DECEM A Decade of Musical Vision

Ten Years of Open Hearted Musical Sharing

A Decade of Musical Vision
Celebrating the Journey from BLUE DREAM to DECEM

Introduction

The Birth of a Dream: Ten years have passed since that memorable day on December 27, 2014, when I first unveiled my musical vision with BLUE DREAM. At the time, this album contained only one track of over 33 minutes: FLY OVER ME. Later, my first album quickly expanded with two more tracks to take its final form. A few months later, it was released as a CD, marking a decisive turning point in my artistic evolution. The creation of this album, particularly for the track FLY OVER ME which required sixteen months of work, was an intense commitment. The warm and enthusiastic reception from the public confirmed the relevance of my artistic expression.

An Enriched Discography: Since then, I have enriched my discography with thirteen additional albums, available in both physical and digital formats, and others only in digital format. I have had the chance and the joy of collaborating with talented artists such as drummer Tommy Betzler and Kurz Mindfields (Jean-Luc Briançon). Moreover, my music has been highlighted by magazines like iO Pages and by renowned radio shows such as La Planète Bleue hosted by Yves Blanc. These collaborations and recognitions have validated my work while adding further depth to my art.

The Dawn of a New Decade: Most recently, the release of the album DECEM on December 27, 2024, exactly ten years after BLUE DREAM, marked a decade of my musical, human, and spiritual journey. This album celebrates the continuous evolution of my artistic, human, and spiritual expression. DECEM is not only a reflection of my past but also a light projected into the future, embodying the maturation and constant expansion of my music and spirituality.

 

DECEM – A DECADE OF CREATION
Exploring Musical and Spiritual Evolution

The Essence of the Tenth Anniversary: DECEM, which means "ten" in Latin, is a jubilee album that evokes completeness: ten years of work, passion, sharing, and presence on the Berlin School scene. It is an important milestone, reflecting both the past and the anticipation of a creative future. This album is an invitation to an introspective journey, a connection with the universal, an awakening, a spiritual resonance, going beyond a simple artistic appreciation to reach something deeper, more transcendent, more sacred.

Musical Harmony: DECEM explores a variety of sound textures, always in line with the principles of vibrational harmony that I cherish. The three sound universes are composed using the 432 Hz frequency, known as the heart frequency. This pure frequency is in total harmony with our inner self, nature, and the universe that envelops us. Each note, each harmony is designed to resonate with the vital energy of listeners, creating a unique immersive experience.

Spiritual Elevation: My journey has also been marked by a profound spiritual evolution, which is an integral part of my musical ascent. Music has become for me a means to share all my sensitivity, a source of soul elevation. Through DECEM, I seek to transmit these elevated spiritual vibrations, allowing everyone to feel this beneficent energy. DECEM represents both an achievement and a new beginning, symbolizing the constant evolution and artistic maturity reached over time, while incorporating this spiritual dimension.

Nature's Inspiration: Finally, Mother Nature and Terra deeply inspire me. Nature is an inexhaustible source of serenity and vitality, influencing my creations and bringing essential harmony to my compositions. The deep connection with the Earth nourishes my creative spirit and strengthens the bond between music and the surrounding environment, thus creating a perfect symbiosis between the natural world and the sound universe. The pure and crystalline energy of nature in the service of music creates a unique and transcendental experience, a true celebration of life and the universe.

HEARTFELT TESTIMONIALS AND GRATITUDE
Exploring Musical and Spiritual Evolution

Heartfelt Testimonials: The touching testimonials from my listeners confirm the validity of my musical and spiritual evolution. Some have said: "It's amazing, your music intoxicates me, it's as if you added harmonies and sounds that are hypnotic." or "For me, Sequentia Legenda's music has a unique power: it exudes a deeply positive spiritual energy." What could be more beautiful than such comments? Knowing that my music can have therapeutic effects delights me profoundly.

A recent testimonial from Frans Lemaire about DECEM shared: "Each time I hear the music of Sequentia Legenda, I feel close to Klaus Schulze. Your style and flavors make me happy."

A Decade in Retrospect: DECEM marks a decade of my musical and spiritual journey and represents a retrospective of my evolution. Each track is a celebration of the experience, growth, and transformation I have undergone over the past ten years. The philosophy of DECEM is anchored in:

• Harmony: the quest for harmony,
• Serenity: serenity,
• Connection: and connection with universal energy.

This album seeks to capture and convey the positive vibrations and beneficent energies that have accompanied me throughout my journey. It reflects my mission as a vibration carrier and Lightworker, aiming to bring peace and healing through music.

Gratitude and Tributes: I want to express my deep gratitude to my two sons, whose unwavering support and love have been a constant source of inspiration. I also thank Tommy Betzler for his precious collaboration and incredible talent that have enriched my music over the years. To all the listeners who believed in my musical vision and supported me throughout this journey, thank you from the bottom of my heart. Your loyalty and encouragement are invaluable.

