Some people ask me how I made the guitar sound of the new song “Self-Mystery Girl”, so I write this article to explain my goal and how I reached it.

First of all the guitar I used for this song is a Fender Stratocaster american model. It features three single coil pickups and I used the position bridge/middle in clean sound.

After the guitar, I wanted an analog feel so during last years I took analog pedal and I can say that the sound is largely superior to digital ones. This is not a legend that analog pedals are more musical with their unperfection than Digital ones with their perfect restitution of sound.

For “Self-Mystery Girl” I used three stomp pedals:

The MXR Flanger has a really interesting sound, from very subtle to outrageous Jet plane effect. The sound is less brilliant than an Electric Mistress and it fits perfectly this the very clean and brilliant sound of the Fender. While Flanger is a modulation effects, it could be too much but the MXR always fits in the mix without being too presents.

The Delay pedals is an Electro Harmonix Deluxe Memory Man. It’s an analog delay but with tap tempo sync on 1/4. The sound is very dreamy and aerial and always musical. It gives the perfect level of space without being too invading due to its analog path. The sound is largely warmer than Digital Delay that tends to be too clean for me now (I used it for many years and since I played the Memory Man, Digital Delay seems to be a little less personal for me).

And last, I used the TC Electronic Arena Reverb. It’s a Digital Delay (the only one on my pedal board) but the sound is very warm, pristine and pure. It gives the extra space I wanted without being too much. Reverb tends to drown easily your sound in the mix but not the Arena, all fits perfect in the mix.

I didn’t talked about the amp. I used Native Instruments Guitar Rig 5 Pro amp simulator. For this song I used a Marshall Plexi simulation. It’s been a while I used this software and I love it cause it’s simple but very versatile. I used amp simulation cause I can get the sound I want anywhere, any time. No need to do real mic positions in front of a real amp, all is set in the software.

Have you ever felt the mystery of a girl just by looking to her eyes?

Our new hit single video “Self-Mystery Girl” is now available on our channel and the song is also available on Digital Download on our shop www.lyncelia.com/lyncelia-shop and on Bandcamp www.lyncelia.bandcamp.com .

It’s the first song since our last album “Forsaken Innocence” (2016) and it starts a process of posting songs all along the year, and at least it will form an entire album of 7 songs.

This song is anchored in ColdWave reminding the best hours of The Cure or The Sisters of Mercy but with the particularity that characterizes Lyncelia since our very first album “Lovelorn” in 2010.

With “Self-Mystery Girl” We makes the perfect synthesis between our past, present and future and all these influences by mixing Gothic-Rock with ColdWave.

For this 6th article, I come back on our cover of “Sorry Angel” (2011) from the french singer Serge Gainsbourg.

At the beginning it was a proposal from our rehearsal studio, they wanted to celebrate the 20 years of Gainsbourg’s death by releasing a tribute.

We talked about the project with Claudia (Bass player at this time), she were very enthusiastic and we choose to participate. Claudia chose the song “Sorry Angel” cause the lyrics and musique could fits with our musical style.

The exercise was interesting to make a cover on a limited run, respecting the original but being 100% Lyncelia.

It was really complicated to sing in French, I’m not used to and the intonations are very different from English. I worked hard to get my voice fits in every words and pronounciation. Even today I prefer to sing in English.

Claudia add really lots of feeling on bass, it’s clear that I couldn’t do it the same. Almost a jazzy feel on bass all over my ColdWave Guitars.

It was an intense experience that allows us to make something different and to play it on stage with bands from other style. We represented with pride the Gothic Music at their sides.

Pour ce 6e post,  je vais revenir sur notre reprise de “Sorry Angel” de Serge Gainsbourg que nous avons faites en 2011.

Au départ ce fut une proposition des Cuizines (où nous répétons chaque semaine) qui voulait célébrer les 20 ans de la mort de Serge Gainsbourg en réalisant une compilation hommage avec que des groupes répétant aux Cuizines.

On en à discuté avec Claudia (qui etait à la basse) de ce projet, elle etait très enthousiasmée par ce projet et nous décidames de participer. C’est donc Claudia qui choisit le titre “Sorry Angel” car le texte et la musique s’apparentais bien à notre style.

L’exercice etait intéréssant de proposer une reprise personnelle, dans un temps limité, qui respecterai le titre d’origine tout en etant à 100% du Lyncelia.

Ce fut (très) compliqué pour moi de chanter en Français, je n’en ai pas l’habitude et les sonorités sont différentes de l’Anglais. J’ai du travailler pour adapter mon chant à chaque mot et adapter la prononciation pour que ce soit agréable à entendre et pour avoir des intonations proche de mon chant en Anglais. Même encore aujourd’hui j’ai beaucoup de mal pour chanter en Français.

