Darkwave synth outfit Hørd will open for crowd favourites The KVB, back in Malta for a second performance, at Tigullio. Interview by Ramona Depares.
Who is Hørd? And what is the story behind the name?
Hørd is a solo project, created at the end of 2013 when I was splitting with my band of that time. I decided it was time to make the music I wanted to create and to stay away from guitars for a while. I’d been playing the guitar since I was 13 years old. I wanted to radically dive into something new to me. And, because I wanted to explore some real cold and dark music, I decided to use only electronic and synths. No guitars; to just jump directly into an uncomfortable and creative process. The name comes from the fact that I am alone, and I wanted a paradoxical name with paradoxical meaning.
How do you describe your sound?
My music is a result of the 40 years of electric music I used to play and listen to, mixed with some contemporary dark and electronic music. There is also a bit of goth and some pop accents. This is what I’m trying to do. And it has been a long process to get here in my sound, a process that probably started some 10 to 15 years ago.
There seems to be a worldwide revival for darkwave/synth music. To what do you attribute this?
Everything goes, then come back every 10 or 20 years. I do not especially view it as a revival. Currently the sound is a melancholic industrial feeling born in the early 1980s. Nowadays it’s somewhat easier to create the sound. There is a ‘friendly’ synth business, and materials to record and build a home studio are cheaper and affordable. There really is an equal opportunity for everyone.
I also believe that many people never really stopped playing this kind of music and they did not wait for the ‘trendy dark music’ to come back. Of course, there are others who will change their mind with every revival, like in about one or two years’ time, when 1970s music will have its fifth revival.
Lyrics play a big part in your music and you’re known for your wit. How does that come about? Do you set out to inject humour into your music or does it just happen?
Lyrics are not very important really. Well, not more important than beat, or a synth melody.
It’s part of the music like anything else, like a lead instrument. The melody of the voice is more important than the words themselves, which sometimes have an abstract or evocative meaning. And sometimes not, because they are based on real stuff, auto-fiction, or emotions I had.
You’re based in Bordeaux. What is the darkwave music scene like in France and how has it helped/impacted you?
In Bordeaux, darkwave almost does not exist, and I don’t feel I am related to the Bordeaux scene at all. I feel closer to other projects, some German, American, English, or from Paris and Italy. In France, there is some good goth music, and probably some of the best electronic and techno project in the world.
But Bordeaux is, and will remain, a city that will listen to music through the prism of rock. Recently I had a talk with a guy who still does not consider synthesizers as instruments. It is sad to hear that in 2018.
Many people never really stopped playing this kind of music; they did not wait for the ‘trendy dark music’ to come back
What are some of your inspirations?
Fiction in all its forms. Cinema, art, books, and music, of course. And probably the constant feeling that life and this world have absolutely no sense.
What are your thoughts about the music industry today? What is good and what needs to be fixed?
Internet is great to spread music and find shows. But it’s also a big ocean for a band to exist in, a place where promotions float around in a really big place; like any other product, of course; which means that some money and contacts are fundamental.
I also think big dealers like Deezer, Apple and so forth one should give the biggest part of revenue to the artists; instead, the opposite happens; which is not really breaking news, I suppose.
What is your creative process like?
I don’t really have rules, but I often begin with a bassline and a beat. Then everything happens really fast when it comes to the main ideas and themes. After that, there is a long and really interesting effort, between arrangements, variations, harmony explorations, lyrics and mixing... every step is quite intense. And I like that.
What’s next for Hørd?
I am really excited about the second album release, in September. The record is called Parallels and will be out on Avant! Records. It only includes new tracks. I will release a video just before summer, with the first extract of the album. I’m also working on a movie soundtrack; it’s a ‘professional’ fiction movie and I am really happy to be part of such a great project.
What can we expect from your Malta performance?
The audience can expect to have deep and introspective sensations during the show. I will play half of my upcoming album, and I hope people will enjoy it.
Hørd perform in Malta on Saturday at Tigullio, St Julian’s, as part of the KVB and Hørd Live event organised by Sonic Mecca. Tickets are available online.
https://shop.trackagescheme.com/event/kvb-live-h-o-r-d-live/
The KVBKVB return to Malta
The KVB are back in Malta for a second concert after performing to a sold-out venue two years ago. Formed in 2010 by Nicholas Wood and Kat Day, The KVB bring their audience layers upon layers of synth and reverb with a touch of shoegaze. Viewing themselves as more of an ‘audiovisual project’ than simply a band, the duo recently released a five-year anniversary double album, Always Then Revisited.