Backflip Au-dessus du chaos

Description

What’s in this record? Now that it’s finalized, I can (roughly) understand what I wanted to do. Until now, there was no question of conceptualizing anything, just writing and recording, period. It reflects what’s going on in my head, in line with my tastes: sometimes simple, sometimes complex, often contradictory. It contains my certainties, my doubts, my anger, my sadness, my disillusioned laughter, but also everything that remains of hope in the face of what surrounds me, what is collapsing, what still stands, once again put into words and music. It’s my record collection run through a grinder and then a juicer: from loud rock to heavy hip hop, from freestyle guitar to the primitive riffs of analog synths. It’s this puzzle of eclectic debris of words and sounds that occupy my brain, and this time, I’ve intentionally left it a bit messy. The last few years have been complicated for many people, including me. There was the passing of Joseph Ponthus, who had become a close friend (there’s a song for him on the record), as well as a series of rather difficult personal and family events. I didn’t want to come back with a heavy album but rather with a fireball that screams while frantically moving in all directions. A backflip over chaos. During an American tour with Binary Audio Misfits in the late 2000s, just as we were about to go on stage in a shabby club with a faulty sound system without having done a soundcheck, my friend Jason, one of the Texan rappers in the group, told me: “It’s time to turn shit into gold.” And since nothing is simple with me, this album will be performed live as a trio, because yes, it’s nice to be alone but only up to a point. I will reunite with Julien Rufié, who contributed to the rhythmic programming of two tracks on the album and will be in charge of the drums, electronic sounds, and his analog synth during the concert. There will also be Manon Labry from the band No Milk Today on guitar and bass. Each person has added their own little touch, their personal arrangements. Power trio? Definitely. I can confidently say that the spirit of the album is completely preserved. Michel Cloup is a songwriter, singer, guitarist, and sound manipulator. He has participated in important groups in the French independent rock scene. From Lucievacarme, Diabologum, and Peter Parker Experience in the 90s, through Expérience and Binary Audio Misfits in the 2000s, to his duo formation between 2010 and 2020. He also regularly collaborates with contemporary art (and artist Béatrice Utrilla), cinema (and director Jean-Gabriel Périot), or theater (with author and director Stéphane Arcas).