#xavier paradis

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Todd Radio Party: interview with Automelodi

I first became aware of Automelodi a couple years ago as I was browsing through the Wierd Records artist list. A number of Wierd artists had similar motifs and sounds, but Automelodi struck me as a quite different -- maybe they sounded "exotic." That would probably just be referring to the fact that Automelodi are from Montreal and sing many of their songs in French; however, this "love at first listen" is mere surface-level stuff. Instead, the dark, lush, and sexy -- yes, many are sexy -- synthpop songs of Automelodi breathe with living synth textures that move with matchless musicianship in this genre. Frontman Xavier Paradis' voice moves between croons, distant whispers, and hopeful choruses, to create a modern electronic work that expertly blends timeless, yet diverse sounds.

Listen to Automelodi

Listen to Todd Radio Party #2

Below is an email interview with frontman Xavier Paradis:

Todd: Your album Automelodi came out about two years ago. How do you see that album differently now that time has passed?

Xavier Paradis: The Automelodi album is definitely more a "compilation of songs" than a concept album. I feel like it could have been called "Automelodi - Selected works 2006-2010" (and that also involves the "Automelodi fait ses courses" EP from 2009). During these 4-5 years I worked on the Automelodi material in a very non-linear way... I was also involved in other musical projects and producing for other artists. Some of the songs on the album were composed and recorded very quickly while some others evolved over a very long period of time. I had this really nice studio space located in an industrial building in Montreal during those years. This meant I could make as much noise as I wanted at any time of the day or night so I spent a lot of time experimenting, recording countless takes, placing amps and microphones in staircases and corridors, etc. Of course, by the time the album came out I had been involved with these songs for so long that after approving the test pressings I almost never felt the need to listen to the whole thing again. With the exception of "Rentrée 3007," which had already been a radio single in 2007 and should have probably been left out of the selection, I'm still pretty happy about this album but now of course I'm focusing on new songs for the next one.  

Todd: Tell us the story behind either "Buanderie Jazz" or "Rayons De Rien."

XP: At this point, I think I've spoken quite a bit about "Buanderie Jazz" so I'll tell you about RDR for a change. I remember initially writing this song on a guitar, even though no guitar ended up in the final recording (except for bass). To explain the lyrics in a very simple way, I could say that the song is about a certain sense of "metaphysical loss of control" I feel as I grow older, and about the realization (and acceptance, to a certain extent, with a sense of resignation), of the absurdity of it all. I think this song is probably the best example of the Phil Spector influence you pointed out (in question #4).

I have always been a big fan of Spector's way of using (and abusing) reverberation coupled with multiple layers of instrumentation in order to record these "pocket symphonies" that walk the thin line between pure sonic bliss and utter chaos (The Crystals - "Da Doo Ron Ron" is an obvious example). I felt that this kind of sound worked pretty well with the half absurd/half tragic nature of "Rayons De Rien." I wanted it to sound like the Von Trapp family dancing atop a speeding Panzer tank, accidentally destroying everything in its path... Or something like that. It's probably the least "minimal" (what is "minimal" anyway?) song I ever produced. In the early mixes there was even a piano solo that I ended up cutting out because the whole thing was getting overwhelming.  

Todd: Weigh in on the current “trend” of minimal synth music. Do you think this is a short lived fad that is a repeat of the past? Or, what makes the minimal synth bands of today unique?

I think one of the main differences between the "minimal synth" acts of today versus those of the late 70s and early 80s lies in how the post-modern perspective of it all has now completely changed. Of course, many of the 70/80s bands were already post-modern to a certain extent, with references to 50s and 60s pop music, etc. Even the term "New Wave" referred to an early 60s movement in cinema. Still, in those days, it was musically and visually possible to sincerely cultivate the concept of a "modern" techno-utopia or a futuristic mechanized/dehumanized society, and the "new" sound of synthesizers was then absolutely perfect for that. Kraftwerk is probably the most obvious example of this aesthetic. Now 30 years later we still don't have the flying cars and sexy replicants and the synthesizer has become just another vintage folk instrument. From a contemporary folk perspective, though, the sound of that instrument somehow represents the failed utopia in which we now live. I feel that I share that dystopian perspective with many of the more interesting electronic acts of today, and not even exclusively within the so-called "minimal synth" scene. Concerning whether there is/was a "minimal synth" fad or not, I don't really care... I noticed that at some point, especially in New York, some excited people seemed to be in it for the fad... but this fad crowd has probably already moved on to something else... like Zelda Dungeon Dub ...or maybe Post-Enya Dolphin Gaze (at least for the next 15 minutes or so)... I've been more-or-less working within the same "genre" of electronic pop music since the mid-90's so the whole idea of how it can relate or not to different fashion cycles is just amusingly absurd for me at this point.  On the other hand, the fact that there has been a certain resurgence, supported by a number of indie labels and the Wierd scene in NYC has given me the chance to connect with amazing DJs and musicians (People like Sean & Liz, of Xeno & Oaklander, who have been involved with this music for many years) with whom I share a somewhat similar approach, and I think that is the most valuable thing for me.

Listen to Automelodi

Listen to Todd Radio Party #2

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 Xavier Paradis

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