Interview

Gredin of Hypno5e Discusses Metal as Art Tour and Where the Music on Their First LP Really Comes From

Not only does Hypno5e have a tough name to pronounce, but this French experimental Metal band writes some pretty challenging music - as far away from Power Metal as it gets. Taking this type of metal on the road can be challenging for both bands and fans, but Bassist/vocalist Gredin Le Fourbe assures us that it was well played and well received. He recently took the time to answer some questions about their recent Metal as Art Tour, their music and how the band name is really pronounced.

Bloodofheroes: Missed you guys in Chicago – hope everything is alright, and thanks for taking the time to answer a few questions for us at Metal Underground.

Bloodofheroes: It’s been quite a tour with so many shows packed into such a short time on Metal As Art – what was your favorite city to play thus far?

Gredin Le Fourbe: This question is quite hard to answer, we had many great shows on that tour! If I really had to choose I would doubt between St Louis, MO or Seattle, WA. Both shows were quite nice because we were able to play the movie behind us, which most venues are not prepared to. I really enjoy these shows with the movie because all the instruments of the show are on stage at last, it's motivating. And I can say that St Louis was quite nice because it is where I broke my bass guitar (I hope to see the video on YouTube one of these days).

Bloodofheroes: Which has been your least favorite city?

Gredin: Des Moines, undoubtebly. It is the second early show we play there and everytime it seems like we were not there...

Bloodofheroes: You play some pretty challenging music – how has it been received live?

Gredin: Nice I guess, audiences were generally cheering. We know our set quite well now, it's not the first time we play everyday in a row so they stick to our fingers, our new songs are technically more challenging but we've been rehearsing them in New York before touring so they were ok and getting better during the tour. Eventually when our computer broke we were not able to play them anymore (because the samples were missing) so we played our most "Rock'n'Roll" old songs at the end of the tour, and people seemed to be appreciating.

Bloodofheroes: When an audience likes what they hear from you, do they mosh or just stand in awe?

Gredin: Both are possible. The structures of the songs don't have you moshing during the totality of the songs but if you enter our world and let yourself go... We've seen people going mad, almost scary, that's good.

Bloodofheroes: I hear some pieces of Opeth, Mars Volta and Converge in your music – what bands do you hear in your music?

Gredin: None of these three actually. I mostly hear Pink Floyd and The Dillinger Escape Plan if you ask me, but it's still not them (I hope). Actually we don't listen metal music much, Revocation and The Binary Code can tell you about that. What you can hear in our music, I guess, is our confrontation to this world, frustration, anxiety...

Bloodofheroes: Where do you draw your musical inspiration from?

Gredin: Classical music mostly. Every music that makes your mind travel, that makes your guts stress. And from borderless freedom of acting. Listen and read John Cage, you will understand.

Bloodofheroes: When you write music, what comes first – the melody, experiments or something else entirely?

Gredin: The music and ideas for the movie come apart, then we decide which image or sequence should stick with a riff.

Bloodofheroes: What was the thinking behind using all the sound bites on your first album?

Gredin: Basically to give colour to the music, to make philosophers speak by themselves instead of repeating by singing, and reduce the agression of the singing, there are many bands where the singing is too prominent, we like it when the music speaks for herself.

Bloodofheroes: If you could go back in time to see one concert and/or band – what would it be?

Gredin: I would have liked to be born at the same time as Lemmy from Motorhead: he witnessed the Hippy movement during the 60's, the punk spontaneity and the arrival of electronics in the 70's, and then the European clubs and indy music during the 80's until the arrival of Grunge. I don't miss any band in particular, for sure I would have liked to see Gentle Giant, Jimmy Hendrix, ABBA, Frehel (French realist singer of the 30's)... But I've seen many good bands playing: Pantera, Nirvana, Melt Banana, Gwar, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Jean-Louis Costes, An Albatross, Steve Reich pieces, Headwar, NOFX... I had my slice. And I know that I still have some good shows to see: An Albatross again, Juliana Hatfield, The Locust and all those nuts San Diego musicians, Agathocles, Pneu, Xenakis'Metastesis, Gwar again... And the list goes on.

Bloodofheroes: You’re hanging out on a cool summer day, drinking some beer. What is on the stereo?

Gredin: Juliana Hatfield.

Bloodofheroes: How do you actually pronounce the name of your band, and what is its significance?

Gredin: HIP NOZ, but you can actually say HIPNO-five-E, we don't mind.

Source: Hypno5e MySpace Page