L’apport de Claudia à la basse sur ce titre est indéniable, elle y a apporté un feeling presque jazzy, et moins figé que l’original, Superposée magnifiquement à mes guitares ColdWave.

Ce fut une expérience intense et intéréssante qui nous a beaucoup apporté et nous a permis de faire un exercice different puis de le restituer sur scènes accompagné par des groupes de divers horizons et de divers style et nous avons représenté la musique Gothique avec fierté à leurs cotés.

The new single named “Self-Mystery Girl” will be available on Video and on Digital Download (via our eshop and bandcamp) on 22nd June 2018.

It’s the first song we released since the latest album “Forsaken Innocence” in 2016 and it will break a silence of 2 years.

This single will be followed by others songs that we’ll release regularly throughout the year. At the end it will form two EP’s and an album.

We hope you’ll enjoy, see you on 22nd June to see the video and the song.

Hello you all,

We’re shooting our next video titled “Self-Mystery Girl”. The first part of the video was shot few weeks ago and now we’re shooting the band part of the video. For this video we develop a New Wave style with black shirt and red tie.

For this new post, I come back on a particular moment that was the concert on 29th April 2016 in Paris (FR) with friends Troubel Fait’ and the great italian band Der Himmel Uber Berlin.

It was an important show cause it was my return on stage (previous show was in 2014), with a solo line-up, with a new guitar, a new sound setup, new stomp pedals and new songs from Forsaken Innocence that will come just soon. All was different than ever.

I can’t hide you that I was very, very anxious. The anguish to step the stage, alone with my guitar, as it was my very first concert with unreleased songs. I was waiting for this moment after month and month of work on the sound every tuesday on rehearsal sessions. I wanted this concert to be good cause the other bands puts their trust in me.

Not easy to open the show and to give the tune for the night. Lyncelia took place with a new incarnation. Lights went out, at last I was on stage facing all the people staring at me. I worked very hard for this and I was there.

I start the intro, synthesizers roars and make tension goes higher. The first notes of “blind” sounds at last, my guitare wrapped me with its sound, my voice take the mic and resounds in the venue. Drums, precise, cold and mecanic tunes the sound with its percussive power. I become me, my life is on, I’m Lyncelia. The chorus puts my voice to exteriorate all this excitation. The tension goes down for few senconds, “Unbound Pleasure” start up, I introduce this song that is about a young girl ready to become the girl she never used to be. Tempo goes up, my guitare distortion roars dynamically, a sexual tension take place with the chorus to the climax with the female voices… The concert take its way without problems, songs “Lost Anastasia”, “Sapphic Tears” runs the setlist. My concert of Indochine “L’aventurier” that I sung for the very first time blow the audience to end on the classic “Diamonds”. Lights on, concert is over.

It was a great pleasure to share my music with the audience. I give all my energy, and more when you’re solo with nobody around to put on the show.

This experience was intense and give me some trust on myself (I doubt at every moment). I was able to perform a show in all circumstances and all stage configuration. It comforts me on the fact that I love being on stage and this is the goal of Lyncelia.

…To be continued…

Pour ce nouvel article je vais revenir sur un moment particulier de Lyncelia qui fut le concert du 29 Avril 2016 au Buzz de Belleville (Paris – FR) avec les amis de Trouble Fait’ et l’excellent groupe italiens Der Himmel Uber Berlin.

Ce fut une date importante car ce fut mon retour sur scènes (les précédents concerts dataient de 2014), en mode line-up solo, avec une nouvelle guitare, une nouvelle configuration sonore, de nouvelles pédales d’effets et avec de nouveaux titres à jouer issu de Forsaken Innocence qui s’apprêtait à sortir. Tout était différent.

Je ne vous cache pas que ce jour là j’avais un trac immense. L’angoisse de monter sur scènes, seul avec ma guitare, comme si c’était mon tout premier concert et avec des titres que personnes n’avait entendu. L’excitation était à son comble car je ne demandais qu’à m’extérioriser sur scène pour concrétiser des mois et des mois de travail en amont sur le son tout les mardi en répétition pour que ce concert soit une réussite avec un son digne de ce nom et que je ne sois pas ridicule au vu des autres groupes qui m’avaient accordé leur confiance pour ce concert.

Pas simple non plus d’ouvrir le concert et de donner le ton pour cette soirée.  Lyncelia prenait forme dans une nouvelle incarnation. Les lumières s’éteignent, j’était enfin sur scène face aux regards de tout ces gens rivés sur moi. J’avais travaillé d’arrache-pieds pour y arriver et j’y etait enfin.

