Photo: Romain Guede
Vor fast genau einem Jahr haben wir euch die französische Elektro-Künstlerin bei unseren Musiktipps und in unserem Herbstinterview (hier) vorgestellt. Das Leben hat sich ziemlich verändert, seit wir letztes Jahr mit SIERRA in Kontakt waren. Heute erscheint die neue EP All about love. Ein guter Grund für uns, mehr über SIERRA, ihre Musik und die aktuelle Veröffentlichung in Erfahrung zu bringen. In unserem Interview blickt SIERRA auf die Herausforderungen der letzten Monate zurück und spricht über ihre aktuelle Situation als Künstlerin.
All about love – Reingehört
All about love ist nach Strange Valley (2017) und Gone (2019) SIERRAs dritte EP. Mit ihrer Musik erschafft die in Paris lebende Künstlerin vielschichtige Elektro-Klänge, die von EBM, Darksynth und Techno inspiriert sind. In ihren Songs verwebt sie Wut und Melancholie und experimentiert am Rande verschiedener Genres mit tanzbarer Dunkelheit.
Mit den beiden Tracks „All about love“ und „Unpredictable“ ist die neue EP eine kurze und prägnante Veröffentlichung, die SIERRAs emotionale Seite zeigt. „All about love“ macht den Anfang und fesselt sofort – ein schwerer, tanzbarer und treibender Song mit unerbittlich pochenden Synthesizern und punktiert eingesetzten, gesprochenen Vocals, die jede Note unterstreichen und die Intensität des Songs erhöhen.
„Unpredictable“ setzt diese Intensität mit einem industrielleren und roheren Sound fort. Alles bewegt sich; es gibt (fast) kein Warten, sondern sehr viel mehr Vorwärtsdynamik als bei den bisherigen Veröffentlichungen.
Beide Songs funkeln und es liegt etwas Überwältigendes in den eindringlichen und pulsierenden Melodien, die durch immer schnellere Drehungen eine berauschende Rhythmik entfalten – mit einem wunderschönen, übereinander geschichteten Synthsound aus brütenden elektronischen Passagen, die hoffnungsvolles Licht in die dunkle Atmosphäre bringen. Hier könnt ihr reinhören – Play it loud!
All about love – Nachgefragt bei SIERRA
… „almost all my tracks were inspired by love“ …
How have you been since our interview last year? What have you been working on?
Since we talked in November 2019 I played a lot of gigs in Europe. I also have been preselected in a famous french music contest called „les ïnouis du PDB“. Then I went on tour in February with the band Carbon Killer in seven countries, that was awesome. I also played a few lives as ANA – my side project. I released two remixes, one for Lazerpunk, another one for Minuit Machine, and I took a break during the lockdown in France. This summer I started to compose my new EP, and I also played at Gothwerk Festival, my last gig of 2020.
We would like to ask you about your present moment. How do you handle this time – in the midst of the pandemic?
Well to be honest this year has been really complicated. It started well with all the concerts I played in January/February but then when everything stopped suddenly it was like a shock. It was a few hours before going on stage when I heard that all the concerts were stopped in France. We all thought it would last a few weeks … It’s been nine months now. It’s starting to be really long and sad. How do I handle this time? I compose at home, and like many other artists I had to find a „normal job“ to pay my rent until the situation changes.
What do you love so much about music? What are the boundaries that you look to explore with music?
Photo: Romain Guede
I am a really nervous girl, with anxiety disorders. Composing helps me a lot to find a balance in my life. Of course sometimes when I don’t have any inspiration it makes me even more nervous, but most of the time when I compose I forget about everything and everybody around me. When I compose I always try to find something new to explore. It could be technical things or just new music influences.
If you had to describe your music in terms of not music … what would you say?
My music is something between melancholy and anger.
You did an amazing remix of Minuit Machine’s „Prey / Hunter“. How did your collaboration with Minuit Machine come about? What are your thoughts about continuing to participate in projects outside SIERRA?
I met the singer of Minuit Machine last year with common friends. We all come from Paris. I really love what they do and as we started to be really close they proposed me to remix them. I would like to collaborate with new artists. I don’t have a particular artist in mind but I would like to collaborate with a singer for my next releases.
What impact do your surroundings have on your music? How important is nature for you?
It’s really really important to me. I am not especially talking about nature. I don’t need to be near to the sea, or near to a forest to compose but I really need to be in a quiet place, where I can play music whenever I want. I also need to feel good to compose. A lot of artists say that they compose when they are sad or depressed. For me it is the opposite. I need to feel good.
Your EP All about love is beeing released today. What is the significance of the title „All about love“, and what does it mean to you?
I started to realize that almost all my tracks were inspired by love. My anger, my sadness, my joy, everything I feel when I compose is inspired by love.
If you look back to your beginnings … how do you feel your sound has changed on All about love?
Photo: Romain Guede
My project SIERRA changed a lot since I started three years ago. My first EP was really influenced by synthwave and retrowave. It was not a personal EP but more an imaginary soundtrack. My track „Hide“ on my first EP was announcing a little bit my second EP GONE with the style of the basslines and the vocals. This second EP was really more personal and more influenced by EBM.
I would say All about love has something linked with GONE, but this time my tracks are faster. I am normally used to compose in midtempo around 100 bpm but my new EP is around 120 bpm.
What is in the pipeline for you at the moment? What do you wish for?
I am preparing new releases and remixes that will be out in 2021. But I just wish for one thing: Being back on stage as soon as I can.
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