And finally, I wish to pay tribute to those who have changed dimensions, especially my dear Mother, Nathalie my first wife, and Klaus Schulze, whose influences continue to resonate in every note of my music. You remain forever in my heart and mind🙏

Towards a Bright Future: Looking to the future, I am filled with enthusiasm and hope. Together, let's continue to explore and celebrate the infinite beauty of music and the universe.

Laurent Schieber (Sequentia Legenda)

 

 

            

The "shared" interview with Stéphane Rousset

Here is the first of the series of "shared" interviews.
It is Stéphane Rousset who inaugurates this new section,
he is the one who had the idea of semi-cryptic questions
consisting of one word or a very short sentence.

Sequentia Legenda: Spirituality?

Stéphane Rousset: I respect those for whom this is central, but I must confess to being ignorant and a tad insensitive in this matter: I do not practice meditation, and I am neither religious nor mystical. I'm quite rational and analytical, like "if it's not measurable, it doesn't exist"! But then, since we're in a musical context, how do I explain the emotions that certain pieces of music evoke in me? I'm not talking about nice little emotions like choruses of ditties that we enjoy humming; I'm talking about really strong emotions, I'm talking about crying when listening to certain crescendos, certain passages, even certain chords. Is it similar to mystical ecstasy, is it a kind of trance? I'm also talking about more serene emotions, those that slow progressions or harmonically rich layers carry within them; AU REVOIR is a perfect example, THE APPROACH too (the layers behind the sequences), Bayreuth Return by Klaus Schulze too.

Problem: none of this is measurable. And yet, I know it and I live it, therefore it exists. Mmm...


Sequentia Legenda: Nature?

Stéphane Rousset: I may be a city boy, I may not know when the beetroot is harvested, but I know and feel the beauty of nature. I can sit on a stone wall in the vineyards of Lavaux, with Lake Geneva below and the Alps in front, and simply soak up this absolute beauty. I can gaze at the Aletsch glacier, doing nothing but feeling its majesty. At the same time, I am deeply saddened to see glaciers disappearing; I am deeply concerned about our blindness as a human species to the climate collapse that is upon us; if I had depressive tendencies, I would be in the deep end. So yes, I've stopped flying since 2018, I've sold my car, I've almost become a vegetarian, I recycle in every sense, and all this without any problem, but the bigger issue is elsewhere: what are we doing about the daily criminal acts of the fossil fuel industry? What are we doing about the fact that our governments are not treating the climate emergency as an emergency?

“And what about music?”, you might ask. Ah yes, well, you didn't know what the word nature would trigger in me...! But if your synths all run on electricity from renewable sources, Sequentia Legenda's music will be all the more in tune with the Universe.

Sequentia Legenda: Trains?

Stéphane Rousset: I have always loved riding trains. I can still hear the clackety-clack of the wheels on the unwelded rails of my childhood. And then between Paris and Lausanne, there was the Trans-Europ-Express, so, ten years later, a Kraftwerk connection (even if my discovery was earlier, with Autobahn).

But I think it was above all this clackety-clack that taught me about sequences, about superimposed loops; because there was not only the clackety-clack of one bogie, there were those of the neighbouring bogies, which were necessarily out of sync and of different tonalities. In short, car bogies were the ancestors of sequencers! And my imagination embroidered on it, grafted loops that didn't exist, added a mellotronic melodic topping, the whole thing evolving in slow motion, in line with the length of the journey.

Are we far from the infinities of space?
Are we far from Berlin? Not so sure.


About Stéphane Rousset: Hello, my name is Stéphane, I live in Lausanne, in the French-speaking part of Switzerland, on the banks of Lake Geneva and opposite the mountains of Haute-Savoie (French Alps). I was born here (a long time ago... 67 years ago), it's my home, even if I did my primary school in Paris and three years of university in the USA. I learned physics in Switzerland, electricity and computer science in California, and then I "made a career" in the ICT (information and communication technology) industry, climbing the ladder, and adding three beautiful, now grown-up children to humankind with my wife.

My priority now, my absolute priority, is the fight for the climate emergency, without forgetting my grandson (fifteen months old), of whom I am completely gaga. Climate change is serious, I don't want my mother, my grandson, my relatives to die prematurely during a forty-degree heat wave. But we are driving at 100 km/h into the wall, and it is a hundred metres away (for you Americans, that’s driving at about 60 mph towards a wall 300 feet in front of us). So I act, I really dedicate myself to it.

Music gives me strength, intense emotions and balance, and has done so since I was a teenager. The list of influences would be very long, but without thinking I would say Magma, Crimson, Glass, Stravinsky, Can, Schulze, Floyd, Genesis, Zeppelin, Portishead, Gainsbarre, ah I'm told that I'm running out of time. But I won't be prevented from mentioning Sequentia Legenda, which bathes me almost daily. Thank you to La Planète Bleue / the Blue Planet radio show (one broadcast in 2015)... And thank you to Laurent for enriching the Berlin School in this way, even now.

