Interview

CURRY & COCO

The first taste of a hot band Sylvain and Töma of Curry & Coco look back on one year of a dazzling existence, rich in concerts. It is the occasion for them to explain their musical evolution and their projects.

Certified earthy products Curry & Coco: Sylvain (keyboard/vocals) and Töma (drums/percussions) A bloody year ! It is a year since Curry & Coco’s wild pop exists. In January, after the usual past year balance, the verdict is returned: a year’s gone, but not upon everyone. For our sweet and spicy duet, their victory at the contest organized by the association Bougez Rock has been a catalyst, of which the chemistry has been carefully controlled. Since their show at the Nuits Secrètes music festival (the prize for winning the contest), sharing the “jardin” stage with bands like Tokyo Sex Destruction, The Bellrays and Radio 4, the band has covered the main rock stages of Lille area in hardly three months: La Malterie, L’Aéronef, Le Grand Mix and La Cave aux Poètes. It is time, when our guys simultaneously release an E.P and apply for the preselection of the Printemps de Bourges festival (a major musical French event), to come back over a year of exotic mix and to catch a glimpse of their future. What best than an enormous success could I wish them during this greetings period ?

Le Guise: No need to come back on who is Curry and who is Coco… Sylvain: It is pretty pleasant ! Töma: It would be nice indeed !

“We had to play the two of us !” Le Guise: Personally, I don’t give a shit. However, how was this duo born ? You had already played together before ? Töma: You answer this kind of administrative questions (laughter) Sylvain: Curry & Coco was born in January 2006 after the death of the band The Soup, in which we used to play, and that was a trio. We made the decision to go on playing together. At first it was a drum and keyboard format. Then we thought “why bother burdening ourselves with other musicians when we’re having so much fun just the two of us”. Actually, a duo already existed within The Soup. It became evidence that we were two and that we had to play the two of us. Le Guise: Do you have a musical training ? Sylvain, at the beginning you were switching from bass guitar, to keyboard, then guitar. You are a true multi instrumentalist. Sylvain: We both took, like anybody who starts playing music, sol-fa lessons. I learned to play piano and drums. I then started to play guitar, by myself, because piano gives great facilities for melodic instruments such as guitar, bass guitar… Töma: I started with classic percussions and went on with drums. Le Guise: I went to six of your concerts between April and November. It is obvious that your style has been evolving quite a lot. How do you explain this turnaround from a multi instrumental band to a minimalist duo reduced to drums and keyboard ? Sylvain: Drums and keyboard for now ! Curry & Coco: (crescendo) for now, for now, for now… Sylvain: We are really not shut down to anything at all.

Le Guise: Why abandoning guitar ? Sylvain: It is a question of feeling when playing live. I had less fun playing guitar. Actually I really had a bowl playing keyboard when guitar appeared to me as overmuch. I really wanted to push, deepen the keyboard possibilities. Le Guise: An experimental volition ? Because at the beginning you only had a single keyboard… since then you bought new equipment ? Sylvain: We’ve been experimenting so many things since our debut and it is not over yet. We started to play with a basic keyboard. It is actually pure accident if I play it and if we have this sound. It is an Antonelli keyboard, and someone gave it to me in a yard sale. When we started, Töma had his drums and I was playing bass guitar and keyboard, then guitar. Töma has been experimenting many things regarding the drums: gong, cymbals on the light drum , brooms… Töma: … and percussions as well. I introduced derbouka at the Nuits Secrètes gig. Sylvain: We’ve been hosted at the Fort de Mons Maison Folie (a place for artists) in June and we went a little bit… CRAZY ! For our last concert, with Romain (drummer of The Domestics, Deluxe Brothers and Birthday Pony), we played with two drums. Today our band consists in drums with percussions, sensitive and opened to many variations of playing and two keyboards. We recently introduced a bass keyboard. Le Guise: A bass keyboard ? Sylvain: Doesn’t it sound classy ? A small bass keyboard is added to the main keyboard, like The Doors. They didn’t have a bass player, it was Ray Manzarec who played bass with his left hand. Le Guise: I was listening recently to a title like City kills me that you were playing at your debut on guitar, and it is obvious that even vocally the song has really evolved. It is a totally different version now. Sylvain: The vocal difference comes from the fact that I am starting to learn how to sing, to modulate my respiration, to deal with my voice, controlling it to be powerful without screaming. At the end of a gig, a guy came to us saying: “Same Old story, I loved this song. The way you used to sing it, I can’t find it now. You do it differently it is too bad.” I have so much fun singing, I find new voices. We are still a young band… Töma: It takes time to progress too. We hope keeping progressing by the way.

