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Featuring Bernard Feron and Jean-Marc Mélot / From MED Interview by Ruud Dreessen aka ebm-industrial.nl 3 december 2009 20:57

Thanks Bernard Feron and Jean-Marc Mélot that you have found time to give answers to these questions,

B are Bernard Feron

JM are Jean-Marc Mélot

1- For the first question will be - do you know the netherland?

B: Yes, I know the Netherland. I’ve been there many times for scuba diving in Zeeland and also in Maastricht, Amsterdam for visiting and Utrecht for a concert with Fuze Box Machine in 1991. En ik spreek ook een beetje Nederlands… : ))

JM: Oh I often wanted to get there because so many people told me how beautiful this country is, but never found the real occasion to get there … But I’m gonna change it very quickly !

2- What can you tell me about the origin of the name MED (Mono Electronic Density)

B: Actually, the origin of M?D comes from my girlfriend who created the name from several physic symbols. The name M?D is born in Miss Vallie’s mind at 23:45 during a long and warm September night, spending her time in creasy quantum theory speculations.

JM: Yes as Bernard just said, it’s Vallie that had found the name…. Quickly this name sounded with so many things I’m in love with … physic laws, and lots of symbols I’m used to believe in.

3- Greetings Bernard Feron could you please shortly introduce our readers your music project MED Please fill also a biographical resume about how,when and where... MED was founded in ..... give us a more background information?

B: We founded M?D in Belgium; June 2009. It was my wish to play electronic music with JM again. I’ll let JM explain the background, lol.

JM: lol J The story has few months only! In fact I’m involved in Modern Cubism (Front 242 side-project) and I’m used to program sounds and composition using only software. But for months I was very exited to do a real hardcore EBM/Indus music (as I did before with Bernard) but using ONLY hardware machines. So I decided one day to install in a second studio some of my old gears (EMU Emax S.E. / Akai S2000 / Korg M1 / Roland JX8P / …) and do sound research with all the constraints those machines are made of. Using 512Ko ram with EMAX is not so easy than 4Go ram on an iMac! Doing time stretching on a 10sec sample and wait about 4min is not as fun as doing time stretching on a 1min sample in …. Real time J J J

But all those constraints was the meaning of “MED”. I wanted to put myself in a very very restricted mode. With lots of hardware limits. I only use Cubase 3 with my old Mac-mini to compose MIDI parts, and then record the AIF sounds from the machines…. After 2 songs, something pushed me to speak about this to Bernard ‘cos I know he wanted to get involved in EBM/Indus music project again… And at the speed of light we found ourselves on the same wavelength (without any word game) ^^

4- How did you start to make Electronica / Industrial and what is Electronica / Industrial for you?

B: I bought my first synthesizer when I was 17 and started to create and play EBM. Few months later, I joined my first band. That was in 1988… To me, Electro/Indus means the use of electronic instruments and technology only to produce and play pure energetic music.

JM: At about 5yo I teached piano (my grand-mother was a piano teacher). And about 11 yo I felt in love with Visage “Fade To Grey” and things like Blondie “Atomic”, … At 13yo I supplied my parents to bought a 2nd hand synthesizer : Yamaha CS-15. It was in 1984. So I do lots of things on that monophonic synth. 2 years later I bought a Yamaha DX27 and a Roland Jupiter 8 (for 500 eur because it couldn’t use anymore memory presets to save/load sounds). I was doing mostly sound research on those machines. I really start my 1st electro band in 1989. Electro/Indus means to me a pure definition of energy, movements, and abstract arts! Something very free… for free people.

5- What and who are some of your influences in Electronica / Industrial?

B: Electro Wave,EBM,Industrial,Techno, i.e : Front242,Nitzer Ebb,Kraftwerk,Einsturzende Neubauten,OMD,Die Form,DAF, Skinny Puppy,A Split Second,Joy Division, The Neon Judgement,Covenant,And One,DM,FGTH,Syntax and many more…

JM: mainly Front 242 / Liaisons dangereuses / Neon Judgement / Psyche / Nitzer Ebb. But i’m used to listen lots of things like The Cure / Joy division / Kraftwerk / Chopin / Beethoven / Frankie Goes To Hollywood / Indochine / ….

6- What are your top ten favorite Electronica / Industrial Club Songs of all time? Who are you influenced by? What would you consider your favorite cd's?