 

Stéphane Rousset: The place that inspires you?

Sequentia Legenda: For me, nature is the place of all inspirations, allowing me to develop my ideas, to vivify my creativity. Walks amid Mother Nature give me happiness, relaxation and a chance to recharge my batteries. It is a pleasure to hear the rustling of leaves in the wind, to listen to the many birdsongs, to be able to soak up the soothing murmur of a stream, or simply to revel in the timeless purity of silence.

I also like to regenerate and find inspiration in trees and rocks. For example, one of my favourite places is the Taennchel massif, a highly vibratory place not far from my home.

Nature is an invaluable source of kindness and creativity.

Stéphane Rousset: La Planète Bleue (The Blue Planet)?

Sequentia Legenda: La Planète Bleue is an interesting radio programme that is broadcast all over the world and which, in my opinion, is worth a visit. For many years, it has been feeding listeners with a rich and wide range of music, as well as with carefully selected articles. Yves Blanc selects and writes the content of his programmes with great care to offer a qualitative and constantly evolving programme.

As far as my music is concerned, it has been played regularly on this programme, notably at the conclusion of the 999th broadcast with SOLITUDES LUNAIRES (Lunar Solitudes), for which I am infinitely grateful. Yves Blanc also presented a preview of the double album EXTENDED (http://sequentia-legenda.blogspot.com/2017/04/yves-blanc-presente-extended-dans-son.html). Moreover, being present on the collector's CD "La Planète Bleue Volume 9" (The Blue Planet, volume 9) with my track VIBRATIONS was a great consecration for me. It was a pleasure to meet Yves and to discuss with him about music of course, but also about many other subjects.

I take this opportunity to share an article from the luminous pen of Yves Blanc: "Almost all soaring music is made up of three elements: synth layers, sequencer loops... and solos... often very boring, I must admit. Sequentia Legenda has the intelligence and sensitivity to build its music - strictly instrumental - on the first two elements only: the layers and the loops. In his compositions, no dripping solo, no boring solo, but layers of great sophistication, in constant evolution, and loops, also in permanent evolution, sometimes of great complexity, even if they always have the appearance of the obvious."

https://laplanetebleue.com/fr/recherche?q=sequentia+legenda

Stéphane Rousset: Wahnfried or Crystal Lake?

Sequentia Legenda: Without any hesitation: Crystal Lake!
Crystal Lake really means a lot to me. This timeless track by Klaus Schulze was a real revelation, I fell in love with the Berlin School. I would like to take this opportunity to thank my late mother, who allowed me to discover this mythical album of Klaus Schulze, "Mirage". I was about fifteen years old at that time, and I had also discovered new and fascinating instruments for me: synthesizers and sequencers.

I can't count the number of times I have been lifted by the unique and intoxicating atmosphere of Crystal Lake, to experience extraordinary and imaginary journeys. Even today, I still enjoy this universe and I always discover new subtleties. I never tire of it, it is timeless, my whole being is transformed when I listen to it. Looking back, I can say that in addition to the instrumental textures and other sumptuous sonic facets, it was the high precision work of the sequences that fascinated me. The loops generated by the sequencers simply mesmerised me!

And if I were to leave one day for a desert island or another planet and could only take one album with me, it would be Mirage, without any hesitation.

I would like to take this opportunity to share an article that appeared on my Blog: https://sequentia-legenda.blogspot.com/2017/06/mirage-my-musical-love-at-first-sight.html

I thank Stéphane for this beautiful exchange.

Trailer of the next musical opus of Sequentia Legenda :
ALCYONE

 ALCYONE Sequentia Legenda - Berlin School music

🙏☀️🙏 ALCYONE is the expression of my Heart and my Soul, it is a sharing from Heart to Heart. I hope that this opus will nourish your dreams, your hopes and will allow you to travel and rise towards a celestial world bathed in a soft and radiant light. This opus is composed of 3 tracks tuned to 432 Hz (Around the Great Central Sun, The Ring of Golden Light, Bon Voyage) plus a bonus (Love feeds Love).

Available from 12 May 2023 in CD pressing and in dematerialized version.

– Love Feeds Love –

 

 

            

🎼 The sequencer my favorite tool 📶

My vision of sequencing: loops in perpetual evolution

My first sequencer was the Korg SQ-10

I had made its acquisition during a trip to Paris may be some time after I bought the
Korg MS-20. The two "brothers" lived together for my greatest happiness in my home studio in my parents' basement. Together with the tape echo chamber RE201 Roland, I made my debut by developing my sequences. The setting up of the loops with the SQ-10 was really complete and intuitive. For example, it was interesting to modulate filters and envelopes by generating three different voltages at the same time. The 3 channels, the 12 steps and the 6 modes were for the time a beautiful technical prowess that I could enjoy.

Oberheim's mini sequencer

Another instrument, the Oberheim Two Voice had a mini sequencer. Despite its eight programming steps available, the mini sequencer was convenient and pleasant for a fast search of small sequential lines.

