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.

 

 

            

Sequentia Legenda interviewed by Adrian Bancu

🎙️ An interview for the Romanian magazine Helion Online and Spacers,
organized by Adrian Bancu. I wish you a pleasant reading.

BERLIN SCHOOL MUSIC
A VECTOR OF HOPE AND LOVE

This article is based on an original interview organized by Adrian Bancu for Helion Online and Spacers magazines. I wish you a nice reading.
Laurent Schieber (Sequentia Legenda)
🎹😘🎹

Adrian Bancu: "The artist named Sequentia Legenda (Laurent Schieber) is a French musician/synthesist, he lives in France, near Switzerland and Germany.
The musician released his debut album: "BLUE DREAM" in December 2014. Other albums have been nominated for the Schallwelle Awards, the German electronic music prize. His discography currently consists of 6 digital and CD/Cdr albums, a double album "EXTENDED" and two albums in digital version.
Sequentia Legenda has also made collaborations with Tommy Betzler (Klaus Schulze's drummer in the mid 80's') as well as with Kurzt Mindfields (Jean-Luc Briançon) and with Michael Brückner (Live Session)."

BLUE DREAM
BEGINNING OF MY MUSICAL ADVENTURE

Adrian Bancu: "Who is Sequentia Legenda? Tell us a little about yourself."
SL: "I am a French synthesist, who shares with sensitivity, sincerity and passion, his own vision of the Berlin School. I am happy to be able to offer a part of dream, a bit of escape to the listeners. For me, music remains a vector of Hope and Love."

Adrian Bancu: "How is your first steps, approach to the music?"
SL: "It was in 1980, when I was 15 years old, that everything really started with the discovery of Klaus Schulze's music. The album "Mirage" was for me a real trigger, my musical trigger! I then went through several stages, first with analog synthesizers, then with digital instruments and it is thus recently with virtual instruments that I brought my musical work to light with BLUE DREAM my first album released in 2014."

BLUE DREAM

MY MUSIC
IS AN INVITATION TO DREAM

Adrian Bancu: "How you define your music?" TEST
SL: "My music is an invitation to dream, an immersive journey, an introspection, a cosmic journey. My sound universes are composed of loops of sequencers in constant evolution accompanied by layers and choruses and sometimes percussion. Among these elements, melodic lines are punctually added. It is a music that allows you to get out and forget this tumultuous daily life, where everything has to go fast, much too fast! It is through the overall atmosphere and all its subtleties that one can perceive all my sensitivity."

 

Adrian Bancu: "What musicians or groups formed you as a musician?"
SL: "In the domain of electronic music, my influences tend towards Tangerine Dream, Kraftwerk, Vangelis, Jean-Michel Jarre and of course the one who will always remain my mentor: Klaus Schulze. I have a deep respect for the founding members of the Berlin School and I deeply regret the passing of Edgar Froese."

 

Adrian Bancu: "What genre of music you listen, especially?"
SL: "I still listen to the great classics of Klaus Schulze or Tangerine Dream, if not more generally classical music or jazz. As a music lover, I appreciate U2, Pink Floyd, Tears For Fears, Talk Talk, Depeche Mode or Marillion."

REVIEWS & INTERVIEWS

IN MY HOME STUDIO
I'M IN MY BUBBLE

Adrian Bancu: "Could you describe how you record in your studio?"
SL: "In my home studio, I'm in my bubble and time doesn't really have a grip on me anymore. The big difficulty is to end a composition session. I have my habits, my points of reference, my particularities. I work with virtual synthesizers, like those in Arturia's collection."

Adrian Bancu: "Do you prefere a jam in your live set or is everything sharply programmed?"
SL: "When a concert is in sight, I start my rehearsals a few days before the concert. It is necessary for me to give myself as much security as possible and rehearsals are part of this. My tracks consist of a pre-programmed part and other tracks are available for live performance. I now know that each stage performance will be unique and that nothing is predictable. It's a new experience every time. The contact with the audience is a privilege, a richness."

VALENTINS TRAUM
DEDICATED TO MY AUTISTIC SON

Adrian Bancu: "Three facts that affected your life, deeply?"
SL: "The birth of my two sons Valentin and Dylan. The death of my first wife Nathalie."

Adrian Bancu: "I am sorry for that. Life have unexpected ways to test us in all kind of emotions."
SL: "Thank you. Fortunately, life offers us good moments that we must then know how to seize them and make the most of them. I'm working on me, on this aspect. I have my two suns (Valentin and Dylan) by my side and I stay strong and straight for my two sons!"

