FT: Thanks a lot, that’s good to hear. I’m quite pleased with the result of the release and its different versions (which is quite a lot considering it's a first album!) Music is art and needs a good packaging, especially since I'm an illustrator. The songs can create pictures, if you get into it. Music helps making pictures, pictures help making music. In a way it’s like being in a gallery and so for me good artwork was, and is, very important. I just received the copies of the different editions, and I am more than happy with them!!!! I'm glad that you liked the album. Thanks again.

LH: As a brief introduction, you formed in 2003, though it was 2009 before you actually released anything with Les Discrets, in the form of a split EP with Alcest. During this time I know you have taken on various other projects; you recorded the album with Amesoeurs as well as being busy with your drawing and animation, and I understand you also studied during this time. Obviously Les Discrets is about a lot more than just the musical side so I’m guessing the reason for such a long period between formation and releasing an album is partially due to you wanting to be really thorough and taking you time, and for you it wasn’t an option to just get in the studio and make a few songs and call it finished. Would you agree with this, and are there any other reasons for the long delay?

FT: Actually, you're right on some points. The thing is that I started Les Discrets besides my first band Phest. Then I entered my high school for 4 years and started working right after it for 2 years. During these years, I composed a lot but I had no time to record anything, and to be honest, I was just making music for myself, without any idea of improving it to what it became! But when I had a little bit more time, I decided to send the album to Prophecy. The reason for the long delay is not due to a need of taking my time conscientiously, it was above all because I was too busy and I had to focus on my studies first. That's also why I left Amesoeurs for a while and then joined again.

LH: I have not had the chance to read the lyrics yet; I understand that in the limited edition booklet there are English translations as you felt it important for the listener to understand the lyrics. As a vague starting point, you have mentioned that the lyrics deal with ‘love, nature and the fear of death.’ I was wondering if you could expand on that and go into some of the lyrical concepts of the album?

FT: Yes, I added lyrics translations of the lyrics in the booklet as I don't like to write in English (it doesn't make sense to me as it's not my native language, but only a business language you know..) but I still wanted people to understand lyrics if they're interested in them, as it is part of the concept of Les Discrets.

The concept deals especially with the feeling of love and about a possible life after death. The nature links Death and Love…

( Copy/Pasted of the trilogy concept. No better words to explain…) The Nature - part means trolls and the strange feelings being in the nature brings. That's all these magic and dark/bright feelings you can have. Feeling of Love - as it opens in you so many hidden sensations. I love the fact that being in love extends yourself to someone which is physically not you. And love merges these two bodies, just by a strange abstract power. That's a crazy thing. Without it everything I'm doing would never have existed. That's the main element of Les Discrets. And I'm sure that Love is the goal of life and even goes beyond the Death. Death - because first I'm afraid of, and also because the more I live, the more I think that there is definitely something after it. I am sure that everything we're doing right there on Earth and in our life has a goal and that a natural Death is its accomplishment.

LH: I am going to guess that your lyrics come very much from within; from your own fears and emotions rather than external sources such as literature or society. Feel free to correct me if I’m wrong there - or is it a mixture of both?

FT: Les Discrets is the musical approach of my artistic works. So I try to put in it what is important to my eyes, so indeed I'm using mostly feelings related to my own life and fears.

LH: Musically Les Discrets has a very strong post-rock/shoegaze sound though also has elements of black metal. I’m guessing you don’t really think too hard about what category your music fits into, and that you’d rather get on with making music that is good and that is true to yourself, than pleasing the crowd that want something they can neatly pigeonhole?

FT: I don't care about these shitty styles. It seems that in these recent years, people can only listen to music when they have tagged it right. That's annoying. When I'm listening tp a band, I think "that's good/ or not". Whatever the style, whatever the instruments played, if the melody is good, that's great. In my eyes, I'm making Les Discrets. That's all! :-)

LH: I don’t want to make this interview about your past endeavours, but there are a few similarities to what you did with Amesoeurs – but also differences. Conceptually this is really very different, and musically this creates a mood that is very beautiful, very nature-esque, and quite haunting – it’s much calmer and has the tenderness without the harsher blackened sound that was more prevalent on Amesoeurs. Was this something that was very deliberate, or just the way things turned out?

FT: The only rule I defined with Les Discrets is to make the music I like, however it sounds. If it sounds like Amesoeurs it's ok, as far as it's good to my ears. To me, I cannot feel any similarities between Amesoeurs and Les Discrets, but that's your way of understanding my music, so I respect it. The next album which is already composed is sounding more than Amesoeurs I guess, especially on some songs!

LH: I am wondering about your “creative process”; the art seems to be as important as the music, so I was wondering if you tend to, say, do a painting first and then from that you take inspiration to put into musical form; kind of like you “see” the music in the painting and then the music comes last, or is it a case of a lot of loose ideas fly around and you don’t really have a particular set working pattern? Is there any part of the whole process that you find easier or harder than the rest?

FT: Difficult to explain as it depends of my mood. Usually, I'm making the music, and make the picture afterwards. But it also happens that I have a picture in mind or on paper, and I want to reproduce the atmosphere in painting. I'm really crossing all my medias together.

Music helps create pictures, pictures help create music!

LH: I read an interesting comment somewhere that you do not care to discuss the technical side of things. I am guessing you are not a big fan of being in the recording studio, and that you see this as a necessary evil in order to present your ideas?