TVS1, the official model name of the 1974/75 Oberheim 2 voice or OB2 / ob-2 (obie two)

Here too, the association of the Oberheim with the echo chamber RE201 Roland made the result convincing and interesting.

Today, I work with virtual instruments

VST's allow me to express myself completely and freely. Sometimes I use various sources to create my loops, such for example as the Moog Modular sequencer from Arturia.

The sequences come to life

In addition to the search for tones, I attach great importance to the symbiosis of the different sequential loops. I particularly like to make them live and grow all along a track to make them sometimes even "organic". The complementarity of the sequences is also an element that is particularly close to my heart.

The sequences can be used as a structure and/or as the main and/or secondary
melodic line.

As far as the creation itself is concerned, it can do this by working on the parameters and potentiometers of a sequencer, or after having plated some pads chords that evoke my creativity and thus favour the realization of a loop, the reverse is also possible. I have also created note by note a sequence.

👦 I remember an anecdote when I was 16-17 years old and a sequence came to mind. I had phoned home, my youngest sister took the handset and asked her to take our tape recorder to record me. I then sang the loop of notes to save it on the cassette so that I could in the evening work on my analogue instruments of the time. 📼

  

The sequences can be fast or slow, shiny or deep, come and go, random, pizzicato or legato. They can also metamorphose, literally play the role of drums and be percussive. They are the fundamentals of my music. Whether it is with the instruments of yesteryear or today, I still have so much pleasure in sculpting and modelling loops. For me, the synthesizer and sequencer are inseparable.

  My vision of sequencing: loops in perpetual evolution

Berlin School pioneers Klaus Schulze and Tangerine Dream

In terms of reference, I would like to quote the Berlin School pioneers Klaus Schulze and the mythical band Tangerine Dream. I keep in mind my first listenings of the Mirage album with absolutely remarkable and timeless sequences. Crystal Lake obviously will remain for me a key moment in my musical approach, however I would like to point out that in the title Velvet Voyage, which is in my eyes more aerial, more cosmic, hides one of the most sumptuous sequences, so simple and so strong in terms of emotion. Congratulations!

For Tangerine Dream are the Rubycon and Ricochet albums that had marked me with their sequences with their characteristic timbre.

Testimonial Yves Blanc (La Planète Bleue)

«Most of the spacey music is made of three components : synth pads, sequencer loops and (sometimes annoying) solos. Sequentia Legenda is intelligent and sensitive enough to create his - strictly instrumental - music with the first two components only:
the pads and the loops.»
 

Laurent Schieber (Sequentia Legenda) and Yves Blanc (La Planète Bleue)

«In his spacey compositions, where light meets minimalism, and fitted to dream and meditation, there is no room for flashy solo, no room for protruding showing-off,
instead the space is filled with highly sophisticated pads, perpetually changing and loops, themselves shaped in ever-changing patterns, sometimes highly complex,
even if they often seem obvious.»

Yves Blanc (La Planète Bleue)

👍ETHEREAL in the Top Ten at the Schallwelle Awards

It is an honour for me to be able to appear alongside Tangerine Dream,
Johannes Schmoelling and Mike Oldfield in this ranking.
I am delighted to know that my music is appreciated and recognized in Germany,
the country of the Berliner Schule.
[...]

More info here

            

www.sequentia-legenda.com

Carte Blanche à Sequentia Legenda

Un retour sur l'émission "Le BunKer" de Guy Devilla,
"Carte Blanche Sequentia Legenda"

 

Le Bunker par Guy Devilla

C'est le Vendredi 12 Février 2016 qu'eu lieu l'émission de Guy Devilla "Le BunKer", une émission spéciale puisque les 2 heures d'antenne furent allouées à Sequentia Legenda.

Présentation de l'émission : Retrou­vez un Bun­ker par­ti­cu­lier puisque Guy Devilla, qui pro­pose chaque ven­dredi soir sa sélec­tion de musiques élec­tro­niques alternatives laisse cette semaine carte blanche à Sequen­tia Legenda qui pro­pose sa musique atmo­sphé­rique, qua­si­ment pla­nante ins­pi­rée de la Ber­lin School.

Pen­dant deux heures retrou­vez cet artiste à l’actualité très riche : plu­sieurs pro­gram­ma­tions sur cou­leur 3 dans l’émission Yves Blanc « La Pla­nète Bleue », élu Album de la semaine par la radio ber­li­noise Modul303 et en liste pour une double nomi­na­tion au Schall­welle Awards 2016 en tant qu’Artiste inter­na­tio­nal 2015 et pour l’Album inter­na­tio­nal 2015. Il est éga­le­ment en lice pour les Mur­mures d’or 2015 sur la radio qué­bé­coise Mur­mures du son !

 

Guy Devilla "Le BunKer" Carte Blanche à Sequentia Legenda

Comment l'idée d'une Carte Blanche à vue le jour ?