Je lance l’intro, les synthétiseurs rugissent et font monter la tension. Les premières notes de “Blind” retentissent enfin, ma guitare m’enveloppe de ses sons, ma voix s’empare du micro et résonne dans toute la salle. La batterie, précise, froide et mécanique charpente le son de sa puissance percussive. Je devient enfin moi, ma vie ce joue ce soir, je suis Lyncelia. Le refrain porte ma voix à extérioriser toute ce trac accumulé. La pression redescend quelques secondes, “Unbound Pleasure” démarre, je présente le titre et son thème qui parle d’une jeune fille prête à s’abandoner et à devenir la fille qu’elle n’a jamais été. Le tempo s’emballe, la saturation de ma guitare rugit de manière dynamique, une tension sexuelle s’installe avec le refrain pour atteindre son paroxysme traduit par les voix féminines… Le concert suit son court, sans accrochage, les titres “Lost – Anastasia”, “Sapphic Tears” déroule la setlist, la reprise de L’aventurier d’Indochine que je chantait pour la première fois à abasourdi toute l’assistance pour finir sur le classique “Diamonds”. Les lumières se rallument, le concert est terminé.

Ce fut un grand bonheur de partager et de communier avec le public. J’y ai mis toute mon énergie, il faut toujours donner plus, et encore plus lorsqu’on est en solo avec personne autour de nous pour faire le show.

Cette expérience fut très intense et m’a redonner confiance en moi (moi qui doute en permanence). J’était capable d’assurer un show, de jouer dans toute circonstance et dans toute configuration scénique. Cela m’a conforter dans le fait que j’aime être sur scène et que c’est l’aboutissement de Lyncelia.

…A suivre…

22, 29th March 2018 :

Here is the last post of this studio report, we have already record all tracks and we’re now on the arrangements with the additional female voice.

Isabelle started with some arrangements for “Beloved”. It was very hard for her cause she’s not used of studio recording. The vocal track isn’t easy, it demands precision on the pitch and on the rhythm. After numerous takes we’ve come to what we wanted: Fragility and emotions. I can say that it add the perfect sense I wanted for this song and a new romantic dimension to it.

We tried to do some vocals on the songs “The Beauty of Doubt”, we find the good arrangements but too difficult for Isabelle’s voice so we call Amélie (who already sung on previous albums) that represents the logical and perfect choice for this song.

The pitch of this first vocal track is very high and I needed Amélie’s voice technique to reach what I want. It was not easy cause she didn’t know the song nor the score, it gets some time for Amélie to learn and fine it for a better result.

04th April 2018 :

Amélie came back to end the second vocal track. It’s easy for her after a day of rest, we need few takes to remind the part and it come very easy.

As I said, the choice of Amélie was the perfect choice, she add the perfect tragistic feel to this song and add a more lyrical dimension to this song. It was the emotion I wanted to enhance and enlightened for this final.

Now all the recordings are over. I could start the mix.

Many thanks to Isa and Amélie for giving me their precious time and their so lovely voice to my music. I love you!

And last but not least, thank you all to read this studio report and follow this important step for Lyncelia. I can say that these songs will be strong, hopefully the best I had written and the sound will be huge and better than ever.

…The End…

For this 4th article, I’m coming back on an important step for Lyncelia: The very first concert of this project on 31st March 2009.

It was the starting point of the Lyncelia concerts and it proves me that even il I’m alone I could perform on stage and take pleasure to play. For the first time I played songs with lyrics I had written that I sung with a different voice from my principle band at this time. The experience was intense and it was with a huge apprehension that I step on the stage this night to play the 6 songs that were finalised.

At this time, the drum sound was not the same (I haven’t the TR505 for the 3 albums) and there were not “Diamonds” nor “Persistence of Vision” (the text wasn’t finished).

This day, I took my amplifier but the producer of the show refused that I use it, he plugged me in the mixing desk and from this day I abandon the amp and use only the amp simulator of my multi-effects. With this I could play everywhere with the same sound and it makes easy the soundchecks before the shows.

For the history, at this time Lyncelia was at the beginning and was just a solo side-project from my principle band. My songs had started to buzz on myspace and I received a message from the singer of Soul Disorder (that was a great coldwave solo band) who was searching for a 2nd band to play à La Cantada (Paris – fr).

I accepted the deal even if I wasn’t sure of the result to play alone. I work my sound to be able to play a show and this night on 31st March 2009 I play my very first Lyncelia show. I had great memories cause it was the very first time I played solo with a project I have in my heart.

Setlist:

• Clemency
• Lyncelia
• Extincted
• Over The Senses
• Void of Glass
• Lovelorn

…To be continued…