Welcome to this exclusive interview with Maniae! With the journey just beginning, Maniae looks forward to sharing their evolving music and messages with their fans. They invite everyone to join them on this exciting musical adventure.
- Can you tell us about the origins of Maniae and
how the band came together in February 2022?
Baptiste is at the origin of
the project. We met in 2021 at work. We had several conversation about music
and one day he came to ask me if I would be interested by singing in a band he
wanted to create. I just saw the opportunity to scream in a micro and I’ve said
« yes, of course ». Tarek, the bassist, has joined us later thanks to
an ad that Baptiste had put on the internet. We met for the first time in
february 2022 and here we are.
- Maniae's music is described as a blend of black,
death metal, and crust with a melodic aspect. How did you develop this
unique sound, and what were your main influences ?
I think the sound of our music
comes from the fact there are two different composers with their own
influences, Baptiste and me. Even if we both listen close metal styles, Baptiste
is at the origin of crust rythmes you can listen into several songs, and personally,
I am more influenced the by the black and death metal sounds.
- From the beginning, Maniae has been in search of
a drummer, but the band didn't let that hinder the composition process.
Can you tell us more about how you managed to create music without a
drummer and your experience using a virtual drum?
Finding a drummer is our main
difficulty, but we always wanted to advance even without a drummer. So we
compose all drums parts by ear an with our modest experience. The hardest part
of the drum’s composition process is the writting of the breaks. Because none
of us in a drummer, it’s often difficult to create and vary breaks which sounds
realistic. Maniae is very lucky for having Tarek in its ranks because in his other
project, Paranoïd Fantasy (old school death metal) and CxFxOxS (grind), he
is used to manipulate the virtual drums. So we rely on his skills to generate
the rythmic parts we will use until the arrival of a drummer.
- In February 2023, Maniae released their first EP,
"Vestiges", along with the music video for "Damnatio Ad
Bestias". Could you share the inspiration behind the lyrics and the
concept for the video?
« Vestiges » is an
EP whose the central subject is madness in all its forms. The lyrics of our
song « Damnatio Ad Bestias » deal with the post-war trauma of a
soldier, the way he lives with his guilt, the fact that he hates himself since
his first shot, etc. The broken white mask is the central element of our music
video. The white colour symbolises the purity and the innocence of the soldier
before being called up. The fact that it is broken simply symbolises his purity
and his innocence are dead. There is a camera shot of the music video where I
hold the mask in my hands while I yell at it. It is an illustration of the
survivor of the war talking about his distress to the man he was before.
- Madness is a recurring theme in Maniae's lyrics.
Could you elaborate on the different aspects of madness that you explore
and why this topic resonates with the band?
Madness is a
very large topic because we are all someone’s crazy. Beyond the pathological
aspect, that we develop too, the sociological and phylosophical point of view
are really present in Maniae’s lyrics. We’ll be seen as crazy depending on
culture, the socio-historical context, social norms (…). The perception of madness
is continually evolving. We adress this subject in different in our songs. For
example, « Gold Into Your Veins » adress this subject under its
social context with the message that developing a thought which is different
compared to a norm may send you among the parias.
There is a notion of
relativity between « Clinical Messiah » and « Redempted by
Suffering » because it take place in the same context : a patient in
a psychiatric hospital who subits some ill-tratments from his mad doctor.
« Clinical Messiah » deals with the patient’s point of view, his
distress, and « Redempted by Suffering » mentions a doctor turning to
madness by thinking making his prey suffer will heal his patient, by thinking
he is becoming a god thanks to his work and the countless victims of his
thought. So we ask the question : who is the crazy one ?
- Maniae had their first live performance in Dijon
with Mortis Mutilati. How was the experience of playing your music in
front of a live audience, and how did the crowd react to your performance?
It was an excellent first
performance organized by Hypogea Invictus. We have been playing in second
place, between Depressive Witches, and Mortis Mutilati.
