Interview: SEBASTIEN SCHULLER

       
    Happiness is an emotion which may posses a heartfelt melancholy intertwined within the bliss. Powerful music possesses these multi-interpretive and multi-dimensional emotions. The most impressive music weaves sorrow and delight together to create a compelling work of art. Music becomes a magically universal form of art when sincerity lies within the rhythms, lyrics, and melodies. Hailing from France, Sebastien Schuller is a magnificently unique and complicated artist who has this power to create such music. Released on Minty Fresh Records, Sebastien Schuller’s debut album, “Happiness” is a glorious work of art drenched in both bittersweet pleasure and beautiful grief. As an artist, Schuller shares some common attributes with the cold wave French group known as Trisomie 21. The music of both Schuller and Trisomie 21 require an open mind and heart for a listener to fully appreciate the work. Underneath Schuller’s thick accent and eccentric sound, intensity remains. This underlying power can make the music cross barriers of language, culture, geography, sex, and perhaps time.

    As a journalist, I am sent a plethora of music from both illustrious and diminutive record labels. Sometimes, I am very familiar with the music and these familiarities create expectations. When Minty Fresh’s delightful publicity department (Beth Martinez) sent me the “Happiness” LP by Sebastien Schuller. I have never heard of him or his music before. These days, an album must have a power to penetrate my wall of contempt made my disappointment of hearing poor music. From the initial moment I played the “Happiness” LP by Sebastien Schuller, I was amazed and delighted. This music snob was introduced to a refreshing new artist. These are the moments when I love being a music journalist.

    Schuller had an enigmatic but relatable history. Previously, he released an EP titled “Weeping Willow”. He is a classically trained percussionist. Throughout the years, he has become an accomplished multi-instrumentalist and composer. Working mainly from home, he mixes acoustic and electronic instruments to create enchantingly eclectic music. In the United Kingdom, he signed to Catalogue Records (home to artists such as Avia, Sancho, Playground, Alpha, and others). In the United States, he signed to Minty Fresh Records. Momus wrote a delightful song about the Minty Fresh label for his “Stars Forever” LP. The company is now one of the most respected and indie labels in the U.S. Minty Fresh is also home to All India Radio, The Living Blue, Kahimi Karie, The Orange Peels, Liz Phair, Ivy, The Cardigans, Bettie Serveert, and a myriad of other talented artists.

    Released on Minty Fresh Records (U.S.) and Catalogue Records (U.K.), “Happiness” by Sebastien Schuller is a psychedelic and introspective maelstrom of melodic emotion. The album displays various influences from Radiohead, Bjork, David Bowie, Serge Gainsbourg, and others exceptional artists. “Tears Coming Home” is a heartbreaking anthem about the pains of returning to one’s hometown. “Sleeping Song” is an enchantingly ethereal track that captures some of the mystery of sleep. The more up-tempo track, “Ride Along The Cliff” is a psychedelic masterpiece filled with romance and the poignancy of pleasure. Other excellent tracks include “Weeping Willow” and “Donkey Boy”. “Happiness” by Sebastien Schuller is one of the most mature and most fascinating debut albums to be released in quite a long time.

    Musically expressed emotion empowers and connects listeners. Every human being feels pain, bitterness, love, hate, fear, and passion. As long as musicians like Sebastien Schuller continue to create emotionally honest work, artists will continue to make music that will connect human beings of any and every kinds. “Happiness” by Sebastien Schuller is an album that found me. If this album does not find you, hunt the album down because even you need a little slice of happiness.

TODD E. JONES: "What goes on?"
 
SEBASTIEN SCHULLER: “Hi, Todd. Thank you so much for this interview.”


TODD E. JONES: “Your debut album, ‘Happiness’ was just released on Minty Fresh Records / Catalogue Records. Tell us about the LP.”

