some evenements, positive and negative influe on my stuff, good for inspiration.
Without being provoked, these must remain natural things.
10. What are some techniques you haven’t used on your current albums that you would love to experiment with in future releases?
Difficult question... what kind of techniques ? Studio and rec/mix techniques, composition/songwritting techniques or musical performances techniques :-D
Lot of techniques I don't used of course ! For the next opus I will change or add somethings, evolution.
11. What makes the perfect Wycca song? Is there one on the album in particular that encapsulates this?
La Valse du Chamane (the chaman's waltz), in terms of musical structure, I think it's the right mix between darkness and light, halfway at the beginning and the end of the album.
12. The artwork for ‘Lumière” is astoundingly mystical and mysterious… very fitting. Who designed this masterpiece? How did you work with them on achieving what you imagined?
I made all of own, with my head, my moods, my knowledges and my balls. Quite simply.
13. Right now you are signed with Epictural Production. How is it? Do you have any plans to stay or move on to find something else?
It's difficult to find a label with a one man band's first album. Epictural prod's boss is a friend of me, he help me for the promotion.
In the futur maybe I'll work with another structure, or not... I'll see !
14. In a world full of dull and empty shell-like bands, what is it that you are trying to reflect in your music?
I don't know... maybe authenticity or privacy.
My main goal is to please myself and if people like my music, so much the better, I'm happy with it. I find it touching, seeing someone's eyes light up because you have awakened something in them with your essence.
15. France has a rich history of extreme metal, how has your country influenced your sound and style?
France mainly influenced me for the lyrics writting.
Before I exclusively wrote in english. For the first time, I wanted to write in my native language.
You can express a lot of nuances and depths in the French language than English, I prefer...
16. How do you feel the black metal scene has morphed in France over time? Is there anything you miss from the past, or anything you feel has changed for the better?
I don't know about black metal scene in France, sorry...
The thing has changed for the better is music assessibility, now, everybody can express himself through music, it's no longer an elitist field. It's good thing.
But in return, I feel something miss from the past. Many bands release some stuff to shine and satisfy their ego to the detriment of creativity and authenticity. Too much time in weight hall and tattoo parlor than spending time on the instrument... It's a shame.
17. When not making music, what are some interests you like to do on your spare time when not being in the studio or rehearsing that fans of you may not know about?
My fans ? I don't think I have many :-D
Simple life.
Read, old movies, sport, nature, spoon mushrooms, eat, drink beer/wine/whisky, sleep, fuck.... and
sometimes digital design on photoshop (the artwork of « Lumière » for example).
I work in the wellness sector and i'm a big fan of RPG, both virtual and on-board.
18. Are there bands (not only in France) with whom you have a special friendship?
Oh yes of course !
Special friendship with several of my past bands who are still playing like Days Of Crisis (Death/Trash), Obsidium (Death Tech), Malevolencia (Black Atmo), Heimsgard (pagan black).
And specialy these two bands which I take the road for some tour and fun, Forsaken World and Smash It Combo. Love you bros !
Or simply friend's bands like Ferriterium, Sunny Drivers...
19. What advice would you give to aspiring young musicians who want to start their own bands?
Don't make music to jerk off your « self-love narcissism », do it to make you grow, make you better and shake up other peoples.
20. Thank you my friend for taking the time to speak to Rotten Pages Magazine. Do you have any final words, or anything you would like to add?
No ! Thanks to you <3
Any final words ? …. Wine time !
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