Interview
HardRock mag (FR)
RockOne(FR)
Imm3moria (FR)
Spirit of Metal (FR)
Translated from the interview of HardRock Magazine
A few years have passed between "Le Silence" and "Labyrinthes" : Was this period useful to make new decisions or important changes for Jadallys ?
Sélène :
Yes. Three years happened between "Le Silence" and "Labyrinthes". The line-up has changed, and Jadallys has set up definitively its own style in an experimental way. With a lot of new questioning in the end...
Your original musical approach, which mixes many influences and often original influences, elicits violent or admirative reactions most of the time. Is your ambition to never let the audience be indifferent ?
Sélène :
Precisely, this is the kind of question that we had to ask ourselves. And the kind of question we solved in our own way: we know we trigger clear-cut reactions. But we prefer to be true to ourselves, to be truly free, we prefer to give to the public what we are exactly. Even though the mixing of influences and the theatrical ways of Jadallys can be destabilizing towards some people and their taste in music. At least, they will discover us just like the way we are. The fact that they like or not is a choice that they made freely. Thus, our relation to the public is based on pure freedom.
You maintain certain mystery on the band, that is one more thing for the unclassifiable Jadallys: is this important to put music/art on the first line toward musicians ?
Tino :
We are just like everyone else, the only thing that makes us different so to speak is the music we hope to share with the public. There is an astonished paradox: that "showbiz" attitude you see in musical reality shows is about to gossiping about singers' private life, to make people cry on singers' misfortunes, but you care that they remain unaccessible, untouchable. Jadallys is the opposite of that: of course we're not stars at all, but we have also our problems just like everyone else and we do not wish to put them on display.
Even though, we always care to be accessible to our public after each show, have a conversation with people. And we truly discuss music with them because that's what they want: to have a discussion with us about what they like. It's a very pleasant relation, simple and enriching for all. That way, we see that personal discreetness and connecting to people are compatible.
You have qualified your music as "fairy rock". However, through mysticism, you tackle very concrete and contemporary themes which are not related to fairy tales. Do you find this qualification accurate ?
Ded :
It is important to notice that we are now far from all that is related to fairies. With some external appearances, lyrics convey ideas to from very concrete thoughts.
There are many influences in "Labyrinthes": metal but also gothic and progressive rock... How Do Tino and Sélène compose? Does everyone brings his own ideas or do you all compose the music together ?
Ded :
The metal and progressive influences are obvious. But each member brings their own sensibility, and we don't hesitate to go into various musical directions, which include heavy metal, gothic, visual kei, also classic, jazz or ethnic music.
Sélène or Tino brings music and lyrics. All is revised in the next step, and finally arranged by the whole band.
Is each song is subdued by the band ?
Tibo :
Yes, naturally.
Is Jadallys closer to today’s metal scene or to the progressive rock bands of the 70's ?
Ded :
We feel similar to both as there are a lot of good things being made nowadays, but we also remain very close to the spirit of progressive rock from the 70's and the liberty and innovation which contributed to create the music we hear today.
Tino :
Something we can't stand is the standardization of musical styles. Of course, it is useful to gather people through musical classifications, but it is death to freedom and death to the education of personal choice. We live in a era in which it is easy to deprive people from freedom: people think they live free, but really all they can only enjoy is their own servitude.
Through your lyrics and artwork, you seem to be dealing with esoteric treasure hunt. Some people are searching very seriously some hidden signs into it: Is this dimension really present in your work or is this more a symbolic representation of a moral purpose, a symbolic representation of a kind of liberty ?
Sélène :
The ultimate purpose of Jadallys is to share a message of freedom. There is no gregarious necessity; there is no need to act like everyone, but to become oneself.
It doesn’t matter what people think about you when you have a serene opinion of yourself. This idea appears through symbols in our music, our lyrics and artwork, in order to build a coherent and total art.
With the strong identity of Jadallys and the musical aspect comes the feeling that Jadallys is more than a simple « music band » and requires an absolute commitment from each member. Do you agree with this ?
Tino :
Yes, there is a real commitment. We know there is no fatality, we know that everyone, in their life, their job, their studies, and most importantly: in his thoughts, builds the future. We also know that we always get what we want if we really want it. Each people build the future of all, through our choices, thanks to our freedom. It is precisely the thing that our society wants us to forget, the society who treats people like cash cows, good enough to consume and to watch TV, fundamental weapon of intellectual regression and passivity.
The artwork was made by Eric Liberge, a famous name in the comics fantasy world with esotericism and alchemy as recurring themes: certainly this is no coincidence ?
Sélène :
Of course! We’re fans Eric Liberge’s; he is a great comics author , his work contains symbols and an atmosphere which matches the artistic orientation of “Labyrinthes”. The alchemy aspect mainly.
How did the idea came to collaborate with Eric Liberge and how did you contact him ?
Sélène :
This happened very simply: we had wanted to work with him since we discovered his work and we presented him our project.
How did he proceed to realise the album cover : did you gave him the album or just few ideas to guide him ?