Adrian Bancu: "How do you elaborate your compositions?"
SL: "The beginning of a new opus is an important moment, it is each time unique and particular. It is a new story that is written, that develops with sensitivity, meticulousness and passion. I always leave myself a little time between two albums, until, when the time comes, I feel this strong and characteristic attraction that will push me in front of my keyboards and allow me to release my creative impulses. I don't really have any clear rules when I'm in the creative and experimental phase, however, I have to admit that the sequencer plays a primordial role and it remains my favourite tool."

Adrian Bancu: "What kind of landscapes inspire you the best?"
SL: "I will say landscapes from my imagination and also those coming from fantastic worlds, places conducive to dreams. I like science-fiction worlds, legendary worlds, space, mysticism as well."

 

TESTIMONIALS

MY MUSIC COMES
FROM MY HEART, FROM MY SOUL

Adrian Bancu: "What is your vision of the future of our civilization?"
SL: "I'm worried about the future of my two sons, to be honest. One of them, Valentin, is a young and adorable autistic boy and I hope that he will be able to develop and find sufficient independence. I don't think the world will be able to stay as it is today. I hope for a change, but I hope that it will be as gentle and as favourable as possible for all of us on this earth. I still believe in Love and Hope, despite the trials of life."

Adrian Bancu: "What is the space for you?"
SL: "The BLUE! The whole range of blue. Escape, a source of inspiration and serenity."

Adrian Bancu: "What mesages you spread with your music?"
SL: "My music comes from my heart, from my soul. It is a sharing of emotions with the listeners. And if I can make my own contribution to this beautiful musical movement that is the Berlin School, then I will have succeeded in my bet and I will have had the privilege of being able to live my dream."

 

ROMANIANS
GREAT FANS OF ELECTRONIC MUSIC

Adrian Bancu: "Thank you for this interview! I'm sure we aroused the interest of our readers in listening to and searching for your albums and concerts. We HOPE in a concert in Romania, with LOVE!"
SL: "The pleasure is all mine, thank you for your invitation and for all the interest shown in my music. I know that Romanians are great fans of electronic music and indeed I would be delighted to perform in your country."

Adrian Bancu: "Au revoir!"

Adrian Bancu

Adrian Bancu member of the Spacers association.

Spacers project manager, Rubin lasershow programmer, lecturer on science, astrophysics, ozenology.

Teacher-instructor for groups of students in the STEM workshops of the Spacers program.

Editor of Helion On Line magazine. Member of the Helion Club since 1980.

The original article (Helion) in Romanian can be seen here
The original article (Spacers) in Romanian can be seen here

            

Retrospective of the concert in Tübingen

HAPPY KEYS 2019

"IT HAPPENED HERE RIGHT IN FRONT OF MY EYES, LIVE"

How did you hear about the concert?

Till Kopper: "By Laurent himself when he agreed to come here in Tübingen on the synthesizer weekend Happy-Keys organized by the Synthesizer Stammtisch Stuttgart not only as a guest but also to play on the small stage together with Tommy Betzler. I was very happy about this promise, because I really like Laurent's music for a long time. It was immediately clear to me that together with Tommy he will be the highlight of the Saturday evening."

What motivated you to come?

Till Kopper: "As a co-organizer I was there the whole time anyway, so the question doesn't fit exactly to the circumstances. But the concert was for me the one hour in which I could really let myself go this weekend and just enjoy the music. I had been looking forward to meeting Laurent and Tommy in person long before and then to see them play live for the first time."

How did you feel during this performance?

Till Kopper: "Très bien! The anticipation was great, but the performance was even better than I had dared to dream. I had got goose bumps several times because of this for me so emotional music. I felt as if I had been there live at a lost, extremely well done Klaus Schulze Trancefer Tour concert in 1981. Everything was perfect. It was the concert that I would have loved to hear even then (1981). Of course it was not an attempt of a copy. It is the mood contained in Laurent's music that makes me think of 1981 works.

Tommy played on the e-drums wonderfully to the sequences and gave the necessary "pressure". The choir and string surfaces were the acoustic pads on which the solos played by Laurent on the virtual Minimoog then floated. These long solos were exactly what I love and know from the best time of the Berlin School, both in terms of sound and playing technique. And it happened here right in front of my eyes, live. For me it was a journey through time into an otherwise no longer existing special kind of music which is only partly described and sorted correctly with "Berlin School". Even today, a few months later, I still feel a joy to think back on this really very successful concert."