FT: Ahaha! Glad you read some interviews before! I think that every band does the same in studio. I don't care about saying "We started recording the drums, then the guitars and vocals, and I was tired but I drunk many coffees to stay alive". People don't care about that. Explaining which compressor I used doesn't make sense as I want people to listen to my music without a clue of how it happens, how long it took, which problem I had etc. But I love the studio, and if sometimes I must share it with listeners, I will make a studio-blog-report, every day with photos, etc. That's fun, for me, and for fans.

LH: I love the short animation Tir Nan Og, which is available on your website as well as being included in the limited edition version of the album. Actually reading your “concept” for “Septembre…” which I read is all about the last thoughts before dying and the fear and uncertainty of not knowing what happens after we go…it is very easy to see this in the film; I see the old lady accepts it is her time to move on, and is very gently and peacefully taken from this world given chance to say goodbye to her granddaughter. I am not sure, but thought of the birds perhaps as symbolic of change, rather than death or the end. It’s just my interpretation, but I’m wondering if I’m on the right lines, and if you could talk a bit about what you were trying to say through the animation and how it fits in with the bigger picture?

FT: You're both right and false. This story had a kind of open-meaning. You know what happens, clearly, but you cannot really know who is who. I share your point of view about the fact it's not death, but some people will prefer to see it as death, and they won't be wrong.

To me this film, and this creature represent the fact that if things stop on Earth, it does not mean they stop everywhere. Death on Earth is maybe the beginning of something else. Who knows? Nobody came back from death and told us "after we go, there is nothing but emptiness". Who knows? And I trust there is something. That's also why I loved this book "La Porte Des Enfers", because it's written somewhere "In hell, some souls are more transparent than other ones. The more people think about you after your death, the more you exist. If no people think about you, then your soul disappears".

I am convinced that we're not living this life for nothing. The goal of life is not only to procreate, to have a big house and money. I am sure that it defines the next steps of your life (as a whole including after the death), otherwise life has no sense. I'm 100% atheist. Useful to be precise.

LH: I think I read that Tir Nan Og was actually the starting point for the whole project. Is that correct?

FT: I don’t think you would have read this as I didn't even notice it myself. But you're somehow true, as the album took all its sense when I finished this film, as it was for me a way to really understand myself, my fears and goals.

LH: You signed to Prophecy Productions, which seems like an obvious choice of label for you as you fit with their ethos and existing roster very well. Did you approach/were you approached by any other labels that wanted to work with you, or was Prophecy the only serious option for you?

FT: I basically had a moral deal with Todestrieb Records. Simon, the boss, actually motivated me to gather my songs in order to make an album. But when I finished it, I realized that Todestrieb was not the best label for Les Discrets; aesthetic-related, mood-related etc, even though everything was very great working with him for 1/2 years. I contacted Prophecy as they were really what I was looking for, and I am happy they agreed. I was really worried about Todestrieb, but I wrote a very huge email to him to apologize and to explain why, and I think he understood. He is a very, very, very nice and clever guy. I did not thank so many people in the album, but he is part of them. indeed.

LH: I believe you signed a 5 album deal as well, which sounds promising – I guess it’s very early days yet, but can you see yourself recording more albums in the future?

FT: As long as I'll be inspired in music I'll record albums. Music isn't my job, I don't expect it to make money, that's why I'm hardly working besides it. Music is only my pleasure, so be sure that I'll never record an album if I'm not happy with it.

LH: As for the other band members - how important do you view their roles within Les Discrets? Do you see them as replaceable, or do you intend to keep a steady line-up for the foreseeable future?

FT: I really hope that our collaboration with Winterhalter will remain for a long time, as I am very happy with his style, playing, skills and sensitivity. He is also, after years and years, becoming a very good friend. If unfortunately one day we disagree about Les Discrets, we'll stop playing music together. Les Discrets is my project, my thoughts, my thing so as long he'll be interested and sensitive to the music, we'll continue together. I would be very sad not to work with him, but I'll also never do any compromise in term of artistic choices.

LH: In an interview my colleague did with you last year regarding Amesoeurs, you mentioned that the one regret you had with splitting up was not being able to play live. Is this something that you intend to do plenty of with Les Discrets, and more to the point, will you be coming to the UK? ;)

FT: Ha! I have been incredibly surprised by the English audience in London, for the Alcest tour. All of us agreed about the fact that the atmosphere was fantastic and that was one of our best shows! I still regret not to have played live with Amesoeurs, and I indeed hope to play a lot with Les Discrets!

LH: On a similar subject, I was pleased to see you will be joining Alcest for their tour in April, on bass. It seems like a very logical pairing given that Winterhalter is also with you in Les Discrets. I imagine you are looking forward to playing live with them?

FT: Of course! The lineup live for Les Discrets should be exactly the same as Alcest, except that I'd be on the guitar and vocals and Neige on bass! :-) We also noticed on tour that we can really be together without troubles, as everyone respects each other in their needs to be alone especially. All of us is a very good solution!

LH: That’s all the questions I have for now, so thanks for your time and all the best with the upcoming Alcest tour and with Les Discrets! Feel free to leave any parting words.

FT: Thank you very much! And "Love won't tear us apart"! ;-)

For more on the band check out http://lesdiscrets.com/

Interviewed by Luci Herbert

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