Return of the Prodigal Son: An Interview with Yann Tiersen



Editor’s Note: This interview was submitted by the show organizer, Leo de Boisgisson

Equal parts classic, folk and avant-rock, the music of Breton born multi-instrumentalist and composer Yann Tiersen has struck a chord with fans around the globe – a sound exemplified by his memorable score to the French blockbuster Amelie. Having played a successful show here last year, Tiersen returns to Beijing this for two shows this Friday, June 19 and Saturday, June 20, for a performance at Yugong Yishan. We caught up with him before his arrival in town to talk composition, obscure electronic instruments and the Cocteau Twins.

You’ve composed six albums, three live albums, and you’ve written soundtracks now to a trio of films, including Amelie, Goodbye Lenin and, most recently the all-instrumental soundtrack to Tabarly, a film about the father of French yachting, Eric Tabarly. How did this come about?

I saw the film and was very surprised because I was thinking it would be a usual documentary with commentary, when in fact it’s just archives of Eric’s voice with no commentary. So I rediscovered the guy and was impressed by his honesty. He was a very silent guy, very shy. So I agreed to make some music for the film – at the beginning it was difficult because there are a lot of scenes of racing. So how can you put music on a sail race? You could do anything you want! So I forgot the images and the movie and focused on the character to make a musical portrait of this guy. I was feeling so close of his mood. He’s also from Brittany and the day before he died, he spent his last dinner on earth on the island where I built my house and where I was working on the film – it was quite strange.

Did you ever meet Eric Tabarly ? Did you know much about him?

I was too young. But I have good memories of 1976 when he won the big race and when he was missing at sea and no body knew where he was and everybody started thinking he was dead. I was 6 years old at this time but I can remember it.

The majority of tracks on the album are piano based. You seem to have returned to piano in a big way. Possibly the more sober ones are piano led ones. But there are also ones like “Au Dessous du Volcan” where’s there’s some guitar. It’s livelier, more orchestrated.

It’s very simple: it’s just a question of time. Because I didn’t have lot of time to do it. So at the beginning I was working on my album and my next album is not a piano solo, it’s more electric. So I was in this mood. So I do the first songs like “Au Dessous du Volcan” like that, and after …

You ran out of time?

Yeah, so piano was easier and also we’ve been touring for two years, and I don’t have a piano on stage because I was a bit fed up with that. So I didn’t play piano for two years so it was like a rediscovery and it was good to just make piano pieces for that.

It’s always interesting when you have instrumental pieces to look at the title. I don’t know how significant titles are for you, but with something like “Yellow?”

It was also very simple. “Yellow” was music for a scene where he was sailing on Paul Ricard – one of his boats – and you know Paul Ricard is Ricard, it’s alcohol – so it’s yellow.

Were you in any way a bit worried about doing the soundtrack for this album because it kind of takes you back to being the composer of soundtracks like Amelie that you’re so closely linked to?

Amelie was merely a collection of previous works. I really only composed three tracks for Amelie. I’m not making soundtracks and for myself – it’s very difficult because especially in France where the movie business is more complicated than the music industry. There is occasionally quite a problem with communication. We don’t speak the same language and for me it’s lot of pressure and I don’t like that. But I was just impressed. First the director is a skipper himself. He sailed Eric’s boat for three years. He’s a really friendly guy. And the movie was very good so I can’t say no but I won’t do that again (laughs).

Since 2005 you’ve released out this studio album called Les Retrouvailles and worked with some really interesting musicians: Dominique A., with whom you’ve worked on previous albums, Christophe Miossec and even Jane Birkin, who sings a song on this one.
This was a very collaborative album.
For this particular one I’d like to have guests just for the voice, and not to do all the album on my own. And I was very happy to work with Elisabeth Fraser…

From the Cocteau Twins…

And I was a huge fan of that band and of her voice. And for one track with her I’ve done entirely the music and no idea for the voice and she was completely free and it’s like a very good moment in the studio we spent together and to see her working and see her ideas coming from nowhere. It was great.

