Crystalline conversation with Michel Newsouljazz and Sequentia Legenda

I enjoyed answering Michel's questions as an enlightened listener. Our discussions were enriched by a few personal questions that I had the pleasure of asking him

MY MUSICAL VISION FOLLOWS A PATH
THAT RISES SPIRITUALLY
musical and vibratory sharing that stems
from my emotion and intuitions

Michel: Hello Laurent, let's start by talking about the recent release of your new album GALACTIC CRYSTALS. Can't we say that, like the name SEQUENTIA LEGENDA, this album is also inspired by a certain mysticism?

Laurent: Hello Michel, we can indeed talk about that.
My musical vision follows a path that rises spiritually, ever higher. Creating this album required a lot of emotional resources and courage. In a way, GALACTIC CRYSTALS represents the continuity of ALCYONE. Above all, it's a musical and vibratory sharing that stems from my emotions and intuitions. Despite the constraints, this opus was released just as I wanted, on 2 July, my late Mum's birthday. I'm deeply grateful 🙏

Mysticism and spirituality are, in my opinion, treasures of beautiful and luminous truths. It's a connection to something greater, a dimension of transcendence. In this spiritual quest, we discover profound answers and meanings that nourish our soul.

In a way, this is what I want to share with my listeners: a musical journey, an inner exploration that allows us to grow and evolve.

Mysticism and spirituality are, in my view, treasures of beautiful and luminous truths.

Michel: When you listen to the first track, THE SONGS OF ORION, you'd be forgiven for thinking that your music is cosmic and universal! But does this title refer to the giant hunter of Greek mythology, or rather to the constellation Orion?

Laurent: The title THE SONGS OF ORION is particularly evocative and linked to the constellation Orion. In this composition, the spiritual and emotional aspect plays an essential role. During the creation of this work, I had a number of significant experiences that left a deep impression on me. I have established a link between these experiences and everything that surrounds Orion: its history, its influence on our beautiful planet Terra. I'd like to express my gratitude to my Guidance, which has supported me throughout this creative process.

From a technical point of view, a surprising phenomenon occurred during the recording: Voices emerged not from the Mellotron, as you might expect, but from the Minimoog! From minute 2:33 onwards, murmurs, chants and choruses subtly evolve to take up their full place in the composition. These voices, born of the Minimoog, create an incredible alchemy. I used Arturia's Vocal Filter module (VST) to adjust these voices from Orion, subtly adjusting the resonances.

In short, THE SONGS OF ORION is my tribute to all those who have shown themselves to be valiant and magnificent, bearers of Light and Love. It's also a way of transcending time and space, of connecting with something greater than ourselves. These choirs, these voices, these songs and Orion murmurs from the Minimoog carry within them echoes of wars and periods of peace, and so become messengers of this deep connection, inviting us to reflect on our place in the universe and our quest for Light and Freedom.

Watch the GALACTIC CRYSTALS trailer

 

TOMMY HAS A WEALTH OF EXPERIENCE
on stage we communicate in symbiosis

Michel: The second track, CRYSTAL OF LIGHT, features Tommy Betzler, who played with Klaus Schulze. Did this collaboration, which has been going on for several years now, influence the way you composed this track? (In particular, here, which might remind you of Cristal Lake from the album "Mirage", of which I know you are an admirer).

Laurent: After the release of my second album, I contacted Tommy via Messenger to ask him if he'd be interested in playing drums on my music. He responded enthusiastically and we soon collaborated on two tracks on the double album EXTENDED in 2016. Our collaboration continued in 2017 for the album ETHEREAL, where Tommy played on the central track. Since then, we've shared the stage in Nantes during Synthfest, in Tübingen and Soligen in Germany, and in Chexbres in Switzerland. More recently, we played together in Eindhoven in the Netherlands. Tommy also contributed the central track to my latest album, GALACTIC CRYSTALS.

Tommy has a wealth of experience, having played with Klaus Schulze on tour in the 80s. Our collaboration is fluid and instinctive, and on stage we communicate in symbiosis, without needing to talk to each other too much.

And to answer your question more precisely, as far as my composition method is concerned, I don't plan anything too precise in advance. I leave room for intuition and let myself be guided. Then I arrange certain parts to give Tommy enough space to express himself. I still sometimes give him ideas based on my own feelings and my own vision, but I always leave him some room for manoeuvre. Then I work on inserting the rhythmic elements and mixing. This is a technical stage where I make sure that each instrument is well balanced and that the composition sounds harmonious.

 

Michel: You compose, record, mix, play and even do the artwork for your albums. Do you think you'll ever be able to share all that, or do you prefer to keep control of everything?

Laurent: I'd like to point out that I also do the mastering 😉 More seriously, I have to admit that I'm pretty demanding, I have a global vision of everything that revolves around my music and the release of a new album. As I work in marketing as a computer graphics designer, this experience helps me enormously when it comes to managing my music. However, I don't rule out delegating certain tasks from time to time. For example, Nicolas Picciotto remixed and mastered two tracks on my double album The 432 Hz Berlin School Box.

