(Version française en dessous)

Blendreed

By: Dream Chimney

The following interview was conducted on June 17, 2024

Dream Chimney Premiere: Blendreed

Blendreed is French saxophonist Musina Ebobissé who is about to release his stunning new EP on Madrid based label, Tenorio Cotobade, entitled ‘Armaun’. An acronym of Ambient Resistance Music Against Urban Noise, designed to take a stand against the noise pollution of city life, the four pieces of music truly do bring out a feeling of peace and calm. Here we get a chance to put some questions to this exciting artist on the week of his release.

Where are you from and where are you based today?

I’m from Strasbourg (FR), I lived in Berlin between 2013 and 2020, I’m now based in Paris.

What can you see from your window right now, paint us a picture?

I live ground floor at a street corner, fortunately there’s open space in front of this building which is nice as it is rare in this city. I can see people passing by, a bike lane, parking lots, a one way road and the yard of a high school on the other side of the street. There are trees which is nice, and I can see a fair portion of a cloudy Parisian sky.

How long have you been friends with the saxophone? When did this relationship begin?

I started playing quite early at the age of 8. I followed a music oriented school program with conservatory of music, which lasted until high school.

Why did you choose the saxophone do you think? What do you love most about this instrument?

I grew up in an environment full of music. My dad, who is a Camerounian expatriate, was really into jazz music. I was exposed to Sonny Rollins, John Coltrane and Charlie Parker early on and it definitely played a big role in the choice of my instrument.

I love everything about the instrument. First and foremost its sound, the interaction of the wooden reed and the metal; its shape, its complex array of keys, pads, holes. For me the saxophone is a landscape in itself.

It is a cliche to write it but I do see it a a continuation of one’s body. There something intimate about woodwind instruments, I guess it comes from the breath, contact with the mouth, the blowing, pressing the keys etc…it’s like a second voice to me.

Who are the other great sax players in time that inspire you?

I mainly listen to jazz saxophonists. John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, Joe Lovano, Dave Liebman, Wayne Shorter, Charles Lloyd. Among more contemporary players I’d say Steve Coleman, Mark Turner, Walter Smith iii, David Binney, Donny Caslin, Chris Speed and many others.

As I am writing these questions, I can feel myself exhaling in relaxation as I listen to the tracks of ARMAUN. What effects – positive and negative – do you feel the noises within our cities have upon us?

Hearing a sound is hearing either a presence or an activity of some kind. It can of course be positive in the sense that it reminds us that life and phenomenons are happening around us. It can make us feel surrounded, comforted etc.. But just like the difference between poison and its remedy, it’s sometimes a matter of amount and quantity. Urban life is both exciting, stimulating, exhausting and irritating.

I’d love to hear about the initial idea for the release ARMAUN. When did you first approach this concept and what was your original intention with this release?

The music came before the acronym. It is a selection of improvised pieces I recorded at the of 2022. I then got busy with other projects and left the tracks aside for a while, procrastinating its release until Jorge Cortes approach me.

I’ve always lived in cities. I like the opportunities and diversity of experiences the urban has to offer but it comes at a price. Paris is a very dense and noisy city and the constant huslte and bustle wears me down. Our senses are constantly caught, solicited, captured. I found myself using my headphones more and more, trying to extract myself from my sonic surroundings, creating my own space to relieve myself from the stress and the pressure. ARMAUN (ambient resistance music against urban noise) is actually equally meant as a serious and humorous statement. Serious because of the reality I just described, but humorous because declaring and labelling your own music as -resistance music” is quite pompous. I really wanted to have an acronym that sounds good though 😉

It is as if this music sits in the hypnagogic space of neither sleep nor awake. Was that your intention?

Honestly no, but I definitely know what you mean and I can experience it in this way too!

They say we take our most relaxation, and also that we dream the most in this space. Are you aware of this, and was that your reason for creating this space in sonics?

I was not aware of this. For me it takes a lot of meticulousness and focus to create dreamy sounds. I mostly evolve in acoustic context.

What was most important for you to convey through this record? Do you feel that you were able to accomplish all of your intentions?

Hard to say. Maybe a certain focus, attention to details, both concentration and detachment, a certain state of mind, some sort of happy melancholia, of peaceful nostalgia. Inviting the listener to take a moment to enter a space where musical time is felt differently (as opposed to my other projects). Invite them to escape the cold objectivity of the clock that inevitably brings its share of task and responsibilities and follow at their own pace and tempo, their train of thoughts.