B: I have only a Top 30 or Top 20 at least. Electronic music is too wide for a Top 10. Thus, I’ll give you some of them:

Kraftwerk: Radioactivity –

Front242: Rerun Time

Skinny Puppy: Assimilate

The Neon Judgment: Chinese Black

Klinik: Moving hands

OMD: The New Stone Age

A Split Second: Rigor Mortis

Neubauten: Yu-Gung

Nitzer Ebb: Let Your Body Learn

Fad Gadget: Coitus Interruptus

and many more…

JM:

Front 242 : “In rythmus Bleiben”

Front 242 : “Take One”

Psyche “Unveilling the secret”

Kraftwerk : “Die Roboter”

Kraftwerk : “Das Model”

Niter Ebb : “Let your body Learn”

Liaisons dangereuse : “Los ninos del parquet”

Neon Judgement “TV Treated”

Crash Course in sciences “Flying Turns”

Kraftwerk : “Radioactivity”.

7- Bernard Feron: tell me about your member in Fuze Box Machine and MAAN and Jean-Marc Mélot: you about member of Modern Cubism, tell me about Modern Cubism with Jean-Luc De Meyer (front 242) Csygnus and AWORKX ).?

B: Fuze Box Machine was my first EBM band. I played first keyboards and then turned to vocals. This project started in 1988 with a friend Manu D. It sounded like F242-Skinny Puppy-Nitzer Ebb. I quit the band in 1992 and Stephane F. replaced me as singer. MAAN was an alternative rock band in which I used to sing from 1993 till 1997. This band was far away from electronic music but I enjoyed it pretty much !

JM: I started Modern Cubism as a solo project during 2005. Like Csygnus. Those projects were just solo projects for fun. I quickly recorded 12 songs for a 1st Csygnus album. It something between old The Cure ambiance (pornography,…) and some Cold wave style. Modern Cubism at the very beginning was much more a “Jean-Michel Jarre” thing. Quickly I needed a female singer to do Opera-like backing vocals… One year later, I met Jean-Luc De Meyer (because a common friend: Thierry Codenys, the brother of Patrick Codenys, the keyboardist of Front 242). Jean-Luc told me about the idea to put some French poetry on electro music. It was a very strange and hybrid challenge very interesting… So I decided to try to mix a female opera-lyric with Jean-Luc very specific voice and my electro compositions … The result can be heard on myspace or youtube, …. 2 albums are made and the 3rd is very close to be finished too! AWORKX was my first electro band, started in 1989 with 2 friends. It sounded a bit the same as Front 242 “Official Version” period …. I bought my 1st sampler at that time: Ensoniq Mirage DSK …. 128k ram, 8 bits … But we did incredible things with it J

8- So tell me a bit more about yourself, such as musical?

B: I played keyboards in Psycho Analogy in 1988, then keyboards and drums in Fuze Box Machine (88-91) and from 1993 turned definitively to vocals. In UEM and Autopsy, two 80’s and 90’s common projects with JM, I used to sing also. Now, I’m the singer of M?D and that’s what I like the most. Sometimes I still create songs with my computer and a controller at home. But I definitely prefer much more singing than playing.

JM: My grand-mother taught me piano when I was 5yo. I learned a lot Chopin, Beethoven (I hate Mozart and Vivaldi). I learn by myself guitar at 12yo but I was (and still) very bad … Keyboards are much more my cup of tea J I learn a lot about physical sound theory. All the theory to produce sounds from a synthesizer, to mix it, equalize it, record it, …. I had good teachers (sound engineers) and advices (Andy Richards … keyboardist of Frankie Goes To Hollywood / ….)

9- By the way do you like my questions? tell me what you think about it! ;-)

B: I feel being interrogated by a Police Officer who knows already a lot about me… : ))) No, seriously, your questions are really interesting and made to discover M?D.

JM: The questions are very nice! I have doubt about the answers anyway …. J

10- What is the main idea, the message you want to leave to people who listens to you? What is your motto?

B: M?D is pure energy between brightness and darkness! And M?D is made for you!

JM: I agree totally with Bernard. Even more: “M?D: We will redefine what energy means”.

11- What’s the name of your band? What’s the origin of that name MED (Mono Electronic Density) ? Have you changed the band’s name before?

