Yelle’s new record Safari Disco Club is out, a record where the whole animal Kingdom is invited to give its all on the dance floor, Rocket Magazine couldn’t resist having a chat with her, to find out how it sounds and what is going to happen in the next concert in Barcelona.
ROCKET MAGAZINE: Safari Disco Club is your new album, is this a reference to urban tribes or to the animal instinct that we all have inside? How can you define this new record?
YELLE: We started working on this record after 3 years of touring all over the world. We discovered countries, cultures, people and we were really inspired. So Safari Disco Club (the album) is a mix of those different feelings that we had during these years and sometimes doubts, fear, happiness, love! But yes, Safari Disco Club (the song) talks about the animal part that everybody has inside!
RM: It’s been a long time since Je Veux te Voir and the Tecktonik explosion, how did you decide to do this electro pop comeback? Do you like being the muse of the Tecktonic movement?
Y: As I said, we were on tour for a long time and then we took one year to do this new record. We didn’t have any pressure because we have our own label now. It was important to feel free and take the time that we needed. In September 2009, it was natural for us after a 3-month break to go back to the studio and work on the new songs. I don’t feel uncomfortable about Tecktonik but we aren’t actually doing Tecktonik music – we just did a music video with Tecktonik dancers. We still like them but the media really killed the movement.
RM: It is a great idea to have two singles out at the same time and the videos as well, how did you come up with this idea?
Y: Thanks! We couldn’t choose between Safari Disco Club and Que veux-tu! We like them both and we realized that it could be fun to have 2 videos in 1, like a short movie, something different! We are really happy and proud of the result!
RM: Sónar Barcelona is around the corner, and you’re gonna be there! But… Are you planning to see any other bands? Do you have any surprises for the crowd in your concert?
Y: I hope you’ll be there! I haven’t checked the line up yet but I will definitely try to see other bands! I like the energy at festivals and you can discover really good stuff!
RM: Where was the concert where your fans jumped and danced the most?
Y: What a difficult question!! Maybe in Santiago de Chile, or Barcelona, or maybe at Coachella!! AAAAAHHhhhhh we had such good crowds all around the world, this question is too hard!
RM: Do you know that you have a great advantage to have been so successful singing in French? Do you plan to sing in any other languages?
Y: I don’t want to sing in another language for the moment. Singing in French is important for me to express myself. GrandMarnier (Jean-François Perrier) and I are writing the lyrics together and we go backward and forward like ping pong. For a moment we were thinking about translating the whole album into Spanish, English, Japanese, Chinese, Portuguese and more, like ABBA did but it’s a crazy project so not for the moment! I think people like us because of the French lyrics and we like that too!
RM: There are some versions of songs on this new album by other bands such as Lo-Fi-Fink. How did this collaboration come about?
Y: It’s another way to propose “remixes” to the fans. It’s cool to have versions of your songs by bands that you like. We are big fans of Lo-Fi-Fink and we are really happy about the version of ‘Mon Pays’ that they did!
RM: Who do you prefer, David Guetta or Laurent Garnier?
Y: I don’t really know Laurent Garnier’s music and Guetta is everywhere. A few minutes ago we were in the street and we could hear “love don’t let me go”!
RM: What’s the song that makes you dance in the mornings, your favorite song/band for that time of day?
Y: “I just can’t get enough” by Depeche Mode, I love listening to that song… No matter where I am or what time it is, I dance!
Temper Trap “Sweet Disposition” remixed by Alan Wilkis is probably the song that I love the most at the moment!
RM: We love your outfits on stage, some of them by Brian Lichtenberg; are you going to work with new designers on this tour?
Y: For this new album and new tour, we worked with a very good friend of us, Jean-Paul Lespagnard (a young Belgian designer from Brussels). He designed all the outfits that you can see on the album cover and in the new music videos. He’s very talented and very inspired in his collection by 2 themes each time so when we were talking about doing something for Safari Disco Club, it was perfect for him and his crazy imagination!
RM: Do you have iPad? What’s your favorite application?
Y: I don’t but I have an iPhone 3! I want to move on to the iPhone 4, maybe in a few weeks! I really like to check the news on my phone, or play games when we are waiting at airports!
RM: What do you think about social networks? Do you prefer Facebook, Twitter or another one?
Y: I really like to use social networks, it’s crazy to see how they can connect people or inform them. But like everything, it can be dangerous too and you have to be aware of the limits – your privacy can easily be lost if you’re not careful! I use Facebook, and Twitter everyday and I check my MySpace page too, even if it’s not really working anymore!
RM: Do you come to Barcelona often? Do you have any favorite places in the city?
Y: It’s probably not very original but I love the Razzmatazz, the energy of that venue is completely crazy! And I like to walk on the Ramblas like a real tourist!
RM: What’s your favorite Safari Disco Club Animal?
Y: The Lion! King of the jungle, king of the Safari! Or the giraffe because she is so tall that she can observe all of the animals on the Safari!
RM: Jean-François Perrier and Tanguy Destable? How do you define them?
Y: We are a real band, we have been working together since the beginning (Tanguy joined us during the recording of Pop Up, our first album) and we all tour together! We started a label (Recreation Center) and GrandMarnier is literally running it!
RM: The People from Spain want to know; is Sonar going to be your only show in the country?
Y: For the moment yes… but we hope to be back soon! Te quiero mucho España!
Besos!
Thanx for the Interview to Yelle, GranMarnier and Tanguy Destable, Ai Linh from Cooperative Music, Ana Ranjo from Music As Usual, Anna from Wasted Youth PR, Thomas Dorman.
F: Gregoire Alexandre
T: Viktor García
Rocket Magazine Barcelona
LISTEN: YELLE – Safari Disco Club / Que veux-tu (exclusive full length edit)
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHB9epBQxlI