Till Kopper kindly asked Sequentia Legenda a few questions 🎤

Till Kopper: "When recording the first tracks of a new title, do you think rationally as a composer in structures and pre-planned sequences, or do you make your music above all from the emotion of the moment?"

Sequentia Legenda: "Between two titles, I let a little time go by. Then, when I feel this impulse that's going to lead me towards my keyboards, this desire to create, then the experimentation and research phase begins. I let myself go according to my feelings, by improvising, emotions take precedence at this stage of sound creation. Then, it's the real trigger, so I know that it's the real work of composition that begins, with the progressive implementation of a harmonic and rhythmic structure. Once again, I am pleased to say that my music is the result of my emotional language that I share with sincerity and passion."

Till Kopper: "When was the last time you got goose bumps listening to music? And what kind of piece was it?"

Sequentia Legenda: "I'm a sensitive person, and the album "Spirit of Eden" by the band Talk Talk remains for me a special listening moment. I think back to my army year when I was listening to this music on the train. Today I find that this fantastic opus hasn't taken a single wrinkle! I still get as much pleasure and emotion from listening to this unique sound atmosphere with the passage of the choirs which still gives me goose bumps.
And finally, very recently, it's a title suggested directly by Youtube while I'm going through a difficult period in my life, with obstacles thrown in an inconsiderate way to undermine the union that binds me to Valentin, my youngest son who suffers from autism. It was a magnificent discovery with the title "Hallelujah" majestically interpreted by Mumi with his handpans. The emotions of the moment and this music gave me shivers."

"YOU LIVE THE MUSIC YOU MAKE WITH ALL YOUR HEART"

How did you hear about the concert?

Michael Kukat: "The event Happy Keys was organized by the Synthesizer Stammtisch Stuttgart, in which I regularly participate, so I was involved from the beginning and of course very excited about the acts we had planned."

What motivated you to come?

Michael Kukat: "To meet good friends, to meet some acquaintances I know from the net for a while, to meet them for the first time in real life, to meet new people, to have a nice chat and of course to enjoy the acts, to enjoy and be inspired by them. Distraction from everyday life with like-minded people."

How did you feel during this performance?

Michael Kukat: "I was absolutely thrilled. The music was great to immerse yourself in and dream along with and the emotions you put into this performance were stirring. One could feel that you don't just make music, but that you live the music you make with all your heart, that you are fully absorbed in it. Also the interaction with Tommy was a wonderful match. I could have continued to enjoy it for hours. What a power in our little private event! Keep it up, I'm already looking forward to the next time!"

Michael Kukat kindly asked Sequentia Legenda a few questions 🎤

Michael Kukat: "You mostly use software synthesizers on stage. Do you also have some hardware synths, maybe in a home studio? If so, which ones?"

Sequentia Legenda: "When I was 17, I had set up my first home studio in my parents' basement. Little by little, I surrounded myself with analog synthesizers such as the modular polyphonic PS 3200 from Korg, the MS20 with the SQ10 sequencer, the Oberheim duophonic, the ARP Odyssey to name the most important ones. With the advent of the MIDI standard, I separated analog instruments from digital machines. Currently, I work with carefully selected virtual instruments to meet my requirements. Indeed, I wish to get closer to the typical sound grain of the analog era. I imagine that the knowledge acquired during my youth about subtractive synthesis helps me to achieve this goal. It is not excluded that some hardware machines will be added to my current home studio. The little Moog Wekstatt already has its place ;)"

Michael Kukat: "Vinyl has a big comeback since several years, do you plan a Vinyl release in the near future?"

Sequentia Legenda: "This is indeed a recurring request. I will therefore have to look into this matter. I admit that I am tempted by the idea of a vinyl, but the production costs are still high. The idea of a participatory project remains an option. A project to follow."

Michael Kukat: "How do you prepare for your performances? Any special rituals or do you just let your flow take over?"

Sequentia Legenda: "I am a person who needs a minimum of security and a few days before a concert, I rehearse the songs that will be presented. I prepare my sessions, with a base and tracks defined in the perspective of Live. Playing on stage is different than in a home studio, each stage experience is unique. It's not possible to plan for everything, there's bound to be a bit of improvisation. The imponderables are part of this challenge, that's precisely what makes a concert so charming."

"I LIKED YOUR CONCERT IN TÜBINGEN"

How did you hear about the concert?

