Sequentia Legenda Decade view by Renaud

Celebrating 10 Years of Sequentia Legenda
with the Album DECEM

10 YEARS OF SEQUENTIA LEGENDA
New Album DECEM Available December 27, 2024

As an artist of the Berlin School for now a decade, I have had the privilege of traveling musically and spiritually alongside many dedicated fans. Today, I am pleased to announce the release of my new album, DECEM, scheduled for December 27th, 2024, thus celebrating my ten years of presence on the musical scene.

I would like to share with you the reflections of Renaud Joly, an early listener living in Singapore, whose support and feedback have always been enriching both musically and humanly.

DECEM Trailer

THE MUSICAL EVOLUTION OF SEQUENTIA LEGENDA
As Seen by Renaud Joly

Laurent: Which Sequentia Legenda track or album has had the most impact on you and why?

Renaud: For me, The Return - experimental version, is one of the tracks that has touched me the most deeply. First, there is this unique sound, almost with an analog texture, which evokes a bygone era while maintaining a magical and timeless aura. This track evokes a certain nostalgia in me, like a gentle and profound reminiscence, but there is also a cosmic breath, a futuristic vision that blends with this nostalgia to create a fascinating sound universe.

From the first notes, the melody transports me, making me travel beyond the boundaries of reality. The captivating loops succeed each other, intertwine, and each new listening reveals subtle details that amplify the depth of this composition. The density of these elements creates an immersive soundscape, an almost tangible texture that invites contemplation.

Limiting the duration of this experimental version to just over ten minutes also makes it an ideal track for a meditative break in the middle of the day, a moment of recentring and rejuvenation. Then, the release of the extended version in 2001 brought a new dimension, further enriching the work, before the 432 Hz tuned version in 2022 came to sublime the whole. This latest version THE RETURN (Long version) is, in my opinion, the pinnacle of this composition, a major work, a peak of emotion and resonance.

 

Laurent: What aspect of Sequentia Legenda's music touches you the most and why?

Renaud: For me, Sequentia Legenda's music has a unique power: it emits a profoundly positive spiritual energy. It's difficult to describe precisely, but with each listening, the sounds, the loops, and all the sonic elements seem to awaken parts of the mind, opening the doors to an inner journey without needing to move physically. It is an experience where one is transported while remaining grounded, a sound meditation that invites self-discovery.

This attentive listening becomes almost therapeutic, bringing real well-being, like a source of regeneration that allows finding serenity and balance. Sequentia Legenda's music, with its subtle texture and immersive structure, creates a space where one can recharge, feel inner peace, and reconnect with positive emotions.

Laurent: How would you describe Sequentia Legenda's musical evolution from the album BLUE DREAM to today?

Renaud: In ten years, many elements have evolved. First, on the sound side, there has been a quest for a more crystalline purity. At the beginning, the sound textures were perhaps denser, thicker, but over the albums, they have become increasingly refined, offering an improved spatial diffusion, in my opinion. The switch to 432 Hz has also accentuated this spatial dimension, making the listening experience even more immersive.

Furthermore, the sonic complexity has enriched over time. The progressive multiplication of instruments has given the music richness, depth, a bit like a space that initially contained a few elements and which, over the years, has filled with subtle details and a diversity of nuances.

Finally, the spiritual and contemplative aspect has asserted itself over this evolution. The whole creates something absolutely unique and authentic, a work that deeply touches and personally resonates, inviting an inner journey and intimate reflection.

A MESSAGE OF GRATITUDE, A HEART-TO-HEART SHARING
Before the Release of DECEM

Renaud: What were the most transformative or decisive moments for you over these ten years on the Berlin School scene, and how did they influence your musical evolution as well as your inner and transcendental journey?

Laurent: During these ten years, there have been some material and technical changes, but the deepest transformation is spiritual, and that's the one I want to highlight here. The awareness of composing only in 432 Hz was a crucial turning point for me. It's a step further towards a musical vision in harmony with our environment, nature, and the cosmos.