Sélène :
We met, he came to see Jadallys in concert during the Erebe festival in Paris. where we talked for a while on the aim of our approach. Then we conversed by mail, we sent him songs, We exchanged a lot and this happened into very good conditions.
Did you gave him precise instructions or was he completely free to execute the artwork ?
Ded :
Eric worked freely. We think that artists must be free to work, unless there is no authenticity in creation.
The tone of “Labyrinthes” seems to waver between rage and despair without determining which has the upper hand. Is your music a pessimistic vision of the world or a glimmer of hope ?
Sélène :
“Labyrinthes” can be dark and disturbing, but there is an evolution and a door opened to hope in the last songs. After the different stages of life, after the confrontation with death comes the rebirth, comprehension and serenity. There is no connection to the religious. This is just about that: after the wonder of childhood, the painful questioning of adolescence, we understand the world is what it is and happiness comes from the detachment of everything.
Most of your lyrics express a strong criticism of human behavior and society: what are your most concerning themes and problems ?
Tino :
The rise of appearance towards the negation of being, the domination of money and materialistic aspect...The result is the progressive disappearance of freedom, then, at that time they think the contrary. People only exist to be productive, to work more in gaining less. They are knocked out psychologically when watching TV shows used to control their independence of mind. Far from getting a society of freedom and personal joy, we lead ourselves to a new era of slavery and negation of the human being.
There is also a metaphorical and symbolical dimension in the lyrics: are they written in order not to be fully “elucidated” ?
Sélène :
They are written to be “rethought”. All is here. You have to understand that we don't have any pretentiousness, that we are the opposite of smart-ass or je-ne-sais-quoi! We simply wrote texts to be meditated on. That's all. A text doesn’t have to be a superficial product. You can enjoy finding two or three different significations or more. It is true with our lyrics, and if you read them with the will to go further into the meaning, then maybe the Homo Economicus virus didn't totally infect you.
Sometimes qualified as gothic, your music is not so stylistically, except in a few moods, but the dark and mystic universe of Jadallys are reminiscent of gothic culture. Do you claim to be part of this movement ?
Tibo :
Jadallys is rather dark. There are some gothic influences, but they are so muddled up that we don't belong to purists of this movement. Dark is a more appropriate word to describe the mood.
You don't seem to have boundaries in your inspiration and influences :
Is Jadallys' music the pooling of the personal and contrasting tastes of the different members, or does each of you eclectic taste ?
Tibo :
It is obviously both !
The intro and the ending to “Rapport sagittarius A” come as a surprise with an unusually humorous tone for such a bitter song: Is this a way to defuse the seriousness of the subject ?
Sélène :
Absolutely. After a caricatured and outdated introduction, the grandiloquent side makes room for bitter and tragic lyrics. The grotesque and the serious go well together, we are not the only ones to have noticed it. By many aspects, we now live in the golden age of grotesque, a time in which we are asked to save money and to consume more in parallel.
Since Nathalie left Jadallys, you didn't try to replace her with another keyboardist, why is that ?
Ded :
As a matter of fact, we had another keyboardist for a year after Nathalie left. And then Damien “Le Collector” recorded a few songs for “Labyrinthes”. Right now and for the last two years, we have been using samples which are delivered on show by machines. We stay four now.
Can you tell us why you collaborated with Stephane Buriez for the production of “Labyrinthes” ?
How did this come to happen ?
Ded :
We had been wanting to work with Stephane for a long time. He represented the artist and the professional who could understand and render our music faithfully. It is precisely what happened! Stephane, because he's a very intuitive and open-minded person, understood us immediately. He urged us, with all the wish of quality, to realize what we were seeking for. He brought all his skill as an artistic director as well as a producer. He knew that Jadallys had a unique artistic approach, and it was something that interested him. We enjoyed this collaboration which brought a lot on a personal and a professional level.
You demand a lot, from yourself and your public, and you realize that many of them won’t understand your music.
Is it a way to reject the present situation of the music industry and art in general ?
Sélène :
We can say so. Our approach is based on reciprocal consent: our music is given sincerely. It is up to you to accept it or not. Those who take it or those who reject it, at least they do it freely. Our music isn't made to solicit people and is not pretentious, it has to be discovered. At least, we hope so. All was made to require some effort from listeners. This approach is unusual and unacceptable nowadays. This is an exchange of consent between free peoples.
What do you suggest to thwart this evolution of the world ?
Tino :
This evolution can easily be changed at the moment once we all realise we exist. Saying such a thing can be weird., yet this awareness isn't done. Each people has a huge power to create through verbs, through fertile thoughts, through willpower which has an influence on individual and collective fate, of course in a secular sense. The world is only the result of willpower, thoughts and words. The global situation of today is only the result of someone's willpower, thoughts and words. Our world and our future are being confiscated by a self-righteous minority. The only way to take it back is to live through our true personal thoughts, our true willpower, saying what we want to say.
What are you planing for your next shows?
Tibo :
We are planning several shows in France but Europe too, mostly in Belgium. We are still negotiating them. We want to perform in Eastern Europe after that. We will also promote “Labyrinthes” around the world and we can't wait to see the result!
interview for HardRock Mag and Rockone Mag
A big thanks to Ploum for the translation!