You’re singing more and more aren’t you? You used to write for other people’s voices --as you say -- people like Elisabeth Fraser. Now you seem to be singing more. Have you found your voice?

Just on stage … I don’t know. Because I like to discover other fields and I’m very focused on the voice. For the next album there will be no instrumentals, there will be always voices on every song. But not in a classic way. It’s a way not to do the same. And I’m a bit fed up with doing instrumentals.

You’re still very attached to this unusual instrument called an “ondes martenot organ” – an early electronic instrument (from the 1930’s), which was played by Christine Ott on tour. Why do you like this instrument?

I was a huge fan of this instrument when I was very young. There was some martenot in the music of French composer Olivier Messian and also in Star Trek and Jacques Brel songs. I really like this instrument because it’s an early electronic instrument and the interface to play is very sensitive – much more so than on a violin. With the left hand you’ve got an expression key, which is very sensitive. And you have two ways of playing with the right hand, you can play with a ring and also with a keyboard, and you can vibrate on it. But now it’s like a common instrument because there’s a lot on the Radiohead album.

In 2005/2006 you were touring a lot especially in Europe but also in China, Indonesia, Australia, South America. And there is an album released in 2006 called On Tour – a live album – and also an accompanying DVD. It’s a kind of travelogue which follows the story of this tour. And we see you on stage either playing guitar or violin but mainly guitar. And it’s rock and roll!

In fact when I was a teenager, when beginning to make music on my own, it was in a rock band. And when I released my first albums I needed to go away from that to find new inspiration with other instruments because I was so used to making music with guitars in a classic way. So it’s why I was trying to do songs and rock energy but with violins or toy piano. And after, for me, it’s the contrary. I needed to rediscover electricity and it’s easier for me to work with guitars. I find just more ideas on it because it’s more difficult now to have enthusiasm and to have ideas with old stuff.

You’re finding it more with guitar now?

It was very gradual. If you see in all my albums there is small incursion of electricity and there is more and more.



And what’s been your best moment?

Maybe it was our tour in South America, in Buenos Aries and also in Mexico. The audience was very happy, very expansive. It was a surprise to have such a huge crowd.

Who are you listening to at the moment?

I like a French band called Syd Matters. For me it’s the best one. It’s like folk. Quite close to Sufjan Stevens maybe. It’s very very good.

So now to the thing that’s really motivating you at the moment. Your current project. Where are you heading?

Wow! It’s quite different for me to work on the new album. Because the previous album was all based on contrasts between electric or songs and some minimal ones. And for next one it’s more long songs but with contrast within the song and I want to explore all directions so it’s a lot of work. It’s the first time I spend sometimes a month for just one song. Because I want to take time and to explore all the directions a song can take. So it’s quite exciting but it’s a long process. And there are a lot of political songs but you know in a strange way. And with abstract words but repeated.

In terms of instruments, I read that you go through phases and get obsessed by one instrument and you really want to stay with it. Is there one particular instrument coming through on this album or are you experimenting with everything you have in the past whether it’s glockenspiels, accordions…

There is more guitars, but sometimes there’s one song where it’s like a string section but it’s just guitars, electric guitars. And I work also a lot with distortion on toy pianos for example. I work with the same instruments but in a different way. I need to focus more on the song and to make it more dirty.

To trash it up a bit?

Yeah. There is also a piano on it but passing through distortion and the amps because I can’t even listen to piano again. I need to find new ways to play it. You know when I’m making music it makes me happy so I need to have happy life and to be proud of what I’m doing, not to repeat again and again some old stuff.

So album is for end of this year? And then on tour at the beginning of next year?

I think now the record is important but there is Internet. I want to begin the tour even before the album is out. I miss the tour a lot (laughs).

Yann Tiersen performs at Yugong Yishan at 8pm on Friday, June 19 and Saturday, June 20. Tickets are RMB 130 (presale) and RMB 180 (at the door). Check Yugong Yishan’s Facebook page for more information (yugongyishan.com is currently not available in China).