Hajo Liese: "Till Kopper and I (Hajo) have been making music together for a long time under the project name EL-KA (a pun (EL for Liese and KA for Kopper. Till had invited me to the concert."

What motivated you to come?

Hajo Liese: "Till and I live 650 KM away from each other. Concerts together are usually the result of spontaneous dates. So it was a great opportunity to make music with people of the same interest. We took the opportunity to rehearse three days before and to record a new projection."

How did you feel during this performance?

Hajo Liese: "Very good, a nice and also interested audience was present. Furthermore many old friends from Germany and Switzerland as well as from France came."

Hajo Liese kindly asked Sequentia Legenda a few questions 🎤

Hajo Liese: "I liked your concert in Tübingen very much and it was also very well received by the selected audience. Did you also feel comfortable with the quite manageable "Special Interest" audience or do you rather love a larger audience?"

Sequentia Legenda: "I was delighted to be able to play in front of an audience of connoisseurs, and the welcome I received allowed me to surpass myself. Every stage performance is a new experience in itself and it's good to live it. I don't really have a preference for answering your question, for me it is important to be able to feel at ease, to be able to soak up the atmosphere of the moment and to be able to answer it by giving the best of myself and thus to be able to share my passion with fervour and authenticity. The direct contact with the public is something unique and it is a chance to be able to live these privileged moments."

Hajo Liese: "In my opinion your music is very much based on Klaus Schulze, is that your intention?"

Sequentia Legenda: "I can't refute the influence of Klaus Schulze, his album Mirage was my real musical trigger. However, I have my own vision of the Berlin School which I share with passion and authenticity. Through my sound worlds, it is my heart, my soul that expresses itself. I have a deep respect for the founding members, the late Edgar Froese and my mentor Klaus Schulze, who gave the Berlin School its credentials. And, if I, in turn, can make my contribution to this beautiful musical movement, then my dream will be fulfilled."

Hajo Liese: "I would be very happy to hear you again at an upcoming event, is there something planned here?"

Sequentia Legenda: "Who knows, we'll see what the future holds for me. It would be a great pleasure. At the moment, a concert in the Netherlands is planned. My personal situation has unfortunately changed drastically and I will save some time and energy for my two sons."

  

Sequentia Legenda LIVE (Tübingen 2019 +HD Trailer)

  

The first track is "THE APPROACH" presented during this concert is from the double album "EXTENDED"

from EXTENDED, released September 20, 2016

Keyboards: Laurent Schieber (Sequentia Legenda)

Drums: Tommy Betzler
«The integration of Tommy’s rhythm part brings a new dimension to this title. His drums support Laurent’s sequences in a ramp-up leading to a climax of sound. This then leaves space for a floating conclusion where only a few gongs disturb the atmospheric serenity of the final reverie.» 

            

www.sequentia-legenda.com

Trois questions sur " Solitudes Lunaires "

Pouvez-vous nous expliquer ce voyage en apesanteur ?

UNE SOURCE D'INSPIRATION ET D'ÉVASION

Thierry Moreau : " Avec ton titre " Solitudes Lunaires ", tu rends hommage à Jules Verne, peux, tu nous expliquer ce voyage en apesanteur dont la substance nous évoque à bien des égards l'hommage à Franck Herbert " Dune " de Klaus Schulze. Tu nous invites à l'introspection lunaire ? "

Sequentia Legenda : "J'ai beaucoup d’admirations pour Jules Verne et il me tenait à cœur de lui rendre hommage. Il est à mes yeux un conteur de rêve, un astronome, un professeur de géographie, un aventurier. En lisant ses voyages extraordinaires, c’est tout un univers onirique qui s’ouvre à moi et qui nourrit avec délectation mon imagination. C’est une source d’inspiration et d'évasion. Solitudes Lunaires est un clin d’œil à "Autour de la Lune ". Lorsque j'avais dix ans, je voulais tout comme lui devenir écrivain ! Mes favoris : " De la Terre à la Lune ", " Voyage au centre de la Terre " et " Vingt mille lieues sous les mers ".

Voici un extrait de " Autour de la Lune " : " [...]Le projectile a dû atteindre la Lune au moment où elle était pleine, le 5 à minuit. Nous voici au 11 décembre, ce qui fait six jours. Or, en six fois vingt-quatre heures, sans obscurité, on a le temps de s’installer confortablement. Il me semble que je les vois, nos braves compatriotes, campés au fond d’une vallée, sur le bord d’un ruisseau sélénite, près du projectile à demi enfoncé par sa chute au milieu des débris volcaniques, le capitaine Nicholl commençant ses opérations de nivellement, le président Barbicane mettant au net ses notes de voyage, Michel Ardan embaumant les solitudes lunaires du parfum de ses londrès[...] ".