Sylvain: That’s what’s cool ! Today we have very precise desires as to what we’re doing, our way of playing music, the instruments we want to use, the way of arranging them, the songwriting. Le Guise: Precisely, regarding the writing work, the composing, how does it go ? Töma: We chose everything together. We both have a vote, like in a democracy. At the beginning, Sylvain started to write, but in the end we are aware that so many things are coming up. I participate for the melodies. There aren’t really any established rules. Sylvain: We are a duo, even a couple. Le Guise: Engaged ? Sylvain: Maybe soon (laughter). We both are in such situations that they will allow us to do so. Töma: Thank you to talk about it !!! I rub it in !!! (laughter) Sylvain: We don’t function like a band like the singer comes with a song, everything is ready and the drummer adds a beat to it. We work together. We both give directions to each other on the melody research or the beat. There is truly a real research in the rhythm in Curry & Coco, it is never perchance. Töma: It is super simple ! The work is done by itself. There is no specific order or working logic. For us, to work, is to be two and play music. It is always how it happened with Sylvain. It is very instinctive. Sylvain: We don’t intellectualize ahead. We come with pieces, shots, desires, ideas and everything mingles to create an ensemble. You see, Curry & Coco is a band in which one of the two quits it won’t exist anymore ! It is as simple as that. It is not a band where Töma or myself will be replaced, or it won’t be Curry & Coco any longer.

“ how beautiful a drummer is” Le Guise: What do you think of those duos who seem to emerge on the rock scenery ? Sylvain: I don’t know if it comes from the White Stripes or the Black Keys, but there is an acceptation of duos in rock n’ roll. It is a new kind and I don’t really have any reference to elder bands that worked that way. Maybe are we only discovering now that two persons who play together can create a space of exchange. It is super strong ! Le Guise: Curry & Coco, like Two Gallants, are bands that point up the drummer. It is the occasion to admire Töma’s lumberjack work.

Töma: It is a Canadian technique (laughter). I don’t consider I play that hard. Sylvain: You don’t hit your drums like a madman (surprised) ? Well, Töma’s hitting strength has been severely developed and he has been ruining a drum skin at every gig these past two months. Töma: That’s how I play for now, but I know I am capable of slenderness. I am not specifically trying to play loud; it is only because power fits well to the ensemble.

Sylvain: Töma muscles while creating rhythms that fill the room. It is the occasion to discover how beautiful a drummer is. The fact that Töma is front stage and that people can see him I am sure that some people pay attention for the first time to a drummer’s moves. A drummer that commits to his instrument, physically, it is a true show. You have a very warm sound that comes out of it, it is worth it. Also, it is an instrument that you only control with your touch. Le Guise: You rehearse at La Malterie. How is it going ? Sylvain: La Malterie has different rooms that are each administered by an association. One of them is more or less under Tonton’s supervision (Uncle Fabrik: noa) who has offered us to come over. Le Guise: Since when are you rehearsing at La Malterie ? Curry & Coco: July. Le Guise: And before ? Sylvain: At Töma’s, in is tiny living-room. Le Guise: So it is at Töma’s that you have been recording the demo you have submitted to the Bougez Rock contest. Töma: At home !

“It’s good to be doing rock n’ roll” Le Guise: On a PC ? Sylvain: With a friend who is audio engineer, Yannick, who came with his hardware. Everything has been done live in two days. The big change that La Malterie has brought is mainly the power and Tonton’s big amps. At Töma’s we were playing with small amps, with a very dry sound, lo-fi. And there we thought “it’s good to be doing rock n’ roll”.

rooms together. We then could start recording. Those two guys have recorded, mixed and produced our E.P in only two days ! Le Guise: I have been lucky enough to listen to your E.P. You have recorded several instruments. Sylvain: Guitar, bass guitar, keyboards, bass keyboard, hand claps, percussions and stylophone played by Jean-Philippe Martin on Day of May. Le Guise: You are taken under the protective wing of Tonton and the Uncle Fabrik. Can you tell us more about this ‘plant’ ? How did it go ? Töma: We simply met. Sylvain: He came to one of our gigs at the Balatum, and he came back three days later at the Yeti. He really was caught and I think he had his own idea way before, the one of creating a sort of musical union.

