Name: Duplex
Members: Didier Laloy (accordeon), Damien Chierici (violin)
Interviewee: Damien Chierici

Nationality: Belgian
Current Release: Duplex's Maelstrom is out via ARC.

If you enjoyed this interview with Duplex and would like to find out more about their music, visit the band members' respective websites:  Didier Laloy; Damien Chierici.



For many artists, a solitary phase of creative development precedes collaborative work. What was this like for you: How would you describe your own development as an artist and the transition towards your first collaborations?

Since my beginnings as a violinist, I have rarely had solitary phases because I have always joined projects where the creation of pieces was done in a group (Yew, Dan San or Kowari). Didier also had many meetings and collaborations during his career. So we each had different projects with other musicians before collaborating together.

Our musical encounter in 2018 was a real musical coup de coeur. When we started playing together, we realized that we were a real entity.

At the beginning of the writing of the album Maelstrom, we were forced to work alone, on our side because we were in a period of confinement. But we would send each other our composition ideas via Internet and react to each other's compositions by adding a little melody line, etc.

In addition to the Duplex project that we created together, we now also find ourselves playing together with different world projects ...

Tell me a bit, about your current instruments and tools, please. In which way do they support creative exchange and collaborations with others? Are there obstacles and what are potential solutions towards making collaborations easier?

Although we have so-called "traditional" instruments, diatonic accordion for Didier and violin for me, we manage to get the most out of our instruments via a series of effect pedals that we add to them.

Moreover, we both have a home studio which allows us to record at home and to exchange music easily via the Internet. Personally, I work on Logic with a whole series of plug ins and Kontakt keyboards which allows the creation and the arrangements of the pieces. Didier is on Protools. So we can create the structures of the tracks remotely before re-recording them in a professional studio.

A tool that particularly served us during the confinement was Bandlab which is an online DAW that allowed us to add tracks on a common session.

What were some of your earliest collaborations? How do you look back on them with hindsight?

We both started our collaborations very young.

For my part, it was the group YEW, quickly followed by the projects MLCD or Dan San. I was also able to play on the albums of Hollywood Porn Stars, The Feather, Roscoe or Pale Grey - great experiences that allowed me to develop my playing and my ear.

With Duplex, our first collaborations were with our musicians: Olivier Cox on drums and Quentin Nguyen on keyboards. They gave life to our demos at the base on computer. We also collaborated with trumpet player Antoine Dawans on the song Bakerloo Circle.

Besides the aforementioned early collaborations, can you talk about one particular collaboration that was important for you? Why did it feel special to you? When, why and how did you start working on it, what were some of the motivations and ideas behind it?

It's hard to pinpoint just one. Personally, if I had to choose only one I would say Didier Laloy ;)

But more seriously, a collaboration between my project Yew and the Belgian singer Arno on the track “Between Up And Down” was quite striking. We were dreaming of his voice on this track and it was made possible thanks to our record company.



Another collaboration would be to have accompanied the Irish singer Glen Hansard on his tour. His whole team was great and it was a great memory (very festive).

What are some of the things you learned from your collaborations over the years?

Knowing how to put yourself at the service of a project, without overdoing it

How do you feel your sense of identity influences your collaborations? Do you feel as though you are able to express yourself more fully in solo mode or, conversely, through the interaction with other musicians? Are you “gaining” or “sacrificing” something in a collaboration?

Although there are times when it is interesting to be able to be the sole master of a project, one can quickly need musicians to surround oneself. Tthis is the first phase of collaboration and it allows one to gain in musicality.

Then, when a musician brings his own musical touch, it is something invaluable. So sometimes you can sacrifice a line you had in your head but to gain another one - sometimes a stronger one! The important thing in a collaboration is the discussion.

With Didier, we were quite complementary in the compositions and the ideas of the other complemented the original compositions. So I would say that it is always an enrichment, the collaborations.

There are many potential models for collaboration, from live performances and jamming via producing in the same room together up to file sharing. Which of these do you prefer – and why?

For Didier and me, I can say that jams aren't really our thing.

We like to share our ideas, especially by sharing files on the Internet, but what we prefer is to produce in the same room, together. Trying sounds, melodic lines, etc. We come back to the "collaboration - discussion", it's what works best

What tend to be the best collaborations in your opinion – those with artists you have a lot in common with or those where you have more differences? What happens when another musician take you outside of your comfort zone?

It's always comfortable working with musicians you know. It's like an old couple, you know each other by heart and the response is often quite fluid. You know you're going to be satisfied … usually ;)

On the other hand, meeting new collaborators is very challenging. You have to be able to reinvent yourself to "please" again and this allows you not to rest on your achievements.

(Our ladies will forgive us this image. :) )

Do you need to have a good relationship with your collaborator? Or can there be a benefit to working with someone you may not get along with on a personal level?

We are clearly lucky in Duplex to get along very well. The question fortunately does not arise in this project. ;)

Some artists feel as though the creative process should not be a democratic one. What are your thoughts on the interaction with other musicians, the need for compromise and the decision making process?

I think the interaction and debate with other musicians is very important, even if there are times when you have to make decisions.

Having said that, democracy is always the noblest of solutions and allows for debate. The best ideas, the best developed ones, usually win out in the end.

In a live situation, decisions between creatives often work without words. How does this process work – and how does it change your performance compared to a solo performance?

It's hard to put words to that answer. After all, it's all about the feeling between musicians who meet.

Contrary to other projects, where everything has to be written and planned, with Didier, we have the chance to not have to talk to each other and that the musical meeting is very natural between us.

Beyond our duet, it is a global osmosis which must be taken into account so that everyone feels good in the band.