SEBASTIEN SCHULLER: “I’ve recorded this album in France with the help of my friend Paul Hanford, ex-brother In Sound / Sancho and a few additional friends. A part was recorded in a studio. The other, at home, in my tiny little Parisian flat where I’m able to watch all Paris and a big panoramic sky from my window. My neighbors are friendly. They let me play some piano, sing, and sometimes, jam with some friend late at night. I can say that I've spent a good part of my life at my window, thinking, dreaming, and listening to some music. I’ve kept a couple of songs during 2 or 3 years before the release of the album. The rest of the songs came the last year, before the recording.”


TODD E. JONES: “For an album with ‘Happiness’ as a title, the music does have a somber resonance. Why call the album ‘Happiness’?”

SEBASTIEN SCHULLER: “Life with all the contradictions and a good balance of sentiment. It is certainly a reflection of my life and some stories of men and women who I have observed. That's all.”


TODD E. JONES: “Favorite song on the ‘Happiness’?”

SEBASTIEN SCHULLER: “‘Weeping Willow’ or ‘Le Dernier Jour’, but I like most of them. Maybe less, ‘Ride Along The Cliff’. That one, I like it as a song, but I was not sure to keep it for the album. Finally, I think it takes a place in the rhythm of the album.”


TODD E. JONES: “Which song took you the longest to finish from conception to completion on ‘Happiness’? Why?”

SEBASTIEN SCHULLER: “‘Tears Coming Home’. I had a chorus for at least one year and I was not able to find a verse. ‘Weeping Willow’ took time for the final step, but was mostly composed in one night. The lyrics, most of the time, come later.”


TODD E. JONES: “How would you describe your music?”

SEBASTIEN SCHULLER: “Melancholic, happy & sad, pure & precise, and full of contradiction.”


TODD E. JONES: “For some of the songs on the ‘Happiness’ album, your voice is distorted by sound effects. What inspired this choice?”

SEBASTIEN SCHULLER: “The voice follows the intuition of the songs. Sometimes, it's natural and more present. Sometimes, it's like an additional instrument.”


TODD E. JONES: “On the ‘Happiness’ album, it is sometimes difficult to acknowledge which instrument is being played. Was this done on purpose?”

SEBASTIEN SCHULLER: “There are a lot of parts on the songs. I like the fact that when you listen to a record many times, you're able to discover some new parts, new melodies that you didn't pay attention to before.”


TODD E. JONES: “What is your creative process for creating music?”

SEBASTIEN SCHULLER: “Live, watch some movie, watch the landscape, talk across the music with the help of my old keyboard, an old acoustic guitar, and a computer.”


TODD E. JONES: “You are a classically trained percussionist. Where were you trained? How did this training change you and your approach to music?”

SEBASTIEN SCHULLER: “I’ve started percussion when I was 10 years old, in the suburbs. I guess it gave me some rhythmic base and a patience to listen to the orchestra that I was playing with when I was a kid. You can wait sometimes 14 minutes in a classical piece just to give one beat on a triangle.”


TODD E. JONES: “What is your favorite percussion instrument?”

SEBASTIEN SCHULLER: “The cymbalum, but I never try to play it. I would love to have one. It's like if you were playing with some stick on the strings of a piano. A similar instrument was used for the music of a famous TV show with Roger Moore and Tony Curtis. It is called “Amicalement Vôtre” composed by John Barry.”


TODD E. JONES: “When creating a song, do you have a pre-conceived theme, lyrics, or emotion? Or, do you start with the music first?”

SEBASTIEN SCHULLER: “It's always mixed or never in the same order.”


TODD E. JONES: “One of my favorite songs from the ‘Happiness’ LP is ‘Tears Coming Home’. The track captures the multi-faceted emotions of returning to a person’s hometown. What town did you grow up in? What fears and frustration did you feel? What inspired the song?”

SEBASTIEN SCHULLER: “In the west suburb in Aubergenville. It is 40 minutes from Paris.”


TODD E. JONES: “How did you meet the members in your band?”

SEBASTIEN SCHULLER: “My bassist is an old friend from the same suburb. My guitarist was in a shop where I was working. The other two came across by some friends.”


TODD E. JONES: “Musically, what else have you been working on?”

