s e l e n n is a young artist from Fribourg who is beginning to make his mark on the music scene in French-speaking Switzerland. Situated somewhere between folk and calm electro, his dream indie-rock francophone fascinates. Tomorrow, the people of Neuchâtel will have the opportunity to listen to him at the Salon du Bleu Café.
An intriguing artist's name, punctuated by spaces: s e l e n n. A bewitching musical universe, somewhere between airy pop, gentle electro and French chanson. The lyrics are in French, which is no mean feat for this thirty-year-old singer-songwriter from Fribourg. So many young artists prefer the Americanized language of international business to the language of Shakespeare!
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s e l e n n's love of the French language is obvious. And when it comes to texts, his writing and even his interpretation are not limited to words, as he tells me himself over the phone: «In addition to my deep attachment to French and literature, I value the musicality of words. Words without music are just words. I'm looking for a musical texture that carries the text.» It's a vision of song that could be linked to that of promising newcomers to the French music scene such as Juliette Armanet, Clara Luciani, Vianney and Joyce Jonathan.
With our artist, however, it's not the repetitive themes of love, life, everyday happiness and unhappiness that are evoked through the tracks, but rather existential questioning dressed up in symbols and cosmic atmosphere. This tone is reflected in the music, which s e l e n n likes to define as a «soaring folk.» It's a deeply ethereal genre that's on offer in her debut EP Equinoxe released this year, and which we can recommend to our friends. Just listen to the track Maëlström, available on Youtube.
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In fact, this original style has the merit of being pleasant in the good sense of the word. Although his Etienne Daho-style reverberated voice may not be to everyone's taste, the artist is sure to win over French-speaking audiences in search of artistic adventure and a quiet evening tomorrow night at the Salon du Bleu Café in Neuchâtel. He'll be joined on stage by his more folk-oriented but no less talented counterpart Morgoran. It's going to be calm, it's going to be hushed, it's going to be beautiful. I'll be there. And what about you?
Write to the author: jonas.follonier@leregardlibre.com
Photo credit: © Valentine Folly
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