“There is a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in.”
▲ Pierre Patissou – Tree Wallie
Leonard Cohen (1934 - 2016)
Congratulations on the release of your new album “Divine Morphine”! For the creation of this album, was it an organic process or rather an organized approach with a specific goal? Why this title? It's an intimate process, I really took inspiration from emotions, pleasant or unpleasant sensations, to try to reproduce them in music. Composing is an exciting but overwhelming activity, it can drive you crazy I think. I chose this title because it sums up my life, my relationship to drugs, painkillers, and other synthetic pleasures.
You compose and perform under the pseudonym Képa, why not keep your real name? This is the nickname of my grandmother, I learned to play at her place. I chose this name in 2 minutes before my very first concert.
You sing and play guitar, harmonica and snare drum simultaneously, it's amazing! How did you learn all these instruments? My life is governed by obsessions, and music suddenly fell within the scope of my obsessions, so I gave it almost all my time for 2 years. It was an intimate activity, which gave me well-being without ambition to share it. Fate has decided otherwise.
Let's go back a bit, around 2015 if I'm not mistaken while your pro skateboarding career is going well you are gradually disappearing from the skate scene, and Képa appears a little later in the French music scene. What happened ?
I had illogical pain in my body, I couldn't skate anymore. I started lying to myself and then to my sponsors. Finally I was diagnosed with an illness, the dream suddenly stopped.
Do you think that creating music allows you to release the frustration of not being able to skate as much as before because of your illness? I don’t think so... Skateboarding is about creation, but also strong bodily sensations, camaraderie ... Composed of music it's more intimate. I miss skateboarding a lot. I am not surprised to see the success of skateboarding today.
Do you find any similarities between creation on your board and musical creation? Do these two passions feed off each other? I don't think so. I don't use skateboarding to write music. Skateboarding is pure mindfulness, that's what is absolutely brilliant. Composing music is like peeling feelings, understanding the causes of emotions, analyzing existence, to try to translate it. You have to make the difference between playing and composing music. Playing is "easy", composing is long and difficult, at least for me.
Do you keep an eye on the current skate scene? What is your perception compared to what you experienced? Which skateboarder gives you the motivation to get on your board today?
Yes I keep a close eye! I like the creative direction of skateboarding, I like that the rule of “never been done” remains the one and only that counts. It offers us so much, unique tricks, incredible ideas, it constantly forces us to tirelessly revisiting the street. I can't get on my board anymore.
On the music side, which artists inspire you that you would like to share with our readers? Karen Dalton Bertrand Belin Abner Jay David Lynch
Thank you very much Bastien answer this interview! Thank you !
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