Franck Vigroux - A sense of loss

We caught up with Franck Vigroux on the occasion of the release of his new album, “Rapport Sur Le Désordre“. Over the years, the French composer has proven himself to be one of the most eclectic and inspired performers around. A titan of audiovisual installations, he has collaborated with a number of heavyweights, from the towering Mika Vainio to avant-garde pianist Reinhold Friedl.

Two years have passed since “Ciment”, and in the meantime you haven’t missed a chance to work with musicians of the caliber of Mika Vainio, Reinhold Friedl and Matthew Bourne. How have you spent these two years, and what have these collaborations left you with?

The last two years have mainly been focused on my live performance, Ruines. But I've also been very busy recording and performing several other projects. The collaboration with Mika, Matthew and Reinhold is indeed a sort of work in progress. I worked with Matthew back in 2008 — he's a great pianist, always ready to explore. I can write music for piano too, just as he can improvise. With Mika, on the other hand, I first played live in 2012; he definitely has a unique sense of sound, and I've learned a great deal working with him. Reinhold's approach to music is very radical and fresh, and I like that a lot — we just have to think about the structure, and whatever improvisation comes along.

Listening to your new album, “Rapport Sur Le Désordre”, one senses a deep dystopian outlook on the world, conveyed through sounds that are cold yet at the same time extremely deep. Often it feels as though you're trying to break through a sheet of ice to make room for a slow-rising, effusive volcanic eruption welling up from the crust. What feelings drove you to create this record?

I don't know — looking back, the album could sit somewhere between the paintings of Caspar David Friedrich and the world of Philip K. Dick, a mix of romanticism and science fiction. I also think I'm now closing a long chapter that began with my album “Camera Police” and with that piece I made for French national radio a few years ago around “We”, the novel by the Russian writer Yevgeny Ivanovich Zamyatin. Reading Orwell's “1984” as a teenager deeply influenced me, as did Ferdinand Céline's “Journey to the End of the Night”. A kind of pessimistic vision of the world.

The use of filtered robotic voices, set within an often violent and inhuman context, took me back in time, pulling bands like Young Gods out of the depths of memory. I sensed a “rock” soul in the album. Would you agree?

I agree — guitar is my first instrument, even though I've explored all kinds of music. Yes, rock and other related genres have always influenced me. And yet, I don't know Young Gods…

Tracks like “Flesh” induce an acute sense of sensory and temporal loss. Where do these moments come from?

I wouldn't know. “Flesh” is a collage of two tracks — the first reveals what will happen in the other, while a voice emerges that builds into a crescendo. I'm glad there's a sense of loss in it.

France and all of Europe are going through a particularly difficult period, between attacks, wars and everything else. What do you make of everything that has happened in the Old Continent over the last two years? Does it all influence your music?

France is now paying the price for mistakes made in urban planning, integration, and education. Unfortunately, I think the situation could soon worsen everywhere in Europe, even in countries not militarily involved in Syria or Libya, unlike France. I don't want to rely on clichés, but we know the main cause of extremism is capitalism, with its social disparities. It's nothing new — just think how the Nazis emerged stronger right after the 1929 crisis. Trump, Marine Le Pen, Pegida, Brexit, Juncker, the Five Star Movement, and so on. It's not easy to be optimistic. We need to wake up! My music is influenced by everyday life — I'm constantly observing the world, as much as I can.

In “Ruines” there's a certain sense of sacredness, while the following track, “Stadium”, soars on the wings of a deranged dystopia. How do you explain these two opposing souls, which recur throughout the record, and what do they represent for you?

I never analyze my own music, for me it's pure intuition, though I think it's also a matter of coherence. When I listen to an album, I like diversity of sounds, rhythm, tempo.

You're about to head out on tour soon - what should we expect from your live performances? Any secrets to share with us?

Every performance is different. The space, the acoustics, the sound system are never the same, the audience doesn't react the same way, sometimes they're seated, other times standing. There's no secret except that it's important to have enough experience to adapt the music a little and "play" with it, because the context demands it.

What are you listening to these days?

Nothing in particular. I usually listen to a lot of things, from hip-hop to Baroque music. I try to stay curious.

Do Push the Triangle and Transistor now belong to the past, or could the future still hold some surprises?

That's in the past. But the Transistor project is set for a rebirth next March, with an Ep on Entracte, an English label. I can't wait to do it. I'm also putting together an Ep for a new Italian electronic label.

Any news to share about upcoming releases on your label, DAC Records?

Not yet.

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