SEBASTIEN SCHULLER: “2 soundtracks for cinema. One called ‘A Summer Day’. The other, ‘You And Me’. 2 cinemix. I've composed 30 minutes of a soundtrack for some old movie from the start of the century and I made some concert with them.
You can understand that I've never met the directors for those movies, so it was a full experience. For one of them, I've tried to keep the spirit of those old soundtracks, when the orchestra was playing in the cinema during the movie, close to the screen.”


TODD E. JONES: “What are some of your favorite instruments?”

SEBASTIEN SCHULLER: “I'm always attracted to learn something on a new one, but I can say that piano and guitar helped me a lot.”


TODD E. JONES: “Do you think that success and credibility are mutually exclusive?”

SEBASTIEN SCHULLER: “All of that is really subjective.”


TODD E. JONES: “What song are you most proud of?”

SEBASTIEN SCHULLER: “‘Weeping Willow’, maybe. At least, I felt the other pride for me for this song.”


TODD E. JONES: “The track, ‘Sleeping Song’ has an obvious dream-like feel. What was the inspiration for this song?”

SEBASTIEN SCHULLER: “The lyrics came after the music, in a mood when I was half-awake, half-asleep. It's a lullaby.”


TODD E. JONES: “What was the last dream you remember?”

SEBASTIEN SCHULLER: “Ah! I remember an old one. I had a love affair with Bjork, after a concert in Paris. A couple of days later, I decided to visit her in Iceland. I recognized her house. It was one of the first houses that I've seen in Reijkjavick. I slept in a room alone. During the night, some froth was coming along the windows. Then suddenly, some lava came across the ceiling. I was really scared and asked her what was happening. She told me that it was normal and that during the night, some cold lava was coming out of the volcano. She also told me that in the morning, everything will be fine. The next day, I was breathing the freshest air that I've ever breathed and walking on pure green grass in the countryside.”


TODD E. JONES: “Who are some artists who you would like to collaborate with in the future?”

SEBASTIEN SCHULLER: “I had already collaborated or had the luck to collaborate with some of my favorites. But, Bjork and Beth Gibbons would definitely be some singers for who I could try to compose.”


TODD E. JONES: “In The Consolation of Philosophy, Boethius writes, ‘…It's my belief that history is a wheel…. Rise up on my spokes if you like but don't complain when you're cast back down into the depths. Good time pass away, but then so do the bad. Mutability is our tragedy, but it's also our hope. The worst of times, like the best, are always passing away….’ What works of art, literature, or songs helped you maintain?”

SEBASTIEN SCHULLER: “The fragility and the melody.”


TODD E. JONES: “How did you get the deal with Minty Fresh Records in the United States?”

SEBASTIEN SCHULLER: “Across my publishing, Chrysalis.”


TODD E. JONES: “Your album includes some instrumentals. Were those songs intentionally created as instrumentals or did you decide not to include lyrics at a later time?”

SEBASTIEN SCHULLER: “It depends of the songs, but most of the time, the tracks were done finally to be instrumentals. Sometimes, it came to me at the end. I have spent some days trying to find a melody, but they all had evidence that I had to keep them instrumental.”


TODD E. JONES: “Do you believe in God? Do you believe in a certain religion?”

SEBASTIEN SCHULLER: “I believe as the American Indians believe, in the Mother Nature. I believe you harvest what you sow.”


TODD E. JONES: “What are the 3 best aspects about living in France?”

SEBASTIEN SCHULLER: “Liberty of thinking, a taste for the art, and the social life.”


TODD E. JONES: “What are the 3 worst aspects about living in France?”

SEBASTIEN SCHULLER: “To think that we have the best country, the condition of the flat, and the Turkish toilets.”


TODD E. JONES: “What music have you been listening to in the last couple of days?”

SEBASTIEN SCHULLER: “Beirut, Arcade Fire, and my new demos.”


TODD E. JONES: “What is your favorite part of your live show?”

SEBASTIEN SCHULLER: “‘Weeping Willow’ and a new song, ‘Garden’.”


TODD E. JONES: “How has your live show evolved?”

