In
Conversation
with
Yann from
“Encre / Thee, Stranded Horse”
September 2005
A little background:
Salutations
to the wonderful Matt Elliott (formerly
Third Eye
Foundation) and Chris Cole (aka. Manyfingers)
for their
help with this interview.
As regular viewers to
“Setting Sun” will remember, I
have know and being into the
music of Matt Elliott (formerly
Third Eye Foundation and an
ex member of Flying Saucer
Attack and Movietone) for a
good few years and had seen
Matt in concert more than once
over the years.
Second time I saw him, he also
got me into the music of
his musical comrade Chris Cole,
aka. Manyfingers and I
eventually interviewed Chris
several months after I saw
Matt play live.
Fast forward to this year, Matt
and Chris both announce
they are playing another date in
Manchester, almost two
years to the day since I had
last seen them play.
And despite the sound problems
(as mentioned in the review as
featured on my blogspot), I had
a particularly interesting
night there, which was
highlighted by the first act, Yann.
Yann aka. Thee, Stranded Horse
played a particularly
interesting set, which involved
him playing both a Kora
(A West-African Instrument) and Guitar side by side at
the same time as well as singing
to wonderful effect.
Both Chris and Matt both told
me who Yann was later on and
also about the other band he
was in “Encre” and interested
I checked out a couple of his
songs and found them just as cool to
listen to as his live show,
which kept reminding my mate of Rufus
Wainwright although I thought
on a personal level more like Tom
Waits, but a Tom Waits I
could enjoy.
Interested, I dropped Yann
through the record company that
released his other band Encre’s
first album I think (or was it
through Matt Elliott directly I
cannot remember)– but either
way the record company in
question web site address is:
Either
way, Yann was kind enough to do a interview for both of
these bands
and he was kind enough to agree to do this
interview and some time later
after one or two delays, the
interview was completed.
Many thanks to both Matt and
Chris for the introductions and
also a big thank you to Yann for
this interview and I look
forward to your new albums in
time to come.
Yann can be contacted through
his website which is
Regards
Andrew N
Setting Sun:
How's things and what's happening at the
moment?
Yann:
All good. Spent the summer
recording by the beach in
the North West of France.
Went swimming every day, spent
the rest of the time hanging
out at that crummy bar /
restaurant filled with car boot sale
junk that roughly looks like a
shed by the beach.
Got drunk and sunburnt a few
times.
Tried to refine my cooking skills.
Setting Sun:
Can you now tell us a little bit
about the history of
Your music so far, who fired the
starting pistol etc, etc?
Setting Sun:
And
what music have you released to date?
Yann:
2 albums, 1 eo and 1 7” under the
name “Encre”… tracks on
various compilations, a live
album and 2 eps to be released
within the next few months.
It’s a very different project
from “Thee, Stranded Horse”
of which I’ve only released a 7”
so far.
Since we’re talking about this,
let me make up for a fuck
up on the 7” it should actually
be spelt
“Thee, Stranded Horse” and not
“Thee Stranded Horse”
… but the comma was omitted.. not
quite the same thing
!!! mmmh…
The album should be ready quite
soon.
The Encre stuff is only getting
released in the UK these days,
I think.
Setting Sun:
What
are your influences (music wise) and what have you
been
listening to recently?
Yann:
I’ve never been able to answer
the first question to be honest..
I never remember…
I’m interested in all sorts of
things… lately, I’ve mostly been
Listening to Ethiopian West &
North Africian Music, really…
I’ve been listening compulsively
to the early Marc Bolan
Stuff (Tyranosaurus Rex, not
T-rex).. I’m obsessed… been
Listening to that non-stop for 3
or 4 years, I think…
I’ve actually noticed that a lot
of Bolan’s early gimmicks
Are coming back into fashion…
Been listening to quite a
Bit of soul too..
Setting Sun:
I know
from seeing Yann play recently supporting the
wonderful
Matt Elliott and Manyfingers, so I guess you play
gigs
on a regular(ish) basics. How does this compare to your
more
studio based recordings?
Yann
As far
as Encre’s concerned it’s very different. Encre on
Record
is mostly based on sequencing small bits of real
instrument
sounds so it sounds like a surreal orchestra,
or
something.
But it
is a fully fledged 5-piece band on stage that rewrites
Totally
new tracks using the various microsamples as
Primary
material.
“Thee,
Stranded Horse” on stage and on album is… mmm..
exactly
the same, I guess.
The tracks are all recorded live:
voice/kora or voice/guitar…
There’s
only one voice overdub, on the 7”
Setting
Sun:
A question for Yann here, when I saw you recently play
With Matt and Chris (Manyfingers,
I was really impressed
By your ability to play the
guitar, Kora and sing at the
same time.
Can you tell us what led you to
play these in this way etc?
Yann:
The Kora has only got one
tuning. Mine is a C major tuning i.e
ABCDEFG without sharps.
The guitar is tuned differently,
so I can use sharps on certain
songs.
This is actually why I started
playing like this. Using a capo
on the Guitar makes it easier to
change the tuning… and add
up the spare notes I don’t have on the Kora.
Setting Sun:
What's next for you?
Do you
have any more gigs / recordings etc planned?
Yann:
Been recording the first “Thee,
Stranded Horse” album over
The summer.
Not quite done yet. Should be
soon, though I’m done with two
Encre Eps (one is based on Kora
sequencing and the other ep
Is a rather abstract 45 mn
track) and one live album.
I’m also working on the new
Encre album.
I’ve got a few French and
Belgian dates planned next
Month but not much live wise as
long as the Thee, Stranded
Horse album’s not released.
Encre will tour Europe late this
year or early next year,
I think.
Setting Sun:
I think my favourite song so far has been ".Sharpened
Suede" –
Can you tell us a little bit about this song etc.
Yann:
Mmmh, I don’t know what to tell
you about this song really.
It’s no autobiography that’s for
sure… however, I am a very
Confused and contradictory
person, sometimes and I guess
This song somehow echoes that… I think..
Setting Sun:
A few slightly more light hearted questions to finish off with
Firstly, what would be your dream job if you were not a rock n
roll act?
Yann:
I guess I’d be a translator or a
chef.. actually, I am a
Translator from time to time and
whenever I stop making
music I start Cooking..
I’ve never worked as a chef though.
Setting Sun:
Lastly, something light to finish off (Borrowed from a pal's
zine almost) - Imagine you were ship wrecked on a desert
Island and could have (Clearly have second sight here –
lol) the choice of having 5 records or Cd's with you with a
stereo of course- what would be your desert Island discs?
Yann:
1. Tyranosaurus Rex : Prophets,
Seers and Sages,
The angels of the ages (and
/ or Tyranosaurus Rex &
T-Rex, BBC Sessions)
2. Toumani Diabate and Ballake Sissoko : New Ancient Strings.
3. Nico, Desert Shore (kind of appropriate, ain'it?)
4. Léo Ferré, Et Basta!
5. Mississipi John Hurt, Today!
Just cos i like exclamation marks.