I find it essential to share regenerative vibrations, allowing listeners to freely escape in serene immersion. This approach has enabled me to create music that not only awakens the senses but also nourishes the soul, offering a truly transcendent experience.

It's a joy, a divine chance to musically share a bit of well-being, dream, and freedom – I now consider this one of my life's missions on this earth. I deeply thank my listeners for their continued support and connection with my musical vision. Their presence and encouragements motivate me to continue this spiritual and musical journey.

 

Renaud: How do you perceive the evolution of the Berlin School as a genre, and how does your music fit into or distinguish itself from it, especially in shaping your sound, rhythms, and other musical elements over time?

Laurent: For me, the Berlin School remains a rich and inspiring musical movement, with still great days ahead. Of course, it is difficult to compare the current Berlin School with that of the 70s, a time when pioneers like Klaus Schulze and Tangerine Dream laid the foundations of the genre. Over the decades, the genre has evolved, integrating new technologies such as virtual synthesizers.

Personally, I have always sought to stay true to the original spirit of the Berlin School, especially with the sound grain so typical of the analog era, while bringing my own vision, creativity, and sensitivity. My sound is characterized by immersive sound textures and hypnotic rhythmic sequences, reflecting my musical vision and personal evolution.

My goal is to capture the essence of the Berlin School while offering a unique, contemplative, and spiritual musical experience. The fusion of the old and the new allows me to create music that, I hope, resonates with today's listeners while honoring the genre's legacy.

My authentic and thoughtful approach is my humble contribution to the Berlin School. Every vibration and nuance of my music aims to deeply touch the listener's soul.

Looking Forward to DECEM

DECEM is set to release on December 27, 2024. This opus encapsulates a decade of musical and spiritual evolution, offering a unique blend that continues to highlight the essence of the Berlin School in an extended version. Journey and experience the transcendental sounds that have defined Sequentia Legenda. Mark this date on your calendars and let's celebrate together.

In conclusion:

I am deeply touched by Renaud's words and his perspective on my work. The listeners' feelings remain important to me; it's a heart-to-heart sharing. And I am delighted to learn that my soundscapes can provide serenity and well-being for Renaud. Hearing that my music is somewhat therapeutic is a very nice compliment and a comfort.

For a complementary perspective, don't miss the article with Arnaud, where we explored the inspirations behind my compositions and where Arnaud Joly shares his feelings on the key moments of my musical career. Read here.

While waiting for the release of DECEM, I also invite you to discover the DVD LIVE in EINDHOVEN, which captures the essence of our performance, Tommy Betzler and myself.

Thank you again for your continuous support.

Musicales Greetings,
Laurent Schieber (Sequentia Legenda)

 

 

            

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.

 

 

            

Patch Work Music from yesterday to today

The basic idea or concept behind PWM
could be summed up in one word: "Together".
Bertrand Loreau

A dedication from Klaus Schulze for GAMEA

PWM ITS ORIGINS, ITS PATH, ITS EVOLUTION
To understand the history of PWM,
you have to go back to the 70s

Sequentia Legenda : Can you tell us about the origins of Patch Work Musique? Its origins, its path, its evolution?

Bertrand Loreau : To understand the history of Patch Work Music (PWM), you have to go back to the 70s, when there was an association called les amis de Klaus Schulze, then GAMEA. This association brought together fans of the composer of Timewind, but not only. Christian Piednoir, Jean-Christophe Allier, Dominique Daviot and myself were active members of GAMEA (Groupe d'Animation Musicale Electronique d'Avenir).