B: M?D is the first official name of the band. We chose some interesting names when we started the band but those were already used and protected. After a couple of weeks, my girlfriend created the word M?D from physic symbols and it became the official name. From that moment, we opened our MySpace and Facebook pages. So, the exact spelling is MONO ?LECTRONIC DENSITY. The E from ELECTRONIC is in fact a well known physic symbol, the ?. And it gives a specific touch to the name in full version and even in short version like our logo M?D.

JM: Nothing else to add :D

12- where did the concept come from? and whats planned now that your album is finished? or anything else you're working on? Tell me why this title, Tell us a few words about the concept of this?

B: I guess M?D concept comes from our dark, cold and creasy brains, don’t you think so? M?D is EBM and technology oriented. M?D is M?D! The album is almost finished, we still have some vocals to record and then JM will start the mastering. It should be finished and ready to be signed around February 2010. Untold World is a concept album but we keep it secret for the moment… : )))

JM: Yes. We have just to do some vocals recording and then will start the mastering process… It shouldn’t take lots of time because the overall mix are already very near to the mastering milestone. And now we focus all our energy to play on stage to make discover our universe, our songs, our energy, and share good times with people and give pleasure to lots of people. We are, Bernard and I, really with the focus to “share” our passion with electronic music lovers! If we can generate pleasure and good time with our public, so we win our challenge! And nothing could turn us such happy!

13- And tell me about this? 1987-1988: Both friends involved in electronic music research.1989-1991: First common project called U.E.M.1992-1994: Both friends separately involved in several bands.1994-1996: Second common project called AUTOPSY.1996-2008: Both friends separately involved in several bands.2009: Creation and birth of MED, recording sessions, concerts preparation?

B: 1987-1988 period is probably our first steps in electronic music, I mean playing an electronic instrument. 1989-1991 period saw the birth of U.E.M which was an occasional fusion of Fuze Box Machine and Aworkx from time to time. Both band playing together for fun. During 1994-1996 periods we spent our time JM and I on a new Electro project called Autopsy but we didn’t finalize it. We only played once on stage in Belgium, nothing more. And finally, right now with M?D, we’re searching for a Label and we’re planning several concerts for 2010.

JM: Bernard has a much better memory than me J But that’s the way it was indeed! Now we’re searching a good label with good distribution too because we totally believe in what we’re doing and we are sure there are enough space on the music market for a band like M3D! In the same time we want to prove it on stage! Our concept is based on efficiency, speed, and ability to do either very industrial and hardcore songs and much more melodic and slow songs too!

14-How is the current promotional tour going for supporting this album?

B: We’ll tour and play Untold World in Belgium and Europe as much as we can in 2010. But it’s too early to give you details now. We’re still busy with our planning and agendas. But I can tell you that it’s going to be concept concerts since it is a concept album. We want to create a specific atmosphere on stage.

JM: Indeed! We’ll do gigs as much as possible because we love it but it’s too early to give you dates and location. We’ll play in Belgium at the end of January, and in Netherland May, 15th with Pankow !

15- What do you think of a modern Electronica / Industrial and about Electronica / Industrial scene?

B: I like old school bands but also modern Electro. There are good things and bad things in both. The most important to me when I go for a concert is to feel the beat, feel the melody, feel the energy and move my body enjoying the stage performance.

JM: I haven’t seen so much Indus band on stage … Very few in fact … But most of them are old electro/Indus bands… So I can’t answer this question because I’m just starting to go to some events to discover new talents in EBM/Indus … In some months I will reply again this question J

16- Our usual question - what is Electronica / Industrial for you?

B: As I told you before, my vision is that Electro/Indus means the use of electronic instruments and technology only to produce and play pure energetic music. I like to feel my body moving and dancing on EBM and Electro Wave until early mornings in parties.

JM: Electronic Music is a total concept. The way to process sounds, the way to put them together, to try combinations, to explore new ways to generate noises, …. It’s in the same time very concrete, and based on sound research…. But also to provide a pure emotion from …. Machines (by definition very cold). I love this paradox…. We produce emotions using electricity and electronics …. Instead of acoustic or classics (and warmth) instruments. We can do everything with electronic music. From very sad/cold songs (as movie music such Dany Elfman does) to very aggressive songs.

17- What was your best live experience so far?

