Cynic

Le café Charbon est déjà sympa en temps normal grâce à ses très jolies serveuses, mais il devient totalement incontournable quand Paul et Sean s'y posent pour répondre aux nombreuses demandes d'interview. Et quand la chance me permet d'avoir les deux en même temps au bout de mon micro, je deviens le plus heureux des hommes.

How did you get the idea of Re-Traced ?

Paul : Basicaly, there are two things : when we did the demos for Traced In Air, they were very close to Re-Traced. We already had these really minimalist versions of the songs, so it was kind of going back to the roots of the songs, of where the music came from, and then we had this month off between a couple tours last year, so how we thought : how could we use this time in the most productive way ? So we went into our home studios and started recording the songs again, like demos. One thing lead to another and they end up sounding like this, it was really an experiment, we didn't know what was going to happen. But it worked out.

Why didn't you write new solos for Re-Traced ?

Paul : I don't know, I think they work like they are, they don't really need it very much. It was more about reinterpreting it in a different style, like something that wasn't metal maybe but a different type of production. In terms of the arrangements it spend a lot of time getting those where they were, they didn't really need to be changed very much, they were working. So it's more about giving it a different identity, you know.

Is Wheel Within the Wheels, the new song, without vocoder and death metal vocals, representative of Cynic's future ?

Paul : Not necessarily, no. Actually, Wheels was written before Traced In Air, so this song has been around, and I think it did make sens in the context of Traced In Air, but I don't think it represents anything. It just makes sens in the context of this EP.

Sean : And vocally, he said, is that where you're going vocally ?

Paul : I don't realy know what the third record will bring, it could have more vocoder, it could have less, it could have...

Sean : none ! Which is good now !

Paul : Yeah, I think the idea is just expending the space for Cynic, to be able to do whatever we want. There are no rules.

You don't know what the future songs will look like, but you started writting new material, as you said on your Metta Mind Journal.

Paul : Oh yeah, I have a lot of material, probably more than a half of the record written, but it's now getting in the context of the band : starting to play and turn it into a production, which is really where the work begins as a band. But yeah, for me there is always an accumulation of « raw » songs.

The production of Re-Traced is completely different of Traced In Air's one, which is highlighted by the fact the bass is much more prominent. How do you see this contrast, in terms of production ?

Paul : We did Re-Traced at home, we did everything in our home studios, so it's more a kind of indie style. We did Traced In Air in a big fancy studio, we spent a lot more money in Traced In Air ! (laughs) But I don't know if it necessarily sound better. It's a different sounding album : obviously the big difference is the drums. Traced In Air drums are really huge, on re-traced it's a different color, it's more electronic drums and stuff... I think it needed a different approach, and it's just kind of trying to serve the music in the way that was needed.

Robin has his own style and brings something complety new to the table on Wheels, but wasn't it too hard for him to stand in for Sean Malone's shoes ?

Paul : I don't think it's easy for anyone to stand in for Sean Malone's shoes, he's a phenomenous musician, and Robin is significantly younger too. But Robin has a natural sensibility.

Sean : His technique is really good. I think the fact that he's had to learn two records of Sean, playing them, is putting him in the mindset of where the Cynic pace, vocabulary should be. Wheels Within Wheels is probably the closest to the Sean Malone kind of context, because the other songs on re-Traced are so much more open. Now we're going to hear Robin, because even with Wheels and re-Traced it was all about sitting in the room with him, tracking going, you know « let's try this, let's try this ». He even says : « I like to kind of be told what to play », so he's kind of learning what he sounds like. But his technique, his sound and his enthousiasm... it's all in the right place. And like he said, you couldn't have had a better predecessor to set the standard.

Paul : Yeah, he's been playing Malone's style for years now, he knows the langage.

What do you think of the stand-by of Exivious ?

Paul : We're all doing that. It's a thing we also decided with Aeon Spoke. I think we all know that creativly there are a lot of rooms, it's a confortable place for everybody because we're exciting of all doing Cynic together.

(note : Tymon told me after the show that Exivious remains in stand-by indefinitely because he and Robin are in L.A. and are too busy with Cynic, but it didn't definitely split up).

On your upcoming american tour you're going to play the entirety of Focus and Traced In Air. Will you immortalize this moment with the DVD many fans are expecting ?

Paul : Maybe yes ! We've been talking about it, and I think it will be done on tour, just because it's gonna be a good tour. So hopefully, we'll get some good shows and be able to make a DVD of it.

During your reunion tour in 2007 you played one Portal song, Cosmos. Do you sometimes think about playing some Portal songs on stage again ?

Paul : we're gonna do Cosmos for the US tour, and maybe... I don't know, I think that was it, that's only what we're considering so far. We're always looking ahead, we want to play more new songs instead of go to the past.

Sean : I think one of the reasons we're doing it on this tour is because it's kind of encapsulating the past, Focus hall of fame, so why not, that's the step between Focus and Traced In Air so why not at least, play one song and establish to the next level.

Paul : Certain songs like The Circles Gone would be cool, Endless Endeavors would be cool...

Sean : So who knows. That's a nice thing about Cynic, you don't know...

Paul : maybe we're gonna do a Portal tour ! (laughs)

Does Aeon Spoke remain in stand-by as long as Cynic is active ?

Paul : I think so yes, Cynic is our priority now, it's a full time job, it takes all my energy.

Sean : It's really interesting to see how the lines are blured, are getting blurring now with Traced In Air and Re-Traced, the kind of vocabulary of Aeon Spoke and Cynic, I think they're starting to mix. Maybe in 10 years if we're not doing Cynic, Aeon Spoke might come back, but Cynic might be able to embrace most of the qualities of Aeon Spoke, there's not gonna be the need to really separate them.