Explication de Guy Devilla (Animateur Radio) : "C’est en écoutant mon émission radio préférée « La Planète Bleue » d’Yves Blanc, que je découvre avec un grand étonnement la programmation d’un artiste mulhousien ! Sequentia Legenda, de la berliner school ! Une première et une aubaine !

Étant moi même Dj - animateur d’une émission de musiques électroniques, ce fût une évidence pour moi de chercher à rencontrer ce musicien .

Nous avons fait connaissance autour d’un verre dans un bar de la ville et tout naturellement, une idée d’une carte blanche dans mon émission s’est imposée.

Mon objectif était de faire découvrir le talent de notre artiste local !!

Mission accomplie !"

Laurent Schieber (Sequentia Legenda) dans les studios de Radio MNE en 2016

  

            

www.sequentia-legenda.com

 

 

A return on the title VIBRATIONS

A RETROSPECTIVE ON MY TITLE VIBRATIONS
"He swims and whirls"

CRYSTAL LOOPS AND VIBRATORY WAVES

It is indeed a very precise part of FLY OVER ME which served as starting point.
The atmosphere consists essentially of crystal loops which move,
oscillating like vibratory waves.
The chords in the B minor tone, as well as the basses, support the sequences that give the cadence. Here, not percussion, but a few voices mingle with the whole.

 

Laurent Schieber (Sequentia Legenda)

THE HEART OF THESE TWO UNIVERSES

"We remember these delicate arpeggios which rang at Crystal Lake's opening?
We remember this second draft of Mirage in Big in Japan?

The introduction of VIBRATIONS plunges us right in the heart of these two universes. We could downright speak about plagiarism if the track didn't sneak between both variations of FLY OVER ME and THE APPROACH. The execution is the same, only the ambiences differ. Here the synth pads always caress so warmly this delicate electronic staccato which amplifies its measure with as much subtlety as delicacy, whilst electronic chirpings of the beautiful Schulze's analog years come to peck at our ears and to awake soft memories of a time that will always stay in the firmament of the unconditional charms of EM. The proof? This wonderful obsession which surrounds the Sequentia Legenda phenomenon who, with an approach so candid, manages to put between our ears a thing for which we would never have hoped.

Three monuments of EM with variations on the same theme, BLUE DREAM is to the 2010's what Mirage was in the 80's."

Sylvain Lupari April 26, 2015

To the original review

A COMPLEX STRUCTURE OF SOUND

"Most space music is made of three components: synth pads, sequencer loops and solos (which can sometimes be too flashy and protruding). Sequentia Legenda is intelligent and sensitive enough to create his instrumental music with a perfect blend of the first two components only: pads and loops. In his spacey compositions, where light meets minimalism, and fitted to dream and meditation, there is no room for flashy solo, no room for protruding showing-off. Instead the space is filled with highly sophisticated perpetually changing pads and ever-evolving patterns of loops, creating a complex structure of sound."

Yves Blanc (La Planète Bleue)

MONUMENTAL TRIBUTE TO BERLIN SCHOOL LEGENDS

"[...]VIBRATIONS fires up the spectacle with its extended version. As far I remember, shorter edition of this composition was my fave piece on BLUE DREAM album. Persistently shimmering ear-tickling sequences exquisitely commingle with sublimely sweeping horizons and remotely percolating and oscillating cybernetic glimpses. Although without any significant modifications when comparing to the original version, it's still a truly triumphant piece paying monumental tribute to Berlin School legends.[...]"

Richard Gürtler (May 21, 2017, Bratislava, Slovakia)

To the original review

 

 

            

www.sequentia-legenda.com

Une révélation, un choc, un bumper ! Article d'Yves Blanc "La Planète Bleue volume 9"

Voici comment Yves Blanc présente Sequentia Legenda lors de la sortie du CD et du livre "La Planète Bleue volume 9"

Une révélation, un choc, un bumper !

Il y a des gens, vous en connaissez sûrement, dont la vie s'écoule régulièrement, sans accident, sans à-coup, presque sans surprise, sûrement sans trop de stress, sur un rythme régulier, bien réglé, bien huilé. D'autres en revanche connaissent une vie avec quelques rebonds, parfois des bifurcations soudaines, que ce soit dans leur vie personnelle ou dans leur activité professionnelle. Parfois les deux, d'ailleurs. Ces gens-là ont une vie évidemment plus agitée, plus rebondissante, ils se heurtent parfois à des espèces de bumpers qui les renvoient, qui les réexpédient soudain vers des directions nouvelles, complètement inattendues.

Sequentia Legenda (Laurent Schieber) et Yves Blanc

Ça a été le cas du compositeur dont j'aimerais vous parler aujourd'hui, camarades écouteurs : Sequentia Legenda. Le garçon est graphiste, il travaille dans un pays voisin. Un beau jour, il tombe sur un disque de Klaus Schulze, Mirage. Cette écoute est pour lui une révélation, un choc, un bumper justement. Suite à l'écoute attentive de ce disque, sa vie va prendre une nouvelle direction.