SEBASTIEN SCHULLER: “We have played more new songs. At the end of the tour, for a small tour of three gigs, we decided to improvise a song each night. People thought that it was a written song. I was really proud for that. Not for myself, but much more about what we were able to build together, during this tour.”


TODD E. JONES: “Abortion. Pro-choice or pro-life?”

SEBASTIEN SCHULLER: “Pro-choice.”


TODD E. JONES: “Euthanasia. For or against?”

SEBASTIEN SCHULLER: “For.”


TODD E. JONES: “Word association. When I say a name, you say the first word that pops into your head. So, if I said, ‘The Beatles’, you may say ‘Revolution’ or ‘John Lennon’. Okay?”

SEBASTIEN SCHULLER: “Okay.”


TODD E. JONES: “My Bloody Valentine.”

SEBASTIEN SCHULLER: “My first indie band.”


TODD E. JONES: “Primal Scream.”

SEBASTIEN SCHULLER: “Ecstasy.”


TODD E. JONES: “Happy Mondays.”

SEBASTIEN SCHULLER: “Ecstasy again.”


TODD E. JONES: “Kool Keith.”

SEBASTIEN SCHULLER: “I don't know.”


TODD E. JONES: “Felt.”

SEBASTIEN SCHULLER: “Nope.”


TODD E. JONES: “Momus.”

SEBASTIEN SCHULLER: “Nope.”


TODD E. JONES: “Eminem.”

SEBASTIEN SCHULLER: “White hip-hop.”


TODD E. JONES: “Radiohead.”

SEBASTIEN SCHULLER: “Amnesty.”


TODD E. JONES: “MC Solaar.”

SEBASTIEN SCHULLER: “Caroline.”


TODD E. JONES: “The Lovetones.”

SEBASTIEN SCHULLER: “Nope.”


TODD E. JONES: “New Order.”

SEBASTIEN SCHULLER: “La Locomotive, which is a club in Paris.”


TODD E. JONES: “The Dandy Warhols.”

SEBASTIEN SCHULLER: “Waksman.”


TODD E. JONES: “The Fall.”

SEBASTIEN SCHULLER: “Festival in Paris.”


TODD E. JONES: “Denim.”

SEBASTIEN SCHULLER: “Jeans.”


TODD E. JONES: “Trisomie 21.”

SEBASTIEN SCHULLER: “By name.”


TODD E. JONES: “Toog.”

SEBASTIEN SCHULLER: “Nope.”


TODD E. JONES: “George Bush.”

SEBASTIEN SCHULLER: “Ah.”


TODD E. JONES: “Who or what are your biggest influences?”

SEBASTIEN SCHULLER: “Love.”


TODD E. JONES: “What was the biggest lesson you have learned in your career?”

SEBASTIEN SCHULLER: “When I recognize that I still have everything to learn.”


TODD E. JONES: “What is the song, ‘Donkey Boy’ about?”

SEBASTIEN SCHULLER: “A kid who didn't like the laws and the obligation of school.”


TODD E. JONES: “What are some of your favorite films?”

SEBASTIEN SCHULLER: “‘Twin Peaks’, ‘Rumble Fish’, ‘Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind’, and ‘Dead Man’. So many.”


TODD E. JONES: “What is a typical day like for you?”

SEBASTIEN SCHULLER: “Composing and taking care of plumbing.”


TODD E. JONES: “What are some major misconceptions do you think people have of you?”

SEBASTIEN SCHULLER: “It's hard to say.”


TODD E. JONES: “Are you in a romantic relationship these days? What is your sexual preference? How have touring, recording, and the music lifestyle affected relationships?”

SEBASTIEN SCHULLER: “Yes, like any kind of work that takes too much of your time.”


TODD E. JONES: “Are there any collaborations fans should look out for?”

SEBASTIEN SCHULLER: “No.”


TODD E. JONES: “What’s next?”

SEBASTIEN SCHULLER: “I'm going to sleep.”


TODD E. JONES: “Final words?”

SEBASTIEN SCHULLER: “Have some nice dreams.”