Paul : The idea is having Cynic have a lot of rooms to do whatever we want. That's the idea, not having any barreers and to be able to...

Sean : Match the colors

Paul : Yeah, do everything. I don't like the idea f getting many bands and side-projects, if you can do it all in one group that's pretty cool. So far we've been pretty free with Cynic so we'll see.

Is the video clip of King Of Those Who Know still up to date ?

Sean : Yeah, we're still waiting for it ! We were told it would be done in a month and it was just like two months ago ! (laughs)

Paul : We shot the video, we filmed it and everything... but the guy who's doing the editing is an animator from Mexico city and I know he's very busy, so... we'll see.

But it gonna be out one day...

Sean : Eventually !!! (laughs)

Paul : Maybe after the next album, who knows ?

The boss of Season Of Mist often says there aren't many « lucrative » bands left because of the internet, but Cynic is the best seller in the label's roster. How do you explain that despite your music's complexity and your 13-year stand-by, Cynic remains just as sucessful as before ?

Paul : I don't know, this is the mysterious thing about music, we don't know why people connect with it and I'm just grateful that it's working now. I think that if the records companies understood how it works, they'd be a lot more successful right now. I don't really know, Cynic has always been a little bit different than most bands : we've been more original...

Sean : I think it's also being honnest and serving ourselves on what we play and what we write. It's not trying to target something because it's the flavour of the moment, « we need to sound like this or this ». It's always being honnest, and people respond to this honnesty.

Paul : Yeah, trying to keep it real and always focusing on the songs. Songs have to work and not taking any shortcuts, or making things quick. For us the heart comes first and I think maybe people connect with that. They see that it's coming from a real... place.

You have a special relationship with a french musician of Kalisia, Brett Caldas Lima, who became your sound engineer on your last two european tours...

Paul : We knew through the Cynic forum, he was a very active member of the Cynic forum. I met him actually when we played Hellfest, the first time. We needed a sound guy, one thing lead to another...

Sean : Well, we had a competition to sing the heavy vocals for Uroboric Forms on Paris...

Paul : No... Was it Paris ?

Yes it was Paris.

Sean : Yes... I think we already met him at the Hellfest, and we kept our relationship, I knew he was a good engineer.

You're currently touring with Gorod, a band which also covered one of your songs, Textures. Did you listen to it ?

Paul : Yeah, they are pretty cool, they did a good job.

You often says that you like France, his culture and the way your french fans understand your music... so when are you going to buy a house here ? (laughs)

Sean : I think if we'd buy a house we would think about where we to buy it ! (laughs)

Paul : I think if I had the money eventually, I would certainly consider having an appartment at Paris. I mean, this is a great city, it's very easy to live here. It's like New York or any big city, it's very... user friendly !

Since you knew Chuck Schuldiner very well, what do you think of the future release of the second Control Denied album ?

Paul : I think it's probably Chuck would have wanted, he did actually guitars for it and died while he was making the record. I mean post-mortem releases are always a sensitive subject because he isn't here to see it, to realize what is the work. But I think for the fans who kept his music alive it's gonna be a nice gift. I know that they are taking very careful measures to keep the original musicians involved in the recording and stuff, so it's truly what Chuck would have wanted.

Paul you're writing a blog, the Metta Mind Journal where you share your thoughts and feelings about present events. Will you one day write about your history with Death, the early Cynic, etc. ?

Paul : Maybe, there's definitely a lot of memories there. But I think the journal has more been about current life, but at some point maybe I'll explore the past too, we'll see. People have been asking about that, they want to hear more about the time with Chuck and stuff...

A friend of mine told me that Cynic's lyrics sometimes remind him ayahuasca (a psychotropic drug used by amazonian tribes as medecine). I think The Space For This lyrics are quite relevant of this. Is this topic of a « new plan of consciousness » a central element of the new period Cynic, maybe related to the way you see the world after your depression ?

Paul : I think that, definitely, I'm not the same person after doing a lot of ayahuasca, it has changed how I see things

You tried it ?

Paul : Oh yeah, I tried it a lot. .

Sean : I didn't yet, I'm a little scared, honestly ! (laughs)

Paul : I mean, Nunc Fluens and The Space For This are all about that. It changes the way you see the world, you know... in the same way that LSD can. But ayahuasca is more heart, LSD is more head, it's a different thing. But yeah, the chamanic world is very powerful, and has a lot of insights to come with it if you're willing to take a look. So it definitely has affected the way Cynic sounds, and the direction of the words, absolutely. But we are not drugs addicts. (laughs)

I wouldn't dare ! (laughs)

You know, it's good for the heart, it's not a party drug.

Ici s'acheva l'interview. J'aurais aimé en demander plus sur Brett, sur Season Of Mist, et vu la gentillesse de Paul et Sean j'aurais sûrement pu tenir deux heures de plus, mais 20 minutes c'est déjà beaucoup, et j'espère que j'aurai contenté tous ceux qui se sont posés des questions après Re-Traced ainsi que ceux qui m'ont sympathiquement fait part de leurs questions (merci en particulier à Arnaud ainsi qu'à Yohm pour cette question très pertinente). Je tiens enfin à remercier tout particulièrement Rose de Season Of Mist pour sa gentillesse et son accessibilité, mais surtout pour m'avoir laissé l'occasion d'avoir à la fois Paul et Sean autour d'une même table grâce à un interviewer démissionnaire, ce qu'aucun autre média hormis un homme doté d'une caméra n'aura réussi à avoir ! Ce n'est pas tous les jours que j'ai la chance de rencontrer des musiciens que je vénère littéralement, et sans elle rien n'aurait été possible, encore merci.

DOSSIERS LIES

Cynic 2010 Juin 2010