Il devient compositeur, très spécialisé dans un secteur pointu que les connaisseurs appellent la Berlin School, les musiques électroniques planantes (voir plage 11). En deux mots, il s'agit d'une musique électronique répétitive plutôt planante, apparue à Berlin au début des années 70, avec Tangerine Dream, Ash Ra Tempel, et Klaus Schulze, qui donnera naissance, des années plus tard, à la new age, à l'ambient, et à l'electronica. Qu'on l'appelle Kosmiche Musik ou Space Music, qu'il s'agisse de l'Ecole de Berlin ou de l'Ecole de Düsseldorf, plus percussive, plus rythmique, dont les fers de lance ont été Can, Kraftwerk et Neu!, qui ont influencé — certains disent inventé — la techno, toutes ces musiques ont deux choses en commun : elles sont allemandes et audacieuses.

Donc, quand Sequentia Legenda découvre Mirage de Klaus Schulze, sa vie rebondit. Il devient compositeur de musique électronique planante, et il a alors une démarche tout à fait originale. Car la quasi totalité des musiques planantes sont constituées de trois éléments : des nappes de synthé, des boucles de sequencer… et des soli… souvent très chiants, il faut bien l'avouer. Sequentia Legenda a l'intelligence, la sensibilité de bâtir ses musiques, strictement instrumentales, sur les deux premiers éléments seulement : les nappes et les boucles.



Dans ses compositions, aucun solo dégoulinant, aucun solo ennuyeux, mais des nappes d'une grande sophistication, en constante évolution, et des boucles, elles aussi en évolution permanente, parfois d'une grande complexité, même si elles ont toujours l'apparence de l'évidence. 


De Mulhouse, la Berlin School d'aujourd'hui, une musique spatiale, lumineuse et minimaliste, favorable au rêve : Sequentia Legenda sur La Planète Bleue.
 
Yves Blanc,
La Planète Bleue

Voici le lien vers la version originale.

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Journaliste, écrivain, producteur et réalisateur,
Yves Blanc arpente depuis 25 ans les meilleurs programmes radio / télé :

•     "Megamix" sur Arte,
•     "Culture Club" sur France Inter,
•     "Fondu Au Noir" sur Radio France,
•     "Les Aiguilles Dans Le Rouge" sur Radio Nova et Couleur3,
•     "Les Coins du Globe" sur RSR La Première,
•     "La Planète Bleue" sur Couleur3, Radio Nova, Radio Canada, Radio Monaco, Radio Ellébore et iTunes.

Il est l'auteur du roman Les Guetteurs du passé (Favre, 2010) et le beau livre La Planète Bleue, le livre (Georg, 2017). Il a été collaborateur permanent de Sciences et Avenir pendant quinze ans, ainsi que d'une douzaine de journaux en Suisse et en France, et dirige la collection de disques La Planète Bleue (neuf volumes parus). 

Lire la biographie sur Wikipédia.

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▶  La Planète Bleue website

▶  Yves Blanc présente EXTENDED dans son émission La Planète Bleue

▶  Sequentia Legenda Discography 

▶  Sequentia Legenda Reviews and Interviews

▶  Sequentia Legenda Youtube Playslist Reviews/Interviews/PodCasting 

 

Interview with Sequentia Legenda by Philippe Vallin

Interview with Sequentia Legenda by Philippe Vallin

(Clair et Obscur, June 2, 2016)

Sequentia Legenda : an ever-expanding musical world…

Philippe Vallin: "Coming from a far distant blue planet somewhere in the depths of our galaxy, Laurent Schieber (aka Sequentia Legenda) came to visit us Terrians two years ago only, with his excellent first album entitled Blue Dream. After landing on our little biosphere, this lover of synthesizers and 'Berlin School'-like spacey electronic music kept on making us travel in our inner cosmos, thanks to his well crafted work, strongly influenced by the master Klaus Schulze, whose footsteps he proudly treads in. We have met and interviewed this dedicated composer, whose aesthetics is halfway between tradition and modernity, within a musical genre that is far from having bade its farewell…"

C&O : Hi Laurent. You seem to play synthesizers and other sequencers for some time now. Where does this passion for « Berlin School » electronic music come from, and how to explain that Sequentia Legenda and his outstanding first album Blue Dream went to be issued in 2015 only ?

Sequentia Legenda : "It all started while listening to Klaus Schulze's album Mirage, when I was in my fifteens. I instantly fell in love with this music. This is how my love of Berlin School started. Since then, I kept on playing synthesizers. My music theory education and keyboard classes started in the back shop of a music store of my city. Soon my teacher realized how much I was interested in synthetic sounds, and music theory gave way to synthesizers' discovery. I was given the opportunity to handle the potentiometers of a mythical instrument: the famous Minimoog!

