Sebastien Tellier, Interview

Sebastien Tellier
Interview

Contactmusic.com recently caught up with the exceptional, highly personal & intimate artist, Sebastien Tellier in his home town of Paris, France to talk about his latest album entitled Universe.

CM: Most of your music is quite cinematic; did one of your compositions feature on the sound track for Lost in Translation?

Seb: Yes you are right, Fantino a piece from my first album was chosen by Sofia Coppola to illustrate a scene from here movie "Lost in Translation". This track also appears on Universe as a cover of my own work. The idea for Universe came to me when I saw a sitcom on French TV where Willy Nelson appears playing an acoustic set of his songs. Some of the tracks on Universe are a kind of tribute to Willy Nelson.

CM: La Ritournelle is a beautiful piece of music, and there are 2 versions on your "Universe" album - what's your favourite version, or favourite remix?
Seb: My favourite version of La Ritournelle is the full length one on "Politics". As for remixes, my favourite one the one Mr Dan recorded. It blow a fresh pop wind on my song . It gives it real freshness.

CM: You've just come back from filming in Canada - do you consider yourself as a musician (composer or performer) or an actor?!
Seb: I see myself as a composer mostly. If sometimes I sing and play the mad actor/performer it is mostly to have fun after and aside my composer's work.

CM: How did you find performing in the UK?
Seb: What pleased me the most when touring the UK was that the audience knew my lyrics and sung them with me. The English seem to really understand the pop essence of my work when the French seem to only raise their eye brow and see me as a kind of Parisian intellectual.

CM: Could you describe a few of the tracks on your new album "Universe"- either the thought process behind the songs, inspiration, or how they actually sound etc?

Bye-Bey: A viewer snaps out of his passive state and comes on stage La Ritournelle : The only love song Black Douleur : Inspired to me when I left my parents home and started living on my own. It was a great feeling. League Chicanos: A voyage into the soul and dreams of wet backs La Dolce Vita: A cover of one of French singer Christophe's hits (words are by Jean Michel Jarre (!)). Christophe is the best living French singer in the world. Fantino: This is what the music of my childhood sounds like in my brain. It is
pure fabricated nostalgia. Broadway: The wavering one feels when attracted and disgusted by the same thing: an invitation to Rico from Starship Troopers to rescue us from this hellish state. Universe: Deep space poetry Classic: About the inflexibility growing inside me with age.

Contactmusic.com: What can't you live without?
Seb: My Playstation

CM: What's the next big thing for Sebastien?
Seb: Getting married with my mother

CM: What's the last good movie you saw?
Seb: Videodrome directed by David Cronenberg

CM: What's you're favourite location?
Seb: My flat

CM: What's the most memorable gig - either performing yourself or otherwise
Seb: Prince at the Zenith (Paris) ... The greatest performer on stage ever!

Chris: Merci beaucoup Sebastien et bon courage!

Chris Fleming