Interview The Dawn Razor

Discover the journey of The Dawn Razor from its inception after leaving a metal band to evolving into a sublime musical exploration.

1. Can you share the origins of The Dawn Razor? What inspired you to start this solo project, and how has it evolved since its inception in 2017?

I've created The Dawn Razor after my departure of a previous metal band. I wanted to start over to create music I truly love.

2 . Your music is described as embodying the concept of the Sublime Movement. How does this philosophical and artistic movement influence your songwriting and overall sound?

What we call "Sublime" is unbounded, powerful, difficult to apprehend and understand. It is not necessary beautiful and it gives a feeling of awe and respect because it escapes human control.

These are the impressions I am trying to "paint" with my music.

All the songs evoke sublime themes such as an icelandic volcano in the first album, a lonesome man on the ocean, the italian renaissance in the new album.

3. The name "The Dawn Razor" evokes imagery of light contrasting with darkness. How does this contrast play out in your music, both lyrically and musically?

Musically, it is the bright melodic guitar parts that contrast with the agressive rythms and voices in the songs.

Lyrically, I like to add a touch of hope to contrast with the harsh themes chosen.

4. Your influences include bands like Children of Bodom, Gojira, and Dimmu Borgir, as well as classical music. How do these diverse influences shape the unique sound of The Dawn Razor?

Alexi Laiho is The guy that made me want to play crazy guitar solos in my songs. I took from Gojira the heavy worked rythms. In Dimmu Borgir, I love the mix of violence and darkness and I take inspiration from classical music mainly in the "bright parts" of my songs.

5. You've performed in several countries across Europe and North Africa. How do these different cultural experiences influence your live performances and interaction with your audience?

When we perform outside France, I always prepare some sentences in the language of the public. It always gets some good reactions !

Better, I remember when we were in german-speaking Switzerland, I sang our song in german "Der Jäger" and people were delighted !

6. Your debut album received positive reviews. What were some of the challenges you faced during its creation, and how did you overcome them?

I remember having trouble to record the drum parts, so I finnaly chose to use a programmed one.
And during the writing of the album, one of the challenge was to not repeat myself musically. Still today I work a lot on variations on my riffs, rythms, melodies to overcome it.

7. In metal music, aggression and beauty often coexist. How do you balance these elements in your compositions to create a cohesive musical experience?

Aggression an beauty, these two ideas are linked to the Sublime. Most of the time, I assemble agressive parts and melodic parts to obtain the greatest contrast. But it does not always work at first try. 

8. As a solo artist, how do you manage the creative process compared to working in a band setting? What are the advantages and challenges of being a solo artist in the metal scene?

When I created The Dawn Razor, I had a clear vision of the music I wanted. Still today, I put new elements on the same core idea.

So in my case, it is preferable to compose as a solo artist. The challenge is to find musicians that fit with my musical ideas for the shows.

9. What can fans expect from your upcoming releases or projects? Are there any new themes or directions you're exploring in your music?

Another single will be out at the begining of September and the new album "In Sublime Presence" will be out the 27 of September.

Some concerts of course, some new merch and also some guitar videos. This year I am studying classical harmony to write songs in other ways, I don't know how it will influence my composition yet.

10. Looking ahead, are there any plans for expanding your live performances, or perhaps collaborations with other musicians or artists?

Some concert are prepared around Paris and I am building the line up for it. The new musicians will be anounced on social media and on thedawnrazor.com stay tuned ;)

The Dawn Razor – Music