Whether or not that is mission accomplished or not is out of my hands. I try to play compelling sonic stories, the listeners are then free to interpret them as they chose.

What are you most proud of with ARMAUN?

In general, I fell like this Blendreed project allows me to approach playing music in a different way. It’s my third release, and I’m quite happy with the sonic result of working with saxophone and guitar pedals. I’m happy with the balance I found between transforming the sound of my horn while maintaining a clear and identifiable saxophone sound. Whether or not it is original is not so relevant, but it feels authentic and organic to me.

What was the most challenging part of bringing this release together?

Fortunately it was not such a hassle to release this one. I was fortunate enough to have somebody to work with me and produce it.

You are releasing on the label Tenorio Cotobade. How did you first connect? What can you tell us about the label?

I didn’t know the label before Jorge Cortes contacted me half a year ago and proposed me to release something together. I’m very thankful for his interest in this music and his efforts to release it !

What drives you to create this type of music?

The same thing that drives me to play other types of music I guess. The need and the will to express myself, to communicate through art and music specifically. I think Blendreed satisfies the part of me that loves to slow down, to daydream, to relax, to reflect, to imagine.

Where do you find the most inspiration when it comes to discovering new music?

Nowhere specifically. It can be freshly released music or older records I didn’t know. Checking out live music, of course. Sometimes just talking to friends and colleagues, or digging into the work of artists who collaborated with others I didn’t know. Check out what the overpresent algorithms on different platforms are proposing, Youtube, Bandcamp etc…

What troubles you most about the modern world today?

On a systemic level, commodification of everything, humans and nature and the struggles of the left to effectively change the balance of power in late capitalism and to create a counter narrative. It is sadly the far right that is benefitting from the anger and frustration that capitalism creates. I was born in 1990 and I’ve always lived in what Mark Fisher would call “Capitalist Realism”. A lot of issues we face on a personal/psychological level nowadays are direct or indirect consequences of what I just mentioned.

What is next for Blendreed?

I don’t know yet, I’m working on several different things, let’s see what will come out first. Either another ambient album, possibly ARMAUN Vol. 2. I’ve also been playing a live set this time with a sampler/groove box. Adding rhythm brings out something that I had not explored in solo so far. I might also finally compose actual songs rather than “just” improvise. Maybe a collab of some kind, we’ll see!

TRADUCTION FRANÇAISE:

Blendreed Interview Dream Chimney 06:2024 FR

Blendreed – Interview avec Musina Ebobissé

Par Dream Chimney — juin 2024

Le saxophoniste français Musina Ebobissé s’apprête à sortir son nouvel EP Armaun sur le label madrilène Tenorio Cotobade. Derrière son projet solo Blendreed, il explore l’intersection du jazz, de l’ambient et de la musique expérimentale.
Le titre de l’EP, acronyme de Ambient Resistance Music Against Urban Noise, se veut à la fois une réflexion sérieuse et un clin d’œil sur la pollution sonore des grandes villes. Les quatre pièces qui le composent respirent la sérénité et l’espace.

Rencontre avec un musicien pour qui le son est aussi un refuge.

Tu es né à Strasbourg, tu as vécu à Berlin, et tu es maintenant à Paris. Qu’est-ce que tu vois depuis ta fenêtre aujourd’hui ?

J’habite au rez-de-chaussée, à un coin de rue. Heureusement, il y a un espace dégagé devant l’immeuble, ce qui est rare ici. Je vois les passants, une piste cyclable, des voitures garées, une rue à sens unique et la cour d’un lycée en face. Il y a des arbres, et un grand morceau de ciel parisien souvent nuageux.

Depuis quand le saxophone t’accompagne ?

J’ai commencé très jeune, vers 8 ans. J’étais dans un cursus scolaire à orientation musicale, avec conservatoire, jusqu’à la fin du lycée. Le saxophone fait donc partie de ma vie depuis toujours.

Pourquoi cet instrument en particulier ?

J’ai grandi dans un environnement plein de musique.Mon père, Camerounais expatrié, écoutait beaucoup de jazz : Sonny Rollins, John Coltrane, Charlie Parker… Ces disques ont clairement influencé mon choix.