Years passed, and with them I purchased many electronic instruments. I started with analogical synthesizers such as Korg PS3200, ARP Odyssey, Crumar Multiman S, Oberheim Two Voice,  Korg MS20 and its sequencer SQ10, Polymoog, Roland SVC-350 vocoder. When MIDI appeared, I got rid of all the analogical stuff to step in the digital era with my first MAO software running on an Atari 1024 STF, together with new machines such as DSS1 Korg, TG77 Yamaha,  D110 Roland, Microwave Waldorf, K1M Kawai, and JD800 Roland.

Sequentia Legenda (Laurent Schieber) and analog synths. The Korg PS3200, Oberheim Two Voices, Crumar MultimanS, ARP Odyssey, Korg MS20 + SQ10 and more.

 
For a short period of time, I used to play keyboards for a local rock band. However, I prefered to play alone, training in the basement of my parents' house. The commercial music of the 80's hadn't any appeal on me. Spacey music was for me the musical path I wanted to follow. Therefore, I took the plunge only very recently. It became obvious that I had to unveil my work. I wanted to share with the world my musical vision and, through these compositions, also part of me. My first album Blue Dream was finalized end of 2014, after working for 16 months on it. I am a rigorous person, and this is one of the reasons why my first album was so long to see the light of day."

C&O : Your music is often compared to Klaus Schulze's, and not in a derogatory way actually. When listening to  Blue Dream, Vibrations, « Au Revoir » and Amira, it's true that the spirit of the german master seems to « float » above, a bit like a major influence that would never leave you. What would you answer? And how would you describe your own music to someone who never heard of you?

Sequentia Legenda : "I am often compared to Klaus Schulze, which doesn't bother me. In fact, Klaus Schulze was a pioneer with a new musical approach. I enjoy his work. He is undoubtedly one of those who embodies the best Berliner Schule. For me, he was a true revelation. I often listened to his works from Irrlicht in 1971 to En=trance in 1988.
If I had to introduce someone to my music, I would say it is atmospheric and spacey electronic music. An invitation to dream, a musical environment allowing for meditation. Through my compositions, I try to share my emotions, my sensitivity, in other words a part of me."

C&O : What other artists inspired you the most as a musician, but also as a music lover?

Sequentia Legenda : "In electronic realm, my influences lean towards Tangerine Dream, Kraftwerk, Vangelis or Jean-Michel Jarre. I am sincerely saddened by the passing of Edgar Froese. On a more general note, I am interested in classical music and more specifically symphonies : Wagner, Beethoven, Brahms, Berlioz or Smetana. As a music lover, I like U2, Pink Floyd, Tears For fears, Talk Talk, Depeche Mode or Marillion."

C&O : Can you tell us more about Extended, the new album you are working on. What can we expect with the coming magnum opus (magnum by the size at least!)?

Sequentia Legenda : "Extended will be a double album with five or six tracks. Some of the pieces will be long versions taken from Blue Dream and Amira. The single « Au Revoir » will also be included in its long version in this record. The pieces were rearranged, remixed and remasterised, longer versions will allow listeners to submerge themselves even more in the music. « Solitudes Lunaires » will be one of the two new tracks.


 

There will be also a first for me: a collaboration with german drummer Tommy Betzler on tracks « The Approach » and « Somewhere ». Tommy is not new to this musical genre as he backed Klaus Schulze on stage during his tours, and I am proud and happy to have him on board this project. For me, Extended is a thrillling experience on any level : both musical and human. The official release of this album is planned for September 2016."

EXTENDED Sequentia Legenda and Tommy Betzler

 
C&O : What inspires you when you record, and why do you create cosmic music?

Sequentia Legenda : "My musical inspiration can come from anything, it can be an image, a sound, an environment, an emotion. I also like to draw inspiration from novels, legends, pictures. I enjoy mysticism, mystery, nostalgia, imaginary world. Cosmic music is a passion. It's a real delight for me to compose and nothing else crosses my mind when I am in a composition session. I like to share my emotions through my music, make the listener dream and help him relax and escape a world in turmoil where everything has to go fast and follow standard criteria."

C&O : Do you compose during the day or by night?

Sequentia Legenda : "There is no rule actually, I just need to find a balance between my job, my family and my passion. As a family man, I spend some time with my kids. As a husband, I share some time with my wife, who was very comprehensive. I can compose when my wife works overnight, or in the morning when kids are at school.

The most difficult is to end a composition session. Time passes by so fast when I focusi on my music. My rigour makes my creation activity even longer. I even had to take some days off to finalize a piece. I already woke up in the middle of the night when musical ideas rushed in my head. It should be done in moderation though. Composition is a very particular step, very time-consuming and it's often difficult, both for the artist, and his relatives. It's all a matter of dosage. I am thankful to my family for their patience."


C&O : Which to day is the composition you are the most proud of, and why?