GAMEA had had contacts with Klaus Schulze, thanks in particular to Pascal Bouchez, who was invited to Germany, with Klaus Dieter Mueller too, and finally with the Innovative Communication label. So in the early 80s I took it upon myself to import records from the IC label, created by Klaus Schulze, like the first Robert Schroeder records. In '82 or '83, this group of around 70 enthusiasts was struggling a bit, probably because we were young, students or people just starting out in the world of work, and we didn't have a lot of resources to organise or create projects. You have to remember what the world was like before the Internet: everything we could envisage doing involved exchanges by post and only, in extreme cases, by telephone, because communications outside the department were very expensive. It was still the early 80s when two members of GAMEA, Christian Jacob and Serge Leroy, wanted to create a new association that would develop GAMEA's activities with new ambitions. The creation of this new association was encouraged by the GAMEA board and its members were encouraged to join the new association: Crystal Lake. GAMEA was then dissolved. Olivier Briand, Lionel Palierne, Jean-Christophe, Christophe Martin, Michel Boegler, myself and others joined Crystal Lake and some of us even took part in a trip with Crystal Lake to Sheffield in 1985, to experience the UK Electronica electronic music festival, which enabled us to see or meet people like Mark Jenkins, Manuel Gottsching, Harald Grosskopf, Michel Huyen, Ian Boddy and Steve Joliffe.

You may also remember that musicians, including myself, who had been part of GAMEA, performed at a concert-festival in Chatenay Malabry, a day of electronic music organised by Crystal Lake, which introduced many people to the group Lightwave.

Bertrand Loreau - Chatenay Malabry concert 1985

In 1986, former GAMEA members and Crystal Lake members met up again at the Tangerine Dream concert at the Olympia, organised by the Parisian association, and had the chance to meet Edgar Froese, Chris Franke and Paul Haslinger.

It became clear after the Tangerine Dream concert that it marked the end of an era. Crystal Lake was developing its links with the Paris region, opening up more and more to new-age music, ambient, etc. and supporting the experimental music of Lightwave. Crystal Lake was gradually distancing itself from the fundamentals that people like Olivier Briand, Jean-Christophe and I were so keen on, and was increasingly favouring a fairly intellectual approach to electronic music which, in my opinion, was inappropriate for music that remains fundamentally simple, even when it is of high quality. Meanwhile, the passion for the synthesiser was still very much alive in the 80s in Nantes, and it was obvious that this effervescence would provoke initiatives. The first to take action was Nicolas Moreau, who decided to create the Association Pour La Recherche Musicale (A.P.R.M.). Nicolas, who was a musician as well as an engineer by training, had the idea of trying to bring together musicians from the world of classical music and that of the synthesiser, so that ideas for the invention of new instruments could be born. I have a vague recollection of a meeting with Christian Villeneuve, a composer and teacher at the Conservatoire.The A.P.R.M. organised an electronic music festival with concerts and an instrument showroom. (The Synthfest concept had already been invented.) Jean-Philippe Rykiel was invited to play, as were the groups Olaf Potorose (with Nicolas Moreau), Noa (with Christophe Poisson at EMS AKS), Krill (Lionel and Bertrand) and Didier Bocquet, who had released his first album. The festival, entitled 'Synthés Folie', was unique in that it took place over the course of an entire week, in several of Nantes' concert halls and in several of the city's districts. The Association Musique et Technologie (A.M.T.) was born a few months later with simpler ambitions, such as producing a fanzine and organising electronic music concerts. It published the journal AME and organised a concert day featuring a number of local personalities, including Christophe Martin de Montagu and his group Kito, Olivier Briand and his trio Synthax Error, and others. A.M.T. had a relatively short life, and the early 90s were characterised by a certain passivity on the part of Nantes' synthesiser enthusiasts. Olivier Briand and I had started producing records, notably with the MUSEA label, and we were probably concentrating a bit on ourselves. But something clicked when I read an article one day in 1994 or 1995 which tended to play down what Klaus Schulze had contributed to electronic music, and I rushed to Olivier Briand and told him: I rushed to Olivier Briand and told him: "I think we need to re-establish certain truths and to do that we need to recreate an association that will reaffirm the importance that Klaus Schulze has always had in electronic music, and which will say that he is the symbol of authenticity that inspires people of our generation of musicians. ". At the time, our friend Olivier Bégué was publishing the fanzine Rubycon, but in 1995 Olivier Briand and I agreed that the project of our new association would be a little different, promoting French productions as much as possible, without denying the influence of the real pioneers in the field of synthesizers.