The most sincere return that
we can expect for our work is the atmosphere in concert. Here, we were very
well received by the crowd and passed an excellent time with a great audience
and some very good bands.
- Following your live gigs, the decision was made
to search for a second guitarist. What prompted this decision, and how did
Amane become a part of Maniae?
By looking behind us, we made
he choice to give more depth and enrich the guitars harmony for our next gigs and
recordings. The lone solution was to welcome a second guitarist. One day, I was
having a drink with Erika and Léo from Mortis Mutilati and they told me
« Why don’t you ask to Amane ? ». I knew him as a great friend,
a nice person and a great guitarist, so he finaly came to the reahearsals and
was able to play a very large part of our setlist in a short time. He showed us
he was able to perform with us in Paris. He is too humble to admit it but Amane
is an excellent guitarist who fastly adapts himself and a very nice guy. Having
a second guitar reinforces both the melodic side and the power of the crust
riffs.
- Amane got the opportunity to participate in the
second Maniae gig in Paris in July 2023. How did it feel to have the full
band lineup for the first time, and how did the addition of a second
guitarist enhance your sound?
Despiet the lack of the drummer,
having a second guitarist gave a feeling of completeness to the ears. The
presence of Amane permited to enrich the harmonies and the guilty pleasures of
Baptiste : the melodies with some thirds. And it’s true that Amane’s parts
give another dimension and another identity to our songs. We were used to some
atmospheres before his arrival. And now, the enrichment of the rythmic and some
melodies created a different dimension for some parts of our songs. We are very
satisfied and the audience of Paris seemed to have appreciated it too.
- As a relatively new band, what are some of the
challenges you've faced in establishing yourselves in the metal scene, and
how have you overcome them?
First of all, we had to face
the absence of a drummer and adapt our ears to the use of a virtual drum, which
is a real challenge because a software doesn’t wait if you have a rythmic
problem. Another problem is about our musical genre : we have some black,
death and crust metal influences but we admit we play a genre which is more or
less unclassifiable and it may be a challenge to perform in front of a puristic
audience. We know that every body cannot appreciate us and we are okay about
that.
- How has the response been to your debut EP,
"Vestiges," and what kind of feedback have you received from
fans and the metal community?
For the moment, we just saw
some reviews from Brutalism.com and Objectif Metal which are really positives.
The main feedbacks we received are from the audience when we performed, and
they show us their interest for Maniae’s project. « Vestiges » seems
to be appreciated but we’re just about to perform for the third time in
november, in Tours. Maybe it’s
to early to draw up a report.
- Maniae's music incorporates various metal genres.
Can you talk about the creative process behind your songwriting and how
you blend different influences seamlessly?
Yes, we have some similars
influences between us, but we don’t use it in the same way. Most of the composition
process is made by Baptiste. I composed 3 titles, and I take care about voices
and lyrics. Tarek has an hardened ear and always know how to support the
universe of the title with the basslines. Initially, one of us composes a first
draft and everyone bring his ideas to advance the title. Baptiste, for example,
emphasizes on the crust sounds and it’s easy to guess he is the main composer
of « Redempted by Suffering » or « Clinical Messiah ». If
you ear a countertime rythm in a song, you can be sure that Baptiste had a role
in the composition process. « Damnatio Ad Bestias » is, in my
opinion, the song which represents the most the blend of our composition
skills.
- Are there any specific themes or subjects that
you plan to explore in your future releases? How do you see your music
evolving?
For the moment, we continue
experimenting some sounds. Madness is still the red thread of our lyrics. We
are composing our next album, with the will to bring maturity to Maniae, in
particular thanks to a concept album. It will bring a circular reflexion
between lyrics, instruments, artworks, and the total band. We had the
opportunity to present two new titles in Paris : « Trial by
Ordeal » and « Laments of the Ruins », which announce the change
of mentality of Maniae.