B: To give you one experience only is impossible! Let’s say Nitzer Ebb in VK Brussels, Depeche Mode Best Of Tour in Forest National Brussels, Front242 Tyranny For You in AB Brussels and Fad Gadget in Antwerpen. I should add Borghesia in VK Brussels and Cassandra Complex in La Luna Liège.

JM: Front242 – Plan K. – 1986 / The Cure 1987 Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me tour / Frankie Goes To Hollywood “Liverpool” tour 1987 / Gary Numan @ Sinner’s day Hasselt 2009.

18- Please list the name, age, school, and respective instrument of each band member

B: Bernard, 38 yo, Social Sciences and Telecommunication. As M?D singer, I use Shure SM58, Shure MK52, Shure Wireless and Lexicon Effect.

JM: 39yo, Analyst-programmer in computers sciences. I did electronic degree at school and then after graduate in computer science. Ouch … so this is a quick hardware list I use :

- Roland JX8P / Roland Juno6 / Roland Alpha-Juno1 / Roland JX305 / Roland SH201

- Korg M1R / Korg microKorg

- Yamaha AN1X

- EMU Emax S.E.

- Akai S2000 (with Scusi , FX board and 32 Mo ram expanded).

- Mac-Mini with Cubase SE3 (MED only) but also another Mac-Mini with Cubase 4, Reason 4.

- Alesis MultiMix 16 FireWire / Terratec Phase 24 / Alesis RA100 amplifier on JBL S26 monitoring speakers.

19-What are your views on the current state of this electro scene in Belgium.in terms of creativity and audiences? And the scene in other countries?

B: The Belgian scene is creative but limited due to our small country and the lack of support, concert places and Labels. Concerning the audience, the northern part (Flandres) is much more motivated and active then the Southern part (Wallonie). Don’t ask me why, I don’t know! But it’s sad! About the other countries, everybody knows that Germany, The Nederland, Poland, England, France and USA are very active. Germany in particular with a lot of clubs, concert Halls, parties and Labels dedicated to Goth, Electro, Wave and Industrial music.

JM: Yes… And it seems Brazil EBM/underground scene is quite active too ! I read one day it was the first market place for Front 242 … And as Bernard said, Flander (north of Belgium) is a totally different mind kind from the southern part of Belgium. They are much more “German”. The south is much more “Latin”. Maybe it can explain things … But indeed, it’s sad ‘cos the southern part seems to get interested only in rock/blues/popular music … I hope it will change with time ….

20- you have very nice numbers`and many many more tell me about lyrical compositions what you can tell about the done work? How does your music creation process work? How do you create a song?

B: I like evenings and nights atmospheres. So usually, I write my lyrics during these particular moments when everything is quiet. For Untold World, I tried to link every song like chapters in a book to make a concept album based on a fiction world. Concerning the process, it’s more or less always the same procedure. JM sends me tracks and I find and adjust (sometimes) my lyrics to his music. When it’s done, we meet together in M?D studio and we start recording sessions.

JM: I’m like Bernard… The only way to create for me is at night… I cannot work during the day. Even the creation process seems totally stopped when the sun is up in the sky J I need the night to find ideas and energy to do sounds processing …. So when I start something I always think in an “album” concept. This helps me to create samples I need and the sounds I need. And when I have found all the drums sample, bass sounds, lead sounds, … I do in the second time all the composition … Sometimes I need to do something very slow and even melancholic… Sometimes I need to do something that is almost music to make war J

21-What genre of music do you consider your work to be? Who are your major influences?

B: I would say that M?D is a mix of EBM, New Wavy sounds and modern electronic. But JM is one to answer this question!

JM: We do eleKtro/industrial music with a very specific touch with our melody (that can be compared for some tracks to Gary Numan). Gary Numan, Front 242, Chopin, Dany Elfman, Kraftwerk, Visage are probably my major influences …. But when I’m in the “composition” mode, I stop listening music. Because if I had to listen F242, and then Visage, …. It could influence the current tracks and at the end the album is a bit destructured because too many different influences …

22-What do you do to chill out?

B: I listen to Relax from FGTH ;-))) No; honestly, I dive comfortably in my sofa and listen to Dead Can Dance drinking a smooth Cappuccino.

JM: I go to the park, walk alone … I see people … I hear the wind …

23-So what are their main influences as a band at the moment?

B: JM, it’s for you!

