Sébastien Tellier - ⁠“Ma vraie carrière commence maintenant”

Sébastien Tellier, born in 1975, grew up in the distant suburbs of Cergy-Pontoise, a new town that blended urban living with the countryside. He describes it as "greenish-brown" with "golden accents," a style he still appreciates. Despite the somewhat boring nature of his hometown, it was a good place for rollerblading, skateboarding, and BMX. Tellier identifies primarily as a composer, not a singer, despite performing his own songs. He admits to having no vocal technique, never warming up before a show, and often smoking cigarettes and drinking before going on stage. His father, a passionate guitarist and music lover, introduced him to music, particularly Pink Floyd. While his father never officially joined Magma, he was involved with its members before the band formed, influencing Tellier's decision to pursue music. Tellier describes his entry into music as that of a "good student," not a rebel, despite his average academic performance (around 10.5/20) and a notable 0.1/20 in German. His solitary musical journey began with a ghetto blaster in his room, where he created a mini-disco with rhythmic spotlights, listening to compilation tapes of pop hits. This experience had a "Miami Vice," somewhat dark and glamorous, undertone. A pivotal moment came at age 13 when he saw David Gilmour of Pink Floyd perform extended guitar solos. This inspired him to want to "show off in front of people making music." He signed his first contract at 22, releasing "Fantino," which gained international recognition after Sofia Coppola featured it in "Lost in Translation." This early success, however, found him unprepared for the professional side of music. He admits to having been "completely in the moon," approaching his career chaotically, performing drunk, restarting concerts, and taking weeks to record a single guitar part. He only later understood the importance of professionalism, unlike his contemporaries like Daft Punk or Air, who were already pros at a young age. Tellier admires American professionalism, citing Hyperpop artist Slayyyter, who, despite her stage persona, is a highly skilled vocalist. He contrasts this with the European and French emphasis on poetic depth and sincerity in music. He believes French culture inherently possesses a poetic quality, even in mundane things. For him, art must serve sincerity, reflecting his own experiences of sadness and a "broken heart" from birth, which he only began to understand and heal with the help of his wife, Amandine, and practices like hypnosis. He describes his music as singing about his struggles to understand happiness and his longing for simpler times, like his childhood vacations in Biarritz. His song "La Ritournelle," co-produced by Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo of Daft Punk, was a precursor to mixing pop with R&B rhythms. Tellier credits Homem-Christo's genius for stripping away his naturally baroque tendencies, keeping only the essential elements and enhancing them. He notes that producers like Homem-Christo possess a "lucid ear," understanding the technical aspects and structure of music, unlike himself, who initially focused more on the emotional impact. Tellier was an early fan of Daft Punk, attending their pre-Daft raves at 16 or 17. He experimented with psychedelics like acid, influenced by artists like The Beatles and Pink Floyd, but found the experience detrimental and vowed never to repeat it after a particularly bad trip in Los Angeles at 26. He still uses cannabis, however, finding it helps with the mental exhaustion of working with loud music for 8-10 hours a day, making the music feel "velvet" and adding a "sensuality" to his compositions. His creative process involves working almost daily in his studio in Montmartre. The 25-minute walk from his home to the studio has become his primary source of inspiration, allowing him to conceptualize new songs or refine existing ones. He also recently changed his composition technique, focusing on melody and bass lines first, without immediately adding complex chords, which he previously obsessed over. This has "completely opened up his creativity." He believes that while success can bring comfort that might dilute an artist's "anger" or drive, it's possible to adapt. He created "concept albums" like "My God is Blue" (about spirituality), "L'Aventura" (reinventing his childhood in Brazil), and "Domesticated" (about domestic tasks) to maintain artistic integrity during periods of comfort and fatigue after extensive touring. He acknowledges that some of his recent albums were "average," lacking strong bass lines or refined melodies, attributing this to being "totally absorbed" by comfort and fatherhood. He has since recommitted, losing weight, changing his technique, and viewing it as a "second artistic life," aiming to reach and surpass the level of his heroes. Tellier sees his body of work as painting a "very large canvas," with each album being a piece of a puzzle. He embraces the "old school" approach of creating albums, comparing them to novels rather than collections of short stories. He acknowledges that his music, with its long, adventurous songs, requires a "little effort" from the listener, which might explain why it's not universally popular like mainstream pop or urban music. He appreciates this position, being able to make music he loves without the pressure of massive commercial success. He enjoys the current musical landscape, which allows for greater freedom and accessibility in creation, blending diverse genres and sounds. He prefers it to the past, where a successful career demanded immense effort in presentation and vocal perfection. Tellier has unreleased songs that he hasn't found the right album for, with his friend and clip director Mathieu Tonetti acting as a "guarantor" of these past creations. He mentions "Yes Possible," an instrumental track from "My God is Blue," as a personal favorite that flopped. Conversely, "L'amour et la violence," a song he wrote after a therapy session and initially didn't intend for an album, became a fan favorite. His future aspirations include creating more intense, high-level music, reaching and surpassing his musical heroes. He dreams of a larger studio, like a hangar, fully equipped with instruments. He also envisions living his later years in a white Art Deco building at the end of the Croisette in Cannes, near a quiet beach and marina, with a studio below. Outside of music, Tellier is a devoted father, enjoying video games like Minecraft and GTA with his children. He values kindness above all else in people. He admits to presenting a somewhat intimidating persona (beard, glasses, cap) that contrasts with his true, gentler nature, which he reveals to those who get to know him. He sees this duality as embodying the "Kiss the Beast" concept. He also reflects on the aging of rock and rap artists, curious to see how they will adapt their stage personas. Currently, he primarily listens to Japanese jazz from the late 70s and early 80s, describing it as "scientific music" with sophisticated chords and technical passages. He also enjoys Christopher Cross's "Sailing" and perennial favorites like Culture Club, George Michael, Steve Wonder, and The Beatles. He views The Beatles, Serge Gainsbourg, and Daft Punk as three problematic musical entities because their genius set such high standards in their respective genres, making it difficult for others to follow. Despite being part of the French Touch movement, he never fully embraced the club music scene, preferring to focus on the raw material of music composition. Tellier recently collaborated with David Guetta on a remix of his song "Stretch of the Night," admiring Guetta's freedom and ability to understand and move crowds. He describes the collaboration as simply sending the track to Guetta, who then created the remix without input, a testament to Guetta's expertise. If he could give his younger self advice before signing his first record deal, he would tell himself to be more professional, less of a "puppet of emotions and impulses," and to structure his career more seriously. However, he also acknowledges that his initial unconsciousness shaped the artist he is today.