Sequentia Legenda : "It's hard to say. But I'd pick « Solitudes lunaires ». Although I went to compose this piece faster than usual, the result is quite compelling and, from a technical standpoint, I managed to bypass the use of a beatbox by turning oscillators of Minimoog in self-oscillation mode. I made this choice probably because it was my last creation. Otherwise, I really like « Somewhere ». Anyway, each track has its own history, its own flavour. I like what I do and I give the best of me." 

C&O : Do you plan any gig soon? For example, can we expect to see you on stage, alone or with other musicians, to promote the forthcoming double album Extended?

Sequentia Legenda : "I was indeed proposed to perform live on stage. I will think about the opportunities. I would like to combine sounds and images for any possible show. I really want to do it and slowly I am coming to see how it could work. Maybe I could play with Tommy on stage. Who knows ? We'll see." 


C&O : Your music is now released through the french label and organization PWM (Patch Work Music). Have more lovers of this quite secret musical genre learned to know you?

Sequentia Legenda : "My music can be bought through my bandcamp page, and also, as you mentioned, through PWM's webpage. I would like to thank all the team at Patch Work Music, they are welcoming, willing to help and promote the work of artists featured in their back catalogue. My albums are now available in Spain, Germany, Poland and The Netherlands. 

I am really happy about that. The audience is quite diverse and I was even surprised by a father who told me his 10-year old son was very enthusiastic and wished to get an autograph. 

Cosmic music is far from bidding its farewell !"  

C&O : C&O : What memories do you keep from SynthFest 2016, that you attended in Nantes this year?

Sequentia Legenda : "SynthFest is a great festival, organized by a handful of electronic music lovers. It's the gathering of instruments, collectors, fans and musicians. 

I met there some great people, like Jean-Luc Briancon (Kurz Mindfield) which music I really love, Pierre Salkazanov (Zanov), quite a nice guy, Bertrand Loreau, another fan of Klaus Schulze and a specialist of Polymoog, and last but not least, Olivier Briand, who was everywhere at the same time during this festival. 

Sequentia Legenda (Laurent Schieber) and the Fairlight CMI

It was also a time when I played the Minimoog for the first time in ages, and I also derived a lot of pleasure playing the Fairlight, another legendary instrument." 


C&O : A few technical questions now for those who are knowledgeable: what is the musical equipment you use the most? How do you switch from analogic to digital ? And do you have a preferred keyboard that you couldn't live without for all your future pieces?

Sequentia Legenda : "Arturia's Collection V is a tool I often use and Minimoog V is undoubtfully one of my favourite VSTs. After using a wealth of hardware synthesizers, my current compositions are made with VSTs. I might however return to hardware in the future, if only for stage performances." 


C&O : What do you think of today's electronic progressive scene (from France or elsewhere), and from a general standpoint, of other trends in electronic music?

Sequentia Legenda : "I have very few spare time to get to know what's new in electronic music. I follow from a distant mile the other trends in electronic music. I am not very keen on the new trends. Techno music and the related stuff don't inspire me for example. I keep following a more traditional approach and I pay special attention to sonic dosage. I find that tracks nowadays are in general very or too much compressed."


C&O : Are you up-to-date with your preferred musical genres? What are your last favourites? And if you are not up-to-date what do you listen to those days?

Sequentia Legenda : "Besides Jean-Luc Briancon's last and interesting albums, and the duo of Brückner & Betzler, I unfortunately don't have much time to listen and get an opinion on what other musicians create. I still listen to the great classic pieces by Klaus Schulze or Tangerine Dream, and also classical music or jazz on radio while driving. And I nearly forgot Yves Blanc's briliant show of Saturdays « La Planète Bleue »."


C&O : Since you like beautiful support in times of (sad) digitalization of music, can we expect one day the release of Sequentia Legenda album in real CD format, or in vinyl?

Sequentia Legenda : "I was indeed asked about vinyls, but there were very few of these requests. My music is mostly purchased in digital format. Selling CD(r)s allows the buyer to own the physicial support. I performed myself the written and graphical design of the Digipack (Blue Dream) and the Digifile (Amira). I want each project to be valued on both aesthetics and information levels. I am a person who keeps his feet firmly on the ground, I started prudently with CD(r), because the budget is quite different from a real CD pressing. If sales are good, then yes I will be able to turn to pressing formula."


C&O : Many thanks for taking the time to answer all those questions, and good luck to Extended, that we look forward to discovering ! Do you have perhaps a last word for readers of Clair & Obscur ?

Sequentia Legenda : "It was a shared pleasure and I thank Clair & Obscur for paying attention to my work. I believe in Berlin School, I am sure this musical trend has still a lot to say. And if this interview makes listeners curious about my music, I will be very happy. Thank you Philippe for your support all along my musical career." 

Interview by Philippe Vallin (June 2016)  





Philippe Vallin nous a quitté le jeudi 27 octobre 2016 à l’âge de 46 ans.
Mes pensées vont vers lui et vers ses proches.

Philippe Vallin

Repose en paix.






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