I like to invest myself fully in my music, even if it takes time. It's my passion!

Finally, the arts have always been part of my life: painting, drawing, writing, photography and of course music. It's important for me to find the visual, the words that will highlight the spirit of the album, of my music.

RETURN TO MESHALEA
dedicated to the constellation of Andromeda

Michel: Returning to your last album, the third and final track RETURN TO MESHALEA refers to Andromeda, a galaxy inhabited by magnificent beings who see life through a lens of love! As on your last album, you make a lot of references to the celestial, human and interplanetary aspects of music. How does this influence your composition?

Laurent: First of all, I'd like to congratulate you on your personal research into MESHALEA.

The origins of MESHALEA go back to a walk in the forest, or more precisely to a channelling experience I was offered. While I was in a clearing, I felt a powerful energy in and around me, and I perceived the name "Andromeda" and the association with the Andromedans. From that moment on, it was clear to me that the musical composition I had just begun should be dedicated to the constellation of Andromeda, or MESHALEA. Everyone is free to follow their intuitions or not, and personally, ever since I was young, I've always listened to my heart and my intuitions. It's a state of mind that I cultivate.

In the end, it's this state of mind that I believe allows me to receive, rather like a receiver, a set of emotions that reach me and which I then share from heart to heart.
I need to feel this call, this excitement that guides me forcefully towards my keyboards, like a magnet. It's a spontaneous state of grace, a very special and magical moment. In any case, this is how my heart can really express itself and release all my energy, all my sensitivity, all my deepest emotions.

Music is a sacred vibration that transcends words. It is the universal language of the soul. Music is vibration, vibration is life.

DESCRIBE SEQUENTIA LEGENDA'S MUSICAL
STYLE IN A FEW WORDS
Universal music and therapeutic music

Laurent: How did you discover Sequentia Legenda's music? Can you tell us about your first impressions?

Michel: About 9 years ago, I was searching YouTube for something new in the so-called Berlin School. And I discovered a video entitled 'Au Revoir', a tribute to Edgar Froese. The musician's name: SEQUENTIA LEGENDA. Immediately won over by what I heard, I went to the web and the FaceBook page to discover an artist bursting with talent and composing music that comes straight from the heart. Since then, I've been eagerly following the release of his albums.

Laurent: How do you feel about GALACTIC CRYSTALS? And more generally, what emotions do you feel when you listen to my music?

Michel: You mention emotions, and that's exactly the first thing that comes to mind. The music on this new album, and in general on all SEQUENTIA LEGENDA's albums, is very much about the emotional, but also the inner journey, giving a certain sense of peace, in short, leaving you with a free and benevolent spirit. And above all, this impressive mastery of the various keyboards and the legacy of the Berlin school, while renewing the genre.

Laurent: How do you see the musical evolution of Sequentia Legenda?

Michel: The collaboration with a percussionist (Tommy Betzler in particular) is a plus and I think it brings a new dimension to your music. Working with a percussionist on a regular basis is a really fruitful next step.

Laurent: If you had to describe Sequentia Legenda's musical style in a few words, what would they be?

Michel: "Universal music" is the first thing that comes to mind. I'd add "therapeutic music" because it's so good for the spirit.

Universal music: while we try to confine all kinds of music, SEQUENTIA LEGENDA's music is whole, complete, global, even celestial. It's for anyone who accepts it and opens their heart. As soon as you confide in this universe, you feel good.

Therapeutic music: like many people, I have my ups and downs, but listening to SEQUENTIA LEGENDA's albums immediately calms me down, leaving me relaxed and charmed by the often surprising melodic lines.

Laurent: What does the Berlin School mean to you?

Michel: I discovered the Berlin School with Tangerine Dream's Rubycon, which for me remains one of the peaks of the genre (along with Moondawn by Klaus Schulze). It's hard to describe what I felt the first time, but this music literally transported me, I was going to say out of my mind! It's music that conveys feelings that are hard to describe: melancholy, well-being, nostalgia - in short, a bit of everything. Once again, this is emotional music.

Presentation: Hi! My name is Michel Newsouljazz (Verreckt Maurice Michel). Born in the Namur region (in Belgium), I studied to become a paper technician and an industrial engineer. I worked in the printing industry as a quality manager and then in the food industry, always in quality. I was also managing director of a non-profit organisation building schools in South Kivu (Democratic Republic of Congo).

For over twenty years, my hobby (outside music) was photographing jazz musicians (mainly).

I was immersed in music from a very early age, and it has never left me. I was lucky enough to see some extraordinary musicians in concert: Miles Davis, Pink Floyd, Tangerine Dream, Dizzy Gillespie, Chick Corea, Klaus Schulze, Genesis, John Mc Laughlin, Weather Report, Porcupine Tree, Santana, Keith Jarrett and a few hundred others... but not yet Sequentia Legenda!

Now that I'm retired, I'm taking the opportunity to listen to my 2000+ CDs.
My musical tastes: jazz, jazz-rock, Berlin school, progressive rock, Brazilian, African and Cuban music, as well as classical.