onsdag 19 Mar 2008, 5:31
When L'Incroyable Vérité was released in March 2001, was Sébastien Tellier really that concerned with the great unknown? There's no simple answer to such a meaningful question.
He has undoubtedly received high critical acclaim and been showered with superlatives, and those who have seen him live are captivated to the point of being awestruck. "This is the first time I've seen people recall the supporting act!" said an audience member in October 2002. Their warm-up slot backing Air (80 gigs across three continents) from June to November 2001 certainly opened Tellier's eyes to a world of diversity and a multi-faceted audience. On stage, he and his partner Pamelia Kurstin (the latter armed with a Theremin) formed an enchanting duo that roamed the range between the bold and the moody, leaving none who heard them unmoved. Yet their audience was at times hard to pin down, and needed to be brought to light and scolded for their failure to recognize the power of this emotionally unconventional music.
As a result, Sébastien Tellier learned an important lesson about stepping into the spotlight: its not enough just to create, the world still has to hear you. Quentin Dupieux aka Mr. Oizo, director of the video for Oh malheur chez O'Malley (a song featured on L'incroyable Vérité) in which Tellier attempts to skate in a forest haunted by an omnipresent jogger came along to offer him the role of 144 in a project called Nonfilm. Tellier's true colours came to light in his performance as a photogenic, charismatic leader in a world where you can film without a camera. "Abstract, keep it abstract!" a voice rang in his head when it came time to score the film, so he plunged to the roots of musical protest in its truest form, with Tony Allen one-time accompanist to the great Fela Kuti certainly striking the perfect chord for Bye Byes rhythms.
Then everything came together. Tellier began composing music in Philippe Zdar's studios at 84 rue des Martyrs, Paris. Some say the place is a bit cold and damp, but summer was still in full swing. For Sébastien, an album has a certain gestation period, often a long one, but this album took shape quickly. Let's give the minorities their say, and show the way to those who have forgotten the roots of our planets problems! The East Germans should know, and the wetbacks, and those who work themselves into the ground! Say no to stylistic controls, dont fight the rhythm Tony Allen will be there to support me along with the rest of them. And thats what happened: the troops stormed in to defend the Native Americans (Ketchup Vs Genocide), the Mexicans (League Chicanos), two Africas, one idealized and one torn by civil war (WonderAfrica and La Tuerie), and a sporty East German who actually misses the Berlin Wall because she hasn't been able to play solo tennis since its collapse (Mauer). In short, the oppressed were finally given a voice and re-ushered into the POLITIC-al arena. This voice is magnified by open, melodious music that is unfettered and full of pleasure. The oppressed fought valiantly in the Martyr Road studios, right up until the last day; then, on 31 May 2003, Paris 18th arrondissement was itself stormed by hail, which destroyed all of the artists equipment. Only the tapes all that remained just days after recording were saved. At last, Philippe Zdar mixed the album to be released on the Record Makers label, POLITICS. Now, ask yourself this: are you ready for a full dose of history in just one lesson?
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