Band: Artesia
Interview by: Beautevil
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- Hilvern - Beautevil
- Chants d’Automne - Beautevil
- Llydaw - TekNoir
Answered by:
Agathe
Questions: Beautevil
The impressive music on "Hilvern" made it time to ask the French sirens some questions.
Can you tell our readers more about the background of Artesia?
Hi! Artesia started in 2001 as a one “woman” band ( at the time, there was only keyboards and choirs). I made alone one demo in June 2003, but the sound was really bad, so I decided not to release it.
In September 2003, Gaelle joined the band, and we recorded another demo in September 2004
called “l’Aube Morne” (5 tracks, 20 minutes). The demo received good responses, so we decided to write a full length album. Hilvern has been recorded in summer 2005, then we have searched for a label, and Prikosnovenie signed a deal with us in December. Our album Hilvern is out since February and seems to be well appreciated.
Why the name Artesia?
This name comes from a character of a medieval saga (Les Rois Maudits – The cursed kings), Robert d’Artois, who was a proud man, always fighting to re-conquer his domain. I would make a kind of concept album about his life, but it was too hard. I gave up the idea but not the name.
Thank you, but to be honest, I’m not a true singer. I try to do my best when I sing, I know that it’s not perfect. But I work to progress, and to do a good work on the next album.
How much work is it to get a great singing voice like yours? Or does it all come naturally?
Thank you, but to be honest, I’m not a true singer. I try to do my best when I sing, I know that it’s not perfect. But I work to progress, and to do a good work on the next album.
Can you tell us more about what inspires you to write (beautiful) moody music like this?
Generally we are inspired by landscapes, by legends (The Arthurian cycle for example). The Nature is very important for us , we try to describe his beauty through our music. We have also musical influences, with bands like Dark Sanctuary, Arcana, Dargaard , or some movies soundtrack.
Can you tell us more about the lyrics on “Hilvern” (mostly because my French is terrible ;)?
Hilvern deals with the story of a man, lost in a mysterious and dark forest. He meets the ghost of a woman. She tells him that she lives here for many centuries and she asks him to help her to come back to life. The mortal is afraid by this loneliness and runs away. In fact, the woman symbolizes the ancient legends we forget gradually, but they are always alive somewhere, in dark and out of the way places.
Musically you seem most influenced by Dark Sanctuary and I noticed that you thank Arkdae in your booklet. Do you see them as an influence or is there more?
Dark Sanctuary is one of my favourite bands, and when I have heard their first album “Royaume Mélancolique”, I decided to play this kind of music.
Arkdae gave me some advices when we started, he has encouraged us and it’s important for me to know that he appreciates our work.
Artesia is influenced by their first albums, but we don’t talk about the same topics.
Can you tell us how you ended up on the Nové/ Prikosnovenie label?
I
have sent
copies of the album to some labels, and Prikosnovenie was interested (some months later) by our album to begin a new collection (Nové).
Do you see it as a huge opportunity to release an album on this label?
I know that we are really lucky, because it’s difficult to find a label today, and Prikosnovenie is a great label, they are well-known and appreciated in the world of heavenly music.
It’ s very impressive for us, and it’s motivating to do a better album next time!
Who created the booklet for ‘Hilvern’? It creates the perfect mood for the music you made, I can imagine you’re proud of the work.
Loïc Cellier (who has recorded the album) and me have created the booklet. We have taken some pictures of our area ( Broceliande, in little Brittany). You can see a woman, it’s a friend of mine, she represents the lady of the forest. We wanted an appropriated artwork, and we have decided to do it ourselves. We are happy even it’s not perfect, because it corresponds to our wish.
Will Artesia perform live? Are there ideas for a tour?
For the moment we don’t want to play for people, because it’s not easy to organize. We are two, and we need help from other musicians. Gaelle lives in Paris and it’s far from where I live, so we cannot work together. Maybe one day it will be possible.
If you had the chance to be a character in a fairytale who would you be and why?
I have no idea, but I enjoy reading fairytales, my favourite story is “the Sleeping Beauty”, by Charles Perrault, because the end is really frightening! I like it when they’re dark.
When you have the opportunity to make music for a movie, what kind of movie would it be? Why?
I think it will be an epic movie, with beautiful landscapes and faeries. Maybe a romantic and sad movie, but with a specific ambiance, with fantasy.
Something you always wanted to tell, but never was asked…
So I would explain why I have chosen to talk about legends and mysterious things. It’s because I don’t like the actual life, in big cities, with egoist and unpleasant people. The world of fantasy is the perfect way to escape from reality, to see extraordinary things, and for me it’s essential to dream on another life today.
Thanks for this interview!
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