Patch Work Music (PWM) was born and, in order to realise its ambitions, quickly set to work on a compilation album to affirm its project to promote French music. The association devoted a lot of energy to writing and distributing a high-quality fanzine: KS mag. The letters "KS" were a reference to Schulze, but also to "Keyboards and Sequencers".

Two years later, PWM had, unfortunately, fallen asleep. It was more than ten years before Olivier Briand, standing in my garden, told me he wanted PWM to wake up. His idea was for a website to sell our music online. Olivier was convinced that we had to take advantage of the new ways of consuming music, by making mp3 files available on the internet. Tired, or disillusioned with the work of the association, I eventually decided to follow Olivier in his project. I was going through a period of loss of musical inspiration and I thought that, after all, getting involved with and for others would give me the desire to create again. In the winter of 2009, I decided to invite a dozen or so musicians and friends to a meeting in August to validate the decision to create the PWM-Distrib website. We were counting on Samuel Vallé, musician and IT specialist, to build the site. Almost all the artists present agreed to share the cost of creating the site.

Olivier Briand - Synthfest 2012 in Nantes

The rest is history, with another milestone reached when PWM entrusted a complete overhaul of the site to David Perbal, also a musician and IT specialist. Patch Work Music also got back to producing newspapers. We created Minimag, La Lettre de Musique, Le Calepin, and the newspapers we know today. Synthfest is undoubtedly the culmination of a history of electronic music fan associations that began in the 70s, and which saw Klaus Schulze as the best representative of a certain conception of electronic music. However, while some people now see the festival as a celebration of electronic instruments, when I had the idea and laid the foundations for its organisation, the aim was for it to be a showcase for Patch Work Music, while also playing an educational and cultural role. When Olivier wanted the festival to be accompanied by concerts, we shared the idea that the festival should offer a stage to musicians who don't find many elsewhere. Today, the festival has taken a different direction, perhaps a necessary one, but its ambition is no longer the one we set out to achieve.

Synthfest 2016 in Nantes

PWM TODAY, ITS PHILOSOPHY, HOW IT WORKS
PWM could be summed up in one word: "Together"

Sequentia Legenda : Can you describe PWM today, its philosophy and how it works?

Bertrand Loreau : The basic idea or concept of PWM could be summed up in the word "Together". PWM would have no reason to exist if its project wasn't to bring together people who enjoy doing something together. Some people may think in terms of numbers: how many records do you sell? But is that what matters? I think the most important thing is to find in the association the listening, the desire, the sharing of emotions. The most important thing is not the figures, but the quality of the exchanges and the emulation that can come out of it. I often think that we can draw a parallel with what the Impressionist painters experienced at the beginning of the XXᵉ century. Founders of a school, they met, motivated each other together, I think. Was the most important thing for these painters to become celebrities or to advance their art?

Valentin at Synthfest 2017 in Nantes

WHAT COULD BE THE PWM OF THE FUTURE
Still looking ahead to great things

Sequentia Legenda : How do you see the association developing, its future, and what could the PWM of the future look like?

Bertrand Loreau : I think that Patch Work Music has done some great things, particularly with its publications, Synthfest, compilation albums and by supporting musicians to get them into international catalogues. While remaining attached to the physical record, I now believe that we need to diversify the means of staying in touch with fans of progressive electronic music so as not to disappear into the mass of available means of information. At the same time, however, I've always thought that it would be a mistake to try to please the many, at any price, by any means. I think that PWM will continue to exist if people feel that by going to PWM they are finding a certain kind of music and people who form a small community that defends a 'certain' kind of electronic music and certain values, such as the belief that nothing can replace the record that you take the time to discover.

