REGARDE LES HOMMES TOMBER
1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording and release of the new album?
We recorded "Exile" on march, and all the spring/summer has been dedicated to rehearsals and work for booking. We made the choice not to play live before the official release (September 19th), considering that it was important not to go fast... This "calm before the storm" politic was logical for us and gave us time to build a good show, to be perfectly prepared to hit the stage.
2.Recently you have released a new album, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?
"Exile" has been built following a collegial process, whereas the first album was composed by only one person, our guitarist J.J.S. The main idea here was to give birth to something heavy, panoramic, both oppresive and epic. Some kind of fresco, to picture perfectly the themes we deal with. In that way, we worked hard to mix the ideas of each member during the writting sessions. Concerning the studio, the recording process was very fluid and natural, a real pleasure. "Exile" has been recorded, produced and mastered by Francis Caste (Studio Sainte Marthe, Paris), and he simply did a fucking great job. The texture is denser than our first release, more extreme, with a massive sound... exactly what we expected.
3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the newer music?
The concept of the band focuses on a main point : The fall of the men, who are rejected and tortured by God despite of their devotion and their love for the divine. This new album pictures both this fall and the birth of a consciousness that leads men to reject the Lord and all the principles of adoration during the exile... to finally become their own gods and "sit on this throne". All the lyrics evoke biblical mythology (Abel, Caïn, Lilith, the city of Sodom, etc...). Without any ideological message, I shall precise : We only deal with these themes on an artistic way. Those symbols are intense and highlight the concepts we want to show in our music, that's why we use them. The artwork of Exile is a good example : a city destroyed by the flames, a crowd condamned to exile... The song "...To Take Us" is about it : the cry of Sodom and the divine punishment inflicted on the sinful men. That myth is fascinating, although it's not the only biblical one we deal with in "Exile", that was obvious to paint it for the cover art... simply because this theme sum up our main concept, evoking something visually strong and darkly desperate.
4.I know that the band name comes from a 1994 movie by Jaques Audiard, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in this film?
This name just sum up our all concepts in a powerful way. That's why we chose it, there’s not a direct link with Audiard.
5.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?
Roadburn, Hellfest, Motocultor... We are very proud of this background. On stage we use our own light system to instaure a particular atmosphere. Also lot of fog, of course. We want to show something unique, a kind of mass, of immersion. We don't speak on stage, the music does for us.
6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the new album?
Eleven gigs are planned in France from september to december (Paris, Nantes, Lille, Cannes, Bordeaux, Rennes, etc...), and one in Switzerland. We hope that we'll get some new opportunities for 2016. We would be delighted to give shows in the rest of Europe, our booker Kongfuzi works on it.
7.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your newer music by fans of post black metal and sludge?
We get great reviews from foreign webzines, but concerning the "real" people, actualy... we don't really know. We know get fans in other countries but it's hard to know if they are numerous or not. Our releases receive a great welcoming in France, but for the rest of the world, it's hard to say... thus we would be delighted to play in other places to be aware of it.
8.What is going on with some of the other bands or musical projects these days that some of the band members are a part of?
Playing in Regarde Les Hommes Tomber is not so different than being in our others bands... despite of the fact that we give more shows than with our side-projects ! Nantes (the town we live in) has ever had an active scene... that's a chance to have a thriving underground activity in our city, a kind of pride. We all come from this subterranean scene.
9.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
We don't have "plans". We try to walk on our own path, keeping our identity without thinking about the trends... A third chapter will release one day, but in this moment we don't give priority to composition. We just wanna play live.
10.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your newer music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
Regarde Les Hommes Tomber is composed of friends with different tastes, which is, I think, a true force. Some of us enjoy Black Metal, others are great fans of Sludge and Post Metal... Actualy we don't consider that a musician shall listen only one genre, that's why our music is a mixture of various influences. We trust the power of this diversity to build our sound. We don't have "direct" influences, but listening us can evoke bands like Drudkh, Amenra, Wolves In The Throne Room, etc... once again, we build our music whithout thinking of a model, we just look for the best way to deal with our concepts. And the fact that our country is full of good similar-style bands is a cool thing: we admire the work of Céleste, Deathspell Omega, The Great Old Ones, etc ... each one gets something special and unique. They are great musicians.
11.What are some of your non musical interests?
... I'm affraid we don't get time to have others interests than music, really ! This is our main passion, the rest doesn't really count.
12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
We are truly excited to expose this new material on stage after all these months of composition/rehearsals/recording. We eagerly await to hit the road, play and meet people. Thank you for this interview, à très bientôt.
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