JM: Now that the album is musically finished, I’m listening a lot “Hybrid” from Gary Numan (and especially “Prayer for the unborn”), Funker Vogt, Assemblage23, some Front 242 songs and Pornography (The Cure). I’m listening Edward Scissorhands BOF too …

24-What is currently inspiring your material as an artist? tell me all about the Electronica / Industrial scene of Belgium?

B: JM, it’s for you again!

JM: Ouch … As I said, when I compose, I’m in a total isolation process … So it’s typically to avoid to be inspired too much by others … For the electro/Indus Belgium scene I’m gonna watch the 5/12/09 IC434, Liquid-G, and many others I wanna see on stage !

25-Do you think that people from the music press didn't expect you to grow up musically?

B: I have no idea about it! But I’m expecting some reaction in 2010… Wait and see!

JM: I think it’s for anything … You can meet very humanist people very good, who trust in you and try to help you. Sometimes you meet bad people who only want to see you going on the wall and crash yourself ….

26-what is the key to making music from MED and what inspires you to keep growing as a musician?

B: JM, it’s for you once again! :-))

JM: The key to me is to find the good combination between energy/melody/sound researches. It’s a triangle full stabilized. The challenge here is to use very old gear to make this job… So I have to work with my creative senses much more than a mousse and software….

Lots of things inspire me to keep growing … When I hear talented keyboardist, guitar players, I wonder if I could do the same one day … There are so many talented people… And my personal philosophy is : everyday I can/must learn something new. I have so many things to learn from people. And so many things to share with them. That’s the key. Music is a “tool” to connect people and emotion. To keep motivation and the desire to keep growing you MUST love people, you must love to share, you must give the best of you and learn about the others….

This mechanism will automatically push you to get better, faster, innovative, because the richness of shared experiences with others …

27-How do you see the future of download / Copyright in area of goth-Industrial / Experimental / Ambient? What are the best ways to develop it in your mind ?

B: JM, I think that Ruud is really a Police Officer… Your turn again!

JM: Dematerialized support is the way we’re going to! So of course iTunes Music Store opened the door to a new way (and market) to distribute/promote/buy musical stuff … But I guess in few years, lots of companies will do the same … It’s incredible to buy in seconds a specific title from one specific album… and stay in bed with your computer … So I think some companies will be much more specialized in some kind of musical styles … And of course I hope Goth/EBM/Indus will be very well present on the market ! This kind of music can find lots of adepts! Once again, the key is in communication and promotion.

28-If there was one thing you want people to know about your band what would that be?

B: That Electronic music rules and that M?D is a bomb! : ))))

JM: M3D redefines what energy means! Just take a look on stage, you’ll understand!

29-Please let us know about your upcoming plans, some new releases you like to confirm here

B: Untold World to be released in 2010 and playing on stage as much as we can.

JM: And I can already tell you we will play @ Maastricht May, 15th 2010 with Pankow!

30-It has been a pleasure to interview you on your musical activity,Well,any last words to your ebm-industrial fans?

B: M?D is growing fast thanks to our fans and all the people supporting us! And thank you for this very detailed interview!

JM: Yes, we’re even growing much faster than expected! It seems lots of people are waiting for our first album and to see us on stage… So it’s a good indicator for us… It was a pleasure to answer you too ;-)

31-and what is next on Belgium agenda?

B: M?D private showcase in Atleg, Brussels the 30th of January 2010.

JM: Yes, this private showcase will give us the opportunity to test very specific equipment we will use for our next gigs! It’s a nice opportunity to start the “engine” J

32-thanks for your time! great work on the albums and good luck with everything.any

How can fans-to-be gain access to your music? Do you have a website with sample songs or a demo CD?

B: You can find us, listen to us and watch some videos on www.myspace.com/mono3lectronicdensity and also via our Facebook Group Mono ?lectronic Density. There, you’ll find info and pictures also. New concert dates will be added soon and merchandising will be available from February 2010. Last but not least, our personal website will be online around January 2010 and M?D will be present on Netlog and Twitter as well.

JM: Nothing to add…. Bernard says everything to know J

33-Were you asked to play or did you have to ask for a slot?

B: Both! And in any case, we’re glad to play on stage! But of course, we’ll choose appropriate concerts with appropriate audience to avoid playing in front of no-one. We won’t take everything just to play, it makes no sense. Quality is better than quantity!

JM: Both cases! And of course, no matter who does the first step… The main focus is to be on stage to share our electronic vision with people!!!