I think that PWM will increasingly need to bring together musicians who are collectively involved in projects. Trying to adapt to current tastes by opening up to different genres would be the surest way of drowning in a plethora of offerings. On the other hand, I think we need to move beyond the idea that the common denominator between PWM musicians is the use of the synthesiser. Without going so far as to promote acoustic music, we can see that a musician who plays the piano is sometimes closer to the spirit of PWM than many people who play the modular synthesiser or the drum machine. For many people, electronic instruments have become toys. Playing electronic music is as much fun as playing tennis or Playstation.

At the moment I have an idea to create a PWM label, which would be a collaborative label. The idea would be to take the association's philosophy further. Perhaps PWM should also defend its identity - that of French progressive electronic music - by publishing works that go a bit further than a fanzine.

To conclude: I hope that others like myself will be leaders and manage projects. Motivation wears thin. Patch Work Music may come to an end tomorrow and its balance sheet will still be very positive, but it can still look forward to great things. You have to realise that anything that doesn't move forward, that doesn't take risks, that doesn't unite people around objectives is almost certain to disappear.

Sequentia Legenda : On behalf of all the musicians, I'd like to thank you very much for all the attention and energy you've shown, and for everything you've done for PWM.

(To the French version : https://sequentia-legenda.blogspot.com/2023/12/patch-work-music-dhier-aujourdhui.html)

To PWM

 

            

Patch Work Music d'hier à aujourd'hui

L'idée ou le concept de base de PWM
pourrait se résumer avec le mot : « Ensemble ».
Bertrand Loreau

Une dédicace de Klaus Schulze pour GAMEA

PWM SON ORIGINE, SON PARCOURS, SON ÉVOLUTION
Pour comprendre l'histoire de PWM,
il faut remonter aux années 70

Sequentia Legenda : Peux-tu nous parler de l’origine de Patch Work Musique ? Son origine, son parcours, son évolution ?

Bertrand Loreau : Pour comprendre l'histoire de Patch Work Music (PWM), il faut remonter aux années 70 au cours desquelles a existé une association qui s'est appelée les amis de Klaus Schulze, puis le GAMEA. Cette association réunissait des fans du compositeur de Timewind mais pas seulement. Christian Piednoir, Jean-Christophe Allier, Dominique Daviot, et moi-même, avons été des membres actifs du GAMEA (Groupe d'Animation Musicale Electronique d'Avenir).

Le GAMEA avait eu des contacts avec Klaus Schulze, grâce notamment à Pascal Bouchez, qui fut invité en Allemagne, avec Klaus Dieter Mueller aussi, puis finalement avec le label Innovative Communication. Ainsi je me suis chargé au début des années 80 d'importer des disques du label IC, créé par Klaus Schulze, comme les premiers Robert Schroeder. Dans les années 82 ou 83, ce groupe d'environ 70 passionnés végétait un peu cependant, sans doute parce que nous étions jeunes, étudiants, ou des gens qui entraient dans la vie active, et que nous n'avions pas beaucoup de moyens pour organiser ou créer des projets. Il faut se rappeler ce qu'était le monde d'avant internet : tout ce que nous pouvions envisager de faire impliquait des échanges par courrier postal et seulement, en cas extrême, par le téléphone, parce que les communications hors département coûtaient très chère. On était encore dans la première partie des années 80 quand deux membres du GAMEA, Christian Jacob et Serge Leroy, ont souhaité créer une nouvelle association qui développerait l'activité du GAMEA avec de nouvelles ambitions. La création de cette nouvelle association fut encouragée par le bureau du GAMEA et ses membres furent incités à rejoindre la nouvelle association : Crystal Lake. Le GAMEA fut alors dissout. Olivier Briand, Lionel Palierne, Jean-Christophe, Christophe Martin, Michel Boegler, moi-même, et d'autres, avons rejoint Crystal Lake et même, avons, pour certains d'entre nous, participé à un voyage avec Crystal Lake à Sheffield, en 1985, pour vivre le festival de musique électronique UK Electronica, qui nous permit de voir ou rencontrer des gens comme Mark Jenkins, Manuel Gottsching, Harald Grosskopf, Michel Huyen, Ian Boddy, Steve Joliffe.

