The reason I fell in love with Fhin's music was "Trauma", a track that got out at the beginning of this very, very peculiar year, just before everything went sideways (ironic, huh?). 9 months, 5 singles & many obstacles later, today we're finally presented with the long-awaited debut album with the same name.
Trauma, released via Delicieuse Musique, is a 15-piece, lucid-dream-like journey through trip-hop, soul, electronica and so many other things. The French multi-instrumentalist & producer steers clear from a particular genre, creating something that will keep your attention from beginning to end.
So, hit the play button and embark on a mesmerising voyage while you read about his background, inspirations & more.
Hey Brice, thanks for your time. Where do we find you today?
Hello Nasko, thanks for reaching out. I'm just waking up at home, sipping coffee, and answering questions for an interview with "Metamorphosis II" by Philip Glass in my ears.
Your highly anticipated debut album, out today via Delicieuse Musique, is titled Trauma. There are some really touching narratives in there. What's the story behind the title? And behind the album, as a whole?
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I wanted to pay tribute to Traumas, not only as something negatively impacting our lives but also forging the persons we become with time. It gives you something to refer to, you know how it was at that point and the journey you've been through since then.
I'm very curious about the artwork of the album and the singles - they're almost the same but not quite. What do those hands convey?
It is actually full digital, it is not a picture. Quentin Deronzier did an awesome job, he 360-scanned me and created this virtual version of me, with my hands and a few others, covering my face. It is actually a really smart process because it allows changing a lot of things you can't change in pictures, like, where the light comes from, textures, focus...
The title track, "Trauma", came with a pretty unorthodox and amazing music video. Would you please elaborate on the meaning?
Thibault Dumoulin had the whole idea just listening to the track, he is an amazing artist and human, and it was really easy working with him. There's an obvious reference to Adam and Eve, a man and a woman alone in a little paradise, but in a reversed way. It is not the genesis we're watching, but the final flash. They are showing bad human behavior, not giving a fuck about their surrounding, throwing cigarettes... The end is there, they know it but as it gets closer they take refuge in the only thing they have left: Love. When they realise that it is definitely coming for real, it is too late, nothing can be done about it. I love the idea of the sequence shot, it is so mesmerising!
How did the lockdown/corona situation change your creative process? And your perspective towards the world?
Of course, it has brought a huge lack of Live Shows and DJ Sets, but I could still compose and produce as I ever did, I even made a track and a video during the lockdown, "Tombé du Sommeil" with bed sheets as green background, haha. But it was actually pretty cool, I was at my parents with my girlfriend and two friends of ours, in the countryside near Versailles. I think it was interesting, trying to reach people in another way, more live shows, with less gear, more authentic content, etc.
"Lights Would Be Better" is probably my favourite song from the album - loving the diversity and the progression, so amazing. What role does light play in your life?
I'm always writing about this duality between daytime reality and night dreaming imaginary. "Lights would be better, right, if we wait for the night, don't you think ?" is the paradox for someone who is craving for dreams, as he can't stand his own reality.
The description on your IG is "I make music based on lucid dreams and memories". What's the reason you're so fascinated by dreams?
Lucid dreams occurred a lot when I was a child, then I was able to practice again since I was, maybe 17 or 18. So it has been nearly 10 years, and it's something I can't imagine living without. I don't consider dreams to be only basic fantasies and random thoughts. I like to imagine it is like living something unique, in other worlds, with different rules and perceptions.
How did you get involved with music in the first place?
There was always music at home when I was a kid, my dad used to play drums and can't live without his sound system blasting in the whole house 24h haha. And my mom is always playing the piano, singing so...I started to play drums, then started to reproduce songs I liked on the piano and guitar. Never learned music but I managed to mimic some of the music I liked, and little by little I started to produce on a computer.
What do you enjoy more - playing instruments or singing? Or they can't be separated in your music-making?
I do both when I compose on piano/synth/guitar, but I like to separate it when I record, to really get involved as much as I can track by track. When I do gigs, of course, I need to adapt and play and sing at the same time, but I really enjoy it! I think what I prefer is to improvise on the piano, it sometimes lasts hours. I also bought and started to play the cello. You can hear it on the album, I'm in love with this incredible instrument.
If you had to put your music into genres, what would they be?
Haha, I can't, You can tell by listening to the album, I can't stick to one genre, what I actually like to do is going everywhere and experimenting. I want the people who listen to the whole album to be surprised. I wanted Trauma to be a journey, like one night of dreaming in one person's head: You have a common soul but you go in a lot of different places and you're like vacuumed from an environment to the other, sometimes violently, sometimes with ease.
Who influenced you musically? Anyone you'd really like to collaborate with?
I can really know who actually influenced my music, I have been listening to so many different things... I think the process is complex, and you can sometimes hear in my music some influences I didn't even thought about while writing it.
Anything else you'd like to talk about?
Thanks for reaching out, take care!
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