Le Guise: And since when does it date back ? Le Guise: What is your Sylvain: Since September 2006. It’s brand point of view in terms new and still evolving. Uncle Fabrik brings of means and together several groups of Lille’s region, it Uncle Fabrik that’s four bands of structures carried out is our flag. For now, what puts us together Lille area : to help bands ? is not a contract or papers of any kind, it is Töma: What the our desire to play music. Our motto could Birthday Pony Malterie does is bloody be “strength lies in unity”. Michel is our Buzz amazing ! manager, but before that he is the guru of Curry & Coco Sylvain: It’s great. There Uncle Fabrik. He is the guy who makes us Lena Deluxe & Melle Lili. is a community, almost a go further. Oddly, in Lille, there weren’t family. We are hosted http://www.myspace.com/unclefabrik any family, any group spirit, and no turmoil there, we have been between the bands. It is going to change UNCLE FABRIK playing there. It is one of with the Uncle Fabrik. Michel’s approach is 42 rue de la filature the few places in Lille to bring together, under a common 59350 Saint André where there is a real thought, under a common family name, France musical effusion. people who make music, who really do it +33(0)668226256 and believe in it. Le Guise: Indeed, La Töma: And who do it well. Malterie is really the independent and alternative Sylvain: Absolutely. There are actually two bands stage of Lille. How did the recording go ? from this union who have been participating to the Töma: Very well, we have been working with two preselections of the Printemps de Bourges. Those audio engineers, Nicolas bands, Michel had chosen Chimot who works on them before the preselections our live sessions and not after. He really did have a Jean-Philippe Martin. gut feeling ! Nicolas Chimot has been Töma: It is the new stage. working with G.O.M.M, Laetitia Sheriff and The Le Guise: What are your Domestics. influences ? Sylvain: It was a Töma: I listen a lot to hipmarathon ! We brought hop – definitely old schoolin our home-studio from like Public Enemy, Kool G the Old Lille to the Rap, The Beastie Boys, but Malterie that we had to also to classical music and install in a rehearsal rock from the 60’s and the studio because we hadn’t 70’s, like The Who. enough room. Then we had to connect the two

Sylvain: I am a great fan of songs that have made a deep impression. Töma: (Teasing !) Helena Noguerra, Hélène Segara, Natasha Saint-Pier, Garou, Céline Dion that’s the bottom line. Sylvain: Pop music, hits ! The Weigh of The Band, You shook me all night long of AC/DC, Spencer Davis Group’s Gimme some loving, Michael Jackson’s Beat it, Like a rolling stone by Bob Dylan. Well-done songs but of all genres. I have compilations of songs that score. I am a fan of big hits, but the way I see them. The bands that bring us together with Töma are The Who and the theatrical rock of Genesis. The mix of our various influences, with Töma’s less accessible tastes and mines, give birth to what we are producing with Curry & Coco. Le Guise: Let’s talk fashion. Where did you find your superb gigs’ outfits ? We must admit that the slim skin-tight pair of jeans and the polo XS with the button shut to the neck are terribly classy ! Sylvain: Do you want the true version or the one for anybody ? (laughter) Le Guise: I want the true version.

Töma: An album that really has impressed me was Max Roach’s We Insist (Max Roach is a black American drummer, conductor and composer who got involved in the defence of the Afro-American civil rights from 1958) Sylvain: I’ve bought Let it bleed by the Rolling Stones. It was pure fetishism. And this month, I will run to get 4, G.O.M.M.’s new album. Le Guise: You have your website, you are listed on Mypsace. What do you think of these new technologies to broadcast your music ? Töma: It’s cool, it is an interesting medium. Sylvain: It works out fine. Myspace’s references are more and more rated in musical magazines at the expense of personal websites. Töma: That is the advantage of the Internet: allow everybody to communicate about his trip including the negative and the positive. Sylvain: Today, almost every band has a page on Myspace. It is an excellent way to get known. It is a form of advertisement with samples of our music, our live performance dates, our graphics, our photos. At one point Myspace will be glutted. It is becoming a place of advertising and soliciting. But it is also very useful. Some people in Portugal and in the US have Sex is fashion on their pages. Le Guise: Even your Japanese friends ? (Curry & Coco have Japanese persons in their “Top friends” of their Myspace’s page. Sylvain: I’ll leave it to Töma !!! (laughter) Töma: Actually, our dream is to tour in Japan. I really like their spirit. Le Guise: Precisely, are you ready to really get involved if you ever go on tour ? Sylvain: We are ready. Our jobs are strictly alimentary, but our personal investment is complete. Le Guise: So many bands dream of a career while thinking it will never become true. Töma: It is so hard. It’s really tough to play music. You have to live aside, pay for your food, and pay your rent. Living of our music is our goal, it is our choice and we are ready.

Sylvain: The day before our concert at L’Aéronef, we were at my place with Töma. We thought “we cannot show up on stage with our lousy H&M T-shirts.” We thus have been rummaging in my closet and we disguised ourselves with my worst clothes. I find it fun to wear slim trousers, besides it emphasizes my ass and girls get excited ! (laughter) Töma: It shows up your belly as well ! Le Guise: What LP’s have impressed you ? What are your latest purchases ? Sylvain: The first album I bought was Legend, Bob Marley’s best-of. I was listening to the single No woman, No cry non stop. My parents were thinking I was becoming crazy.

Vincent Gilot a.k.a « Le Guise » Interview done Thursday, 4th of January 2007

THEY SAID “WHO’S NEXT ?”... WE SAY “US !”

E.P. 4 titles. Release the 20th of February 2007

Translated by Astrid Latapie

All rights reserved http://kroundave.free.fr