On peut se rappeler aussi que des musiciens, dont moi-même, qui avaient fait partie du GAMEA, s'étaient produits dans un concert-festival à Chatenay Malabry, une journée de musique électronique organisée par Crystal Lake qui permit a beaucoup de découvrir le groupe Lightwave.

Bertrand Loreau - Chatenay Malabry concert 1985

En 1986 des anciens du GAMEA et des membres de Crystal Lake se retrouvèrent, une nouvelle fois, à l'occasion du concert de Tangerine Dream à l'Olympia, organisé par l'association parisienne, et eurent la chance de rencontrer Edgar Froese, Chris Franke et Paul Haslinger.

On comprit bien après le concert de Tangerine Dream que celui-ci avait marqué la fin d'une époque. Crystal Lake développait ses liens sur la région parisienne et s'ouvrait de plus en plus aux musiques new-age, ambient, etc. et soutenait la musique expérimentale de Lightwave. Crystal Lake prenait, progressivement, un peu de distance avec les fondamentaux auxquels des gens comme Olivier Briand, Jean-Christophe et moi tenions beaucoup, et privilégiait de plus en plus une approche assez intellectuelle de la musique électronique qui, selon moi, était inappropriée pour des musiques qui restent fondamentalement simples, même quand elles sont de qualité. Pendant ce temps là la passion du synthétiseur restait très vivante dans les années 80 à Nantes, et il était évident que cette effervescence provoquerait des initiatives. Celui qui tira le premier fut Nicolas Moreau qui décida la création de l'Association Pour La Recherche Musicale (A.P.R.M.). Nicolas, musicien, mais aussi ingénieur de formation, avait l'idée d'essayer de rapprocher les musiciens du monde classique de celui du synthétiseur pour que naissent des idées d'invention de nouveaux instruments. Je me souviens, vaguement, d'ailleurs, d'une rencontre avec le compositeur et professeur du conservatoire, Christian Villeneuve. L'A.P.R.M. organisa un festival de musique électronique avec des concerts et un lieu d'exposition d'instruments. (Le concept du Synthfest avait déjà été inventé.) Jean-Philippe Rykiel fut invité à jouer, ainsi que les groupes Olaf Potorose (avec Nicolas Moreau), Noa (avec Christophe Poisson à l'EMS AKS), Krill (Lionel et Bertrand) et Didier Bocquet qui avait sorti un premier disque. Le festival, intitulé « Synthés Folie », eut la particularité de se dérouler au cours de toute une semaine, dans plusieurs salles de concert de Nantes et dans plusieurs quartiers de la ville. L'Association Musique et Technologie (A.M.T.) est née quelques mois plus tard avec des ambitions plus simples comme celle de produire un fanzine et d'organiser des concerts de musique électronique. Elle publia le journal AME et organisa une journée-concert au cours duquel se succédèrent quelques personnalités locales, comme Christophe Martin de Montagu et son groupe Kito, Olivier Briand et son trio Synthax Error, etc. L'A.M.T. connut une vie assez courte et le début des années 90 fut caractérisé par une certaine passivité des passionnés nantais du synthétiseur. Olivier Briand et moi-même avions commencé à produire des disques, notamment avec le label MUSEA, et nous nous concentrions sans doute un peu sur nous-mêmes. Cependant un déclic se produisit avec la lecture d'un article, un jour de 1994 ou 1995, qui tendait à minimiser ce que Klaus Schulze avait apporté à la musique électronique et je me suis précipité voir Olivier Briand pour lui dire : « je crois qu'il faut rétablir certaines vérités et qu'il nous faut pour cela recréer une association qui réaffirmera l'importance qu'à toujours eu Klaus Schulze dans la musique électronique, et qui dira qu'il est le symbole de l'authenticité qui inspire les gens de notre génération de musicien.». A cette époque existait le fanzine Rubycon de notre ami Olivier Bégué mais, en 1995, avec Olivier Briand on a convenu que le projet de notre nouvelle association serait un peu différent en promouvant autant que possible les productions françaises, sans nier l'influence des vrais pionniers dans le domaine des synthétiseurs. 