J’aime tout dans cet instrument : son timbre, cette interaction entre l’anche en bois et le métal, sa forme, sa mécanique complexe… Pour moi, le saxophone est un paysage sonore en soi.
Et puis, il y a une dimension intime dans les instruments à vent — le souffle, le contact, la vibration. C’est vraiment comme une deuxième voix.

Quels saxophonistes t’inspirent le plus ?

Principalement des musiciens de jazz : Coltrane, Rollins, Joe Lovano, Dave Liebman, Wayne Shorter, Charles Lloyd…
Et parmi les contemporains, Steve Coleman, Mark Turner, Walter Smith III, David Binney, Donny McCaslin, Chris Speed — pour n’en citer que quelques-uns.

Ton disque parle de “résistance contre le bruit urbain”. Quelle place tient le son — ou le silence — dans ton rapport à la ville ?

Entendre un son, c’est percevoir une présence, une activité. C’est positif, ça rappelle que la vie est là. Mais, comme pour tout, c’est une question de mesure.
La vie urbaine est à la fois stimulante et épuisante. À Paris, le bruit est constant — le flux, les moteurs, les voix — nos sens sont sans arrêt sollicités. J’ai commencé à mettre mon casque de plus en plus souvent, à créer ma bulle sonore pour souffler un peu.

ARMAUN est né de ce besoin : une musique ambient de résistance, sérieuse dans son intention, mais avec une touche d’ironie — parce que se déclarer “musique de résistance” reste assez grandiloquent !
Mais j’aimais bien le son de l’acronyme, alors je l’ai gardé.

Cette musique semble flotter entre veille et sommeil. Était-ce volontaire ?

Pas consciemment. Mais je comprends ce que tu veux dire — et je le ressens parfois comme ça aussi. Créer des sons “rêvés” demande en réalité beaucoup de précision et de concentration. Même si je viens d’un univers très acoustique, je cherche à évoquer cette sensation suspendue.

Que voulais-tu transmettre avec ce disque ?

Peut-être un certain état d’esprit : concentration et détachement, mélancolie douce, nostalgie paisible. Inviter l’auditeur à entrer dans un autre rapport au temps, à s’échapper un instant du rythme des obligations quotidiennes pour suivre, à son rythme, le fil de ses pensées. Je raconte des histoires sonores. Ensuite, libre à chacun d’y projeter ce qu’il veut.

De quoi es-tu le plus fier sur Armaun ?

Ce projet m’a permis d’aborder la musique autrement.
C’est ma troisième sortie, et j’aime beaucoup la façon dont j’ai pu mêler saxophone et pédales de guitare. Je crois avoir trouvé un bon équilibre entre transformation et identité du son. Peu importe si c’est original ou non — ça me semble vrai, et organique.

Comment s’est faite la rencontre avec Tenorio Cotobade ?

Je ne connaissais pas le label avant que Jorge Cortes me contacte, il y a environ six mois, pour me proposer une sortie. Je lui suis très reconnaissant pour sa confiance et son travail sur cette musique.

Qu’est-ce qui te pousse à créer ce type de musique ?

La même chose qui me pousse à jouer d’autres styles : l’envie de m’exprimer, de communiquer par le son. Blendreed, c’est la part de moi qui aime ralentir, rêver, observer, imaginer.

Où découvres-tu de nouvelles musiques ?

Un peu partout. Parfois un disque récent, parfois une vieille découverte.
Les concerts, les échanges avec des amis ou des collègues, les suggestions d’algorithmes…J’aime explorer les ramifications entre les artistes, remonter les filiations. YouTube, Bandcamp — tout peut être source d’inspiration.

Qu’est-ce qui t’inquiète le plus dans le monde d’aujourd’hui ?

La marchandisation de tout, humains comme nature, et l’incapacité de la gauche à proposer un vrai contre-récit au capitalisme tardif.
L’extrême droite récupère la colère que le système engendre, et c’est tragique.
Je suis né en 1990, j’ai toujours vécu dans ce que Mark Fisher appelait le “réalisme capitaliste”. Beaucoup des difficultés psychologiques qu’on traverse aujourd’hui en découlent directement.

Et la suite pour Blendreed ?

Je travaille sur plusieurs choses en parallèle, on verra ce qui sortira en premier.
Peut-être un ARMAUN Vol. 2, peut-être un album plus rythmique : je joue désormais un live avec sampler et groovebox, ce qui ouvre un nouvel espace.
J’aimerais aussi composer de vraies chansons, pas seulement improviser.
Et pourquoi pas une collaboration. On verra bien !