La littérature et la musique ont des analogies, notamment celle de faire voyager, de faire rêver. Jules Verne a su avec brio faire voyager ses lecteurs, avec cette composition, il était important pour moi de transporter les auditeurs vers une introspection lunaire.

Les chœurs séraphiques, les sonorités scintillantes, les nappes lointaines contribuent à l’ambiance lunaire. La texture rythmique est créée par les oscillateurs du Minimoog poussés en auto-oscillation. L’ensemble est amplifié avec des temps réverbération assez long et des échos stéréophoniques. Les boucles de notes sont comme une suite de mots, racontant une histoire, décrivant le paysage sonore : les mers, les vallées, les cratères, les mystères et la douce clarté solaire. L’imagination joue un grand rôle dans l’interprétation.
Alors, pourquoi ne pas se laisser aller à imaginer le chant des Sélénites accompagnant cette musique lunaire ? Libre à chacun d’interpréter ce poème musical, de vivre à sa façon l'exploration méditative de ce monde sélénique.

Pour la petite anecdote, mon fils aîné, à l’écoute de cette pièce avait écrit ceci : " Papa, lorsque j'écoute cet extrait, j'ai l'impression d'être tout seul sur la Lune ! ".

Et enfin, je tiens à dire, que je suis honoré de savoir que mon titre dans sa substance puisse ainsi être comparé à l'album " Dune " de Klaus Schulze. "

UN MOTIF SONORE EN PERPÉTUEL MOUVEMENT

Thierry Moreau : " Ton travail alterne une ligne mélodique et une séquence qui nous guide vers un voyage, comptes-tu faire un album complet en hommage à l'univers de Jules Verne ou à un roman en particulier ? "

Sequentia Legenda : " Cette alternance peut être comparée aux marées provoquées par la Lune, c’est une trame sonore en perpétuel mouvement, qui va et qui vient tout en s’amplifiant, en se métamorphosant subtilement. Elle berce l’auditeur dans l’espace sonore. Les séquences, elles aussi, sont évolutives, formant des combinaisons, des constellation, s’entremêlant et se confondant dans l’atmosphère globale.

Créer un album en hommage à Jules Verne est en effet une idée intéressante. À voir... "

UNE INVITATION AU RÊVE, AU VOYAGE, À LA MÉDITATION

Thierry Moreau : " Ton imprégnation de la Berlin School est évidente et tu es identifiable immédiatement, ne crois tu pas que la charge émotionnelle qui se dégage est due en partie au fait que tu aimes inviter les gens aux voyages ? En l'occurrence chez Jules Verne ici ? "

Sequentia Legenda : " En dehors du fait que ma musique soit une invitation propice au rêve, au voyage, à la méditation, je pense que les auditeurs perçoivent au travers de mes compositions ma sensibilité, mon authenticité, ma vision d’une Berlin School épurée.

Je partage mon langage musical avec passion et bonheur. Pour profiter pleinement des univers sonores, il faut se donner du temps, se mettre dans de bonnes conditions d’écoute. Par la suite, c'est une association d'émotions qui s'opère et l'immersion pourra alors être vécue pleinement. "

  

Le titre SOLITUDES LUNAIRES a été revisité et remastérisé spécialement pour cette occasion. Les chœurs du Mellotron ont été ajoutés. Le Minimoog est présent pour la partie finale.

Une cymbale est venue soutenir les impulsions rythmiques des oscillateurs en auto-oscillation.

La durée est légèrement plus longue que la version originale du double album " EXTENDED ".

Selenic world 0:00 à 10:08
Electric blue glow of Aristarchus 10:08 à 11:44
Mare Tranquillitatis 11:44 à 18:08
The mysterious side of the Moon 18:08 à 22:56
Mare Serenitatis 22:56 à 26:38

SOLITUDES LUNAIRES

Thierry Moreau
est un graphiste, doué d'une grande sensibilité, un amoureux des arts et de la culture. Un homme ouvert et généreux – un artiste.

Il est issu des Beaux Arts. Il a exercé dans des studios de création et agences de communications. Il a travaillé pour des Labels de disque et pour la presse musicale spécialisée. Il a enseigné dans les Arts Appliqués et Arts Plastique

Thierry Moreau website

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