Patch Work Music (PWM) était née et, pour concrétiser ses ambitions, a rapidement mis en chantier un disque compilation pour affirmer son projet de promouvoir la musique française. L'association a consacré beaucoup d'énergie à la rédaction et la diffusion d'un fanzine de haute qualité : KS mag. Les lettres « KS » faisaient référence à Schulze mais aussi à « Keyboards and Sequencers ».

Deux années, plus tard PWM s'est, malheureusement, comme endormie. Il se passa plus d'une dizaine d'années avant qu'Olivier Briand, dans mon jardin, me racontât son envie que PWM se réveille. Son idée était celle d'un site internet de vente en ligne de nos musiques. Olivier était persuadé que nous devions profiter des nouveaux modes de consommation de musique, par la mise à disposition de fichiers en mp3 sur internet. Fatigué, ou déçu du travail associatif, je finis cependant par me décider à suivre Olivier dans son projet. J'étais dans un moment de perte d'inspiration musicale et j'ai pensé, qu'après tout, se mobiliser avec, et pour les autres, me redonnerait l'envie de créer. Je décidai au cours de l'hiver 2009 d'inviter au mois d'août suivant une douzaine de musiciens environ, et des amis, pour valider la décision de créer le site PWM-Distrib. Nous comptions sur Samuel Vallé, musicien et informaticien, pour construire le site. Presque tous les artistes réunis acceptèrent ainsi l'idée de partager le coût de la création du site.

Olivier Briand - Synthfest 2012 à Nantes

Tout le monde connaît un peu la suite, avec notamment une autre étape franchie lorsque PWM confia une refonte complète du site à David Perbal, également musicien et informaticien. Patch Work Music a aussi renoué avec la production de journaux. On créa le Minimag, La Lettre de Musique, Le Calepin, et les journaux que l'on connait aujourd'hui. Le Synthfest est sans doute le point d'orgue d'une histoire d'association de fans de musique électronique qui a commencé dans les années 70, et qui voyait dans Klaus Schulze le meilleur représentant d'une certaine conception de la musique électronique. Cependant, si certains voient aujourd'hui le festival comme une fête des instruments électroniques, quand j'en ai eu l'idée et posé les bases de son organisation, l'objectif était qu'il soit une vitrine pour Patch Work Music, tout en jouant un rôle pédagogique et culturel. Quand Olivier souhaita que le festival soit accompagné de concerts, nous partagions l'idée que le festival devrait offrir une scène à des musiciens qui n'en trouvent pas beaucoup ailleurs. Aujourd'hui, le festival a pris une autre direction, peut-être nécessaire, mais son ambition n'est plus celle que nous nous étions donnée au départ.

Synthfest 2016 à Nantes

PWM AUJOURD’HUI, SA PHILOSOPHIE, SON FONCTIONNEMENT
PWM pourrait se résumer avec le mot : « Ensemble »

Sequentia Legenda : Peux-tu nous décrire PWM aujourd’hui, sa philosophie, son fonctionnement ?

