Name: L'étrangleuse
Members: Mélanie Virot (harp, vocals), Maël Salètes (guitar, jeli n’goni, vocals), Léo Dumont (percussions, vocals), Anne Godefert (bass, vocals), Sébastien Guichard (sound)
Interviewee: Maël Saletes
Nationality: French
Recent release: L'étrangleuse's Ambiance Argile is out now via Le Curieuse.

If you enjoyed this Le Curieuse interview and would like to stay up to date with the band and their music, visit the quartet on Instagram, and Facebook. They also have an artist page on the website of their label Le Curieuse.  



When I listen to music, I see shapes, objects and colours. What happens in your body when you're listening? Do you listen with your eyes open or closed?

If I close my eyes while listening to music, I can quickly fall asleep. The same thing can happen if I’m sat while a band is playing live. It's not a state of being fully asleep, but something in between. I love this state of perception, when the notion of duration disappears.

I remember a strong experience a long time ago, falling almost asleep while listening to the album Peng! By Stereolab: Short songs felt as if they were playing for hours, and I had the feeling of going deep into the real meaning of the music.



When I listen to music that catches me with my eyes open, it makes my body dance, even if it can be a motionless dance. Inside, I feel emotions that mix landscapes, people I know or don't, unknown smells or familiar ones, memories of books, situations …

How do listening with headphones and listening through a stereo system change your experience of sound and music?

I think I don’t really like to listen with headphones, except if I work on some music. I prefer to listen to music with air, music that is part of a place and its specific acoustic.

I like it when I’m in a noisy place, wher lots of people may be talking at a party, the music is totally on top of everything, and there is something in the music, a little detail, that catches me.

Tell me about some of the albums or artists that you love specifically for their sound, please.

As I was about to write this, I just heard about the death of Steve Albini, and it reminded me of the sound he created for the album Turn by The Ex. I love the sound of this album (and a lot of albums he produced), it’s so natural and it respects 100% the intention of the band playing live.

Listen to the sound of the drum, especially the tom on the song «Sister», it’s one of my best recorded sound experiences.

[Read our Andy Moor of The Ex interview]

On a very different note, the first album of Antipop Consortium, especially the song «Human Shield» ... it’s a very good example of creating a sound sculpture from a very simple musical idea.

[Read our High Priest of  Antipop Consortium interview]

Do you experience strong emotional responses towards certain sounds? If so, what kind of sounds are these and do you have an explanation about the reasons for these responses?

There are plenty of those sounds. I'll give two examples: the combination of the instruments of the Maloya (traditional music from the island of Réunion, composed of voices and percussions): router, pikèr, kayamb, sati, especial the sound of the roulèr. I have no explanation but it directly connects me to something.



The other example is the sound of the donso n’goni (6 bass strings instrument of the confrerie des chasseurs aid Mali). The effect is so powerful on me. The common denominator between those examples are the quite low frequencies.



There can be sounds which feel highly irritating to us and then there are others we could gladly listen to for hours. Do you have examples for either one or both of these?

I’ve just talked of those I can listen to for hours. The most irritating sounds to me can be certain voices I think.

Are there everyday places, spaces, or devices which intrigue you by the way they sound? Which are these?

In some tiny rooms, like some bathroom, the sound is great for vocals. In some staircases, with wood barriers, as well.

In nature – a forest, a mountain - there will sometimes be a special place for sound, where the quality of sound is just different, even if you can’t explain why. For me, there is something magic, like a spirit living there.

Have you ever been in spaces with extreme sonic characteristics, such as anechoic chambers or caves? What was the experience like?

I have a great memory of a concert of my ex-band orchestre tout puissant marcel duchamp in a cave, an old mushroom farm hidden in the woods.

The sound was totally incredibly clear, with a short natural reverb. I’ve never experienced this sound on a stage.



L'étrangleuse Interview Image (c) the artists

What are among your favourite spaces to record and play your music?

I wouldn’t say I have any favorite spaces. Of course, the sound of the place is important, but the state of mind at the moment is equally significant.

It’s a combination between both that make a space special.

Do music and sound feel “material” to you? Does working with sound feel like you're sculpting or shaping something?

Material yes, but more a liquid form. So I don’t have the feeling of sculpting, but more of playing with fluids, organizing them.

How important is sound for our overall well-being and in how far do you feel the "acoustic health" of a society or environment is reflective of its overall health?

It’s very important, of course. We realize it when we start paying attention to the amount of unchosen sounds that colonize us.

Sound, song, and rhythm are all around us, from animal noises to the waves of the ocean. What, if any, are some of the most moving experiences you've had with these non-human-made sounds?

I can’t fix a precise experience, I think there are too many.

It would be something like a mix of the sounds of a barn owl, symphonic music of the wind, minimalist music of the rain.

Many animals communicate through sound. Based either on experience or intuition, do you feel as though interspecies communication is possible and important? Is there a creative element to it, would you say?

It’s possible and important. This is a major scientific challenge for the near future.

Tinnitus and developing hyperacusis are very real risks for anyone working with sound. Do you take precautions in this regard and if you're suffering from these or similar issues – how do you cope with them?

I’m not a good example.

Most of the time I don’t take any precaution. I just play music 100 time less loud now than when I started.