- Maniae is known for its intense and energetic
live performances. How do you prepare for a show, and what do you hope the
audience takes away from your performances?
For our live performances, we
devote our last rehearsals to the visual of the show. Maniae is an energic
project and we want to convey this energy to the audience. Sometimes, I record
some videos and we determin what are the key passages to work on. The lone
thing I would like the audience takes away from our performance is his feelings
because it testifies that the moment was real and people will keep it in their
mind somehow.
- What role does the visual aspect, such as album
artwork and music videos, play in Maniae's artistic expression? How
important is it for you to visually represent your music?
Maniae try to be a global
project, build around the madness. It’s important to give a palpable aspect of
this universe. Vestiges’s artwork, drown
by Erika Asphodel (« Tata Erika » for short) has the role to portray MANIAE,
the mother of madness, as something colossal, pure, unique to each and able to
be our undoing. We wanted to give an apocalyptic vision of this concept, but in
the same time, a majestic aspect. Matthias Macchabée’s draw, which is placed on
the CD and our T-shirts, is more the own feeling about the distress and the
torture felt by humans because of psychoogical self destruction.
- As a metal project, what are your thoughts on the
current state of the metal scene? Are there any emerging bands or trends that
you find particularly exciting?
In my opinion, France, Germany
and Quebec continue secreting very good black metal bands and maybe I shouldn’t
be surpised. For example, I have recently discovered Kanonenfieber, a one man black
death metal band from Germany whose the main subject is the first world war.
The singer wears a german officer dress up on stage with a picklehaube. All the
musicians are hooded on stage. The music is excellent neither more or less.
It’s just an example. I think that this musical genre seems to have a bright
future ahead of it because we are never upset.
- Maniae has been active for over a year now.
Looking back on your journey so far, what are some of the highlights or
memorable moments for the band?
I think about our first
meeting with Tarek. We wanted to have a serious conversation about what we
wanted for the band. It lasted more or less half an hour and we discovered our
own ability to spiral. Our first rehearsal too was a great moment because it
was the beginning of everything for us. Our first gig in Dijon with our friends
of Mortis Mutilati was an excellent time as well during as after the
performance. The arrival of Amane has done a lot of good for band and for
morale too and sharing the stage with him for the first time in Paris too. I
could speak about the week-end we recorded our music video of « Damnatio
Ad Bestias » thanks to our friends Axel, our man in the shadows, Guillaume
and all the Impact Evenement Crew and friends we meet at this time.
- What are your goals and aspirations for Maniae in
the near future? Do you have any upcoming releases or shows that fans can
look forward to?
We would like to continue
going beyond ourselves and evolving in our composition process. We hope that
we’ll have the opportunity to perform on some bigger stages and fests, meet
other bands and musicians and that our next production will be even better than
the last, we work on it ! Our next show for the moment is on november the
24th in Tours, my childhood town, where we’ll share the stage with Skaphos and
Jours Pâles.
- How do you see Maniae's music and message
evolving over time? Are there any specific messages or emotions you hope
to convey through your music?
We wanted to early tighten
Maniae to a concept when we started. The idea of madess was the beginning of
different reflexions about the way we approach it. We wanted to relate the pain
and suffering of humans through madness’ eyes. This part try to be an objective
glance of the madness felt. Step by step, we begin to work on the subjective
aspect, with the social aspect of madness in society, and the way people can be
treaten in the name of madness.
- Can you share any advice or words of wisdom for
aspiring musicians who are looking to start their own bands or projects?
There will never be enough
musicians or bands on earth. So do it. Nobody achieves unanimity. Don’t listen
to your fear of failure because it exists just from the moment when you decide
it. Try, succed, make some mistakes and never stop believing. I think that a
music project is more about share what you feel, what you think, than a will of
please everyone.
- Finally, is there anything else you would like to
share with your fans and the readers of this interview? Any closing thoughts or
messages you'd like to convey?
It’s all just beginning.
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