Bertrand Loreau : L'idée ou le concept de base de PWM pourrait se résumer avec le mot : « Ensemble ». PWM n'aurait aucune raison d'exister si son projet n'était pas de réunir des gens qui ont du plaisir à faire quelque chose ensemble. Des gens peuvent raisonner en termes de chiffre ; combien de disques vendez-vous ? Mais est-ce cela l'essentiel ? Je crois que l'essentiel est de trouver dans l'association de l'écoute, de l'envie, du partage d'émotions. L'essentiel n'est pas dans les chiffres, mais dans la qualité des échanges et de l'émulation qui peut en sortir. Je pense, assez souvent, que l'on peut faire un parallèle avec à ce qu'ont vécu les peintres impressionnistes au début du XXᵉ siècle. Fondateurs d'une école, ils se rencontraient, se motivaient ensemble, je pense. Est-ce que le plus important pour ces peintres était de devenir des célébrités ou de faire avancer leur art ?

Valentin lors du Synthfest 2017 à Nantes

QUEL POURRAIT ÊTRE LE PWM DU FUTUR
Encore envisager de grandes choses

Sequentia Legenda : Comment vois-tu l’évolution de l’association, son avenir, quel pourrait être le PWM du futur ?

Bertrand Loreau : Je pense que Patch Work Music a fait de belles choses, notamment avec ses publications, le Synthfest, des disques compilation et en ayant accompagné des musiciens pour qu'ils entrent dans des catalogues internationaux. Tout en restant attaché au disque physique, je crois, maintenant, que l'on doit diversifier les moyens de rester en contact avec les fans de musique électronique progressive pour ne pas disparaître dans la masse des moyens disponibles de s'informer. J'ai toujours pensé, cependant, en même temps, que ce serait une erreur de vouloir plaire à beaucoup, à tout prix, par tous les moyens. Je pense que PWM continuera à exister si un public se dit qu'en allant chez PWM, il trouve un certain genre de musique et des gens qui forment une petite communauté qui défend une « certaine » musique électronique, certaines valeurs, comme celle de croire que rien ne remplace le disque que l'on prend du temps à découvrir.

Je crois qu'il faudra de plus en plus que PWM réunisse des musiciens qui s'investissent collectivement dans des projets. Vouloir s'adapter aux goûts actuels en s'ouvrant à des genres différents serait le plus sûr de se noyer dans une offre pléthorique. En revanche, je crois que l'on doit dépasser l'idée que le dénominateur commun entre les musiciens de PWM est l'utilisation du synthétiseur. Sans aller jusqu'à promouvoir des musiques acoustiques, on peut voir qu'un musicien qui joue du piano est parfois plus proche de l'esprit de PWM que bien des gens qui jouent du synthétiseur modulaire ou de la drum machine. Les instruments électroniques sont devenus pour beaucoup des jouets. On s'amuse à faire de la musique électronique, comme d'autres jouent au tennis ou à la playstation.

J'ai, en ce moment, une idée qui est la création d'un label PWM qui serait un label collaboratif. Il s'agirait de porter plus loin la philosophie de l'association. Peut-être que PWM devrait, aussi, défendre son identité - celle d'une musique électronique progressive française -, en publiant des ouvrages allant un peu plus loin qu'un fanzine.

Pour conclure : je souhaite que d'autres que moi soient des leaders et gèrent des projets. L'usure de la motivation nous guette tous. Patch Work Music peut s'arrêter demain et son bilan restera très positif, mais peut, aussi, encore envisager de grandes choses. Il faut se dire que ce qui n'avance pas, ne prend pas de risques, ne soude pas des gens sur des objectifs est à peu près sûr de disparaître.

Sequentia Legenda : Je te remercie infiniment au nom de tous les musiciens pour toute l'attention témoignée, l'énergie déployée, pour tout ce que tu as fait pour PWM.

(To the English version: https://sequentia-legenda.blogspot.com/2023/12/patch-work-music-from-yesterday-to-today.html)

Vers PWM