Music as both projection and achievement

I've heard a lot about how your music travels between genres and has no specific niche. Has this will to experiment always been a part of your artistic work?

I never planned on having a music project. I’ve always been interested in the fluidity between fields and I’ve never felt like doing just one thing would be for me. There are no musicians in my family, I didn’t have any musician friends… My interest in music was an extension of what I was already interested in - video, photography, and different types of ways of expressing narrative.

But, I've always been a music fan and certainly music has influenced me in many ways, mainly its ability to transmit quite quickly and deeply. I've never tried to define what I make as a specific genre, because I simply don't believe in categories. 

I believe that genres were created to establish some rules, which is worth considering, and that we can work with the codes of the genres. However, I don't think it's necessary to be reassured by categorising someone's music into a specific genre. I feel very comfortable in this transversal area of music which reflects the way I function. This is my identity. 

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As with genres, you moved around between artistic mediums before landing in music, haven't you?

I studied for five years at an art school called ERG, which is a very particular place. It's an experimental school. ERG was created with the idea that you learn by doing. It stands out from the traditional art school model, where you need to know a lot of technical things beforehand to get in. While I was there, I did graphic design, painting, video... But I've always had a consistent root associated with narrative. I have experimented with many things and, ultimately, it all came together into a unified result. I like this way of doing things, looking in all directions while creating something. You end up learning what catches you, what you find poetic and what is unique about your vision.

I like this way of doing things, looking in all directions while creating something

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Maybe these previous experiences opened the door for you to launch yourself into music in a more ‘liberated’ way...

Yes, of course. Having this background has given me a lot of freedom and allowed events to happen in a certain way. At the same time, I'm getting to know this new world of the music industry. Being in certain stages, having a booking agent ... I sometimes think ‘Wow, I have to adapt!’ [laughs]. New elements come into my decision-making and my work. Some of those elements, of course, I also choose not to keep.

Sometimes I feel like I'm hacking something and it’s great! Having the opportunity to take what I do and bring it to other settings feels good. I just enjoy the idea of people from different contexts listening to my music, while I’m also making something that has a particular vibe, a uniqueness in some way. I'm not looking to create something that's just inaccessible to everyone. 

Having the opportunity to take what I do and bring it to other settings is a satisfying challenge but it’s also not easy and makes me question myself a lot

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What about when it comes to your lyrics? Do you think that your experimentation led you to write your songs more sincerely?

When I started making music, I was going through difficult times. At that time, I could write about anything and the angle would be related to what I was feeling, and what I was going through. It all came naturally. It was a way of offloading, of course, but what I was experiencing also seemed to be very universal. Things like heartbreak, feelings of loneliness and melancholy...

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What can be interesting about a ‘universal’ feeling is the unique way in which you talk about it. I suppose that's what made my project stand out at some point.

I write about lots of different things these days! At that time, everything was just very raw and I needed to get it off my chest. I'm frank and open in my lyrics, but I can be way more reserved with my feelings in real life. Through music and other art mediums, I try to find ways to express myself fully.

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Having had an artistic career so closely linked to Brussels, I imagine it must be an interesting experience to take part in a festival like Les Nuits at Botanique…

For a year now, Botanique has become the place where I've performed the most in Brussels and that's cool! I've known the festival since I was young and I'm excited about playing there. On the other hand, I also like to keep things simple regarding my expectations and keep in mind that if things are good, they're good and that's it! [laughs]

Botanique has become the place where I've performed the most in Brussels and that's cool

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What can we expect from your performance?

There will be a lot of new tracks and my live performance is always being reworked! I'm 100% solo in what I do and I'm not an expert either. My major experience is knowing how I'd like something to sound or look, so I'm constantly going back into the studio to fix things and get what I'm looking for. There will be new tracks, old tracks in a different way and a video projection I'm working on. I want to make it concise, but experimental and a step forward in regards to what I want the project to be.

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<div class="editorial-banner"> <div class=“editorial-credits”> @lazza__gio <br/> During Les Nuits, go to these events for free as a Different Class member. <br/> Les Nuits: Alto Fuero presents Diboell - 20.04.2024, Botanique Brussels </div> Les Nuits: Cortizona Label Night - 05.05.2024, Botanique Brussels </div>