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An Interview with Emélie Nicolaï and Yves Schelpe of Psy'Aviah
Posted: Sunday, December 14, 2008
By: Denyss McKnight

Hailing from Antwerp, Belgium, this electro-clash outfit is garnering attention and praise from all corners of the globe with the aid of their new full length release Entertainment Industries. With a freshly inked deal with Alfa Matrix, the combo are even hungrier to take on the world and bring their act to North America and demonstrate just what they're capable of. With an adequate push and a little more love from the press, Psy'Aviah just may be the next big thing to light up the dark electronica scene. ReGen was lucky enough to be able to pick through the minds of Emélie Nicolaï and Yves Shelpe.

You pull out a variety of really unique sounds and tones, especially on your new album's title track, 'Entertainment Industries.' What sort of gear do you guys make use of?

Schelpe: It's a mix between software and hardware, combining the best of both worlds, actually. More detailed: hardware synths are in essence the Waldorf Blofeld, Nord Lead 3, and Korg MS2000. Software includes loads of effects plug-ins, and some favourite soft-synths are the Native Instruments FM8 Arturia soft-synths. They are really great and affordable emulations of classic synths. Add on top of that some guitar work, and that's what our sound is like.

Nicolaï: On stage, I use the Korg MS2000, but I also enjoy working on other projects that help create the image of Psy'Aviah, so for stuff like a new videos, an album cover, a logo and so on, I use many of the programs within the Adobe Creative Suite 4 Master Edition. At home, I work on my trusty old Pentium 4 PC, and on the road I make use of my MacBook Pro.

The new album incorporates so many influences that are basically all over the map. What influenced you during the songwriting process of this record?

Nicolaï: When we made the Creationism album, I was mostly influenced by the music I was listening to at that moment. This was mostly alternative rock and smooth electronica. But then some of our songs got on compilations like Fxxk the Mainstream, Vol. 1, and by listening to the music on these CDs, a whole new world opened up for me, especially when Psy'Aviah got signed by Alfa Matrix! I discovered so many other great bands on this label. I believe this has had quite an influence on me while making Entertainment Industries.

Schelpe: Difficult to say. Musically I'm influenced by nearly everything I ever listened to, ranging from in-scene bands to rock to ambient to pop. For example, I really like Weezer and Deftones, but I also really like Front 242, Praga Khan, Lords of Acid, Prodigy, and also have a weak spot for move soundtracks such as the ones from The Village or The Fifth Element. Lyrically, I think we're influenced by everyday things and some more general themes, just stuff that happens in the world around us that I guess a lot of other people notice, too.

Do you have any plans of gracing North America with your presence any time soon?

Nicolaï: We would love to play all over the world, but there don't seem to be many organizations that are willing to pay for the trip.

Schelpe: You know, I would love to. Visiting the USA would also be a great opportunity to finally meet up with Suzi Q. Smith, the poet on the track 'Moments,' because we've only communicated through the Net. Anyway, to come back to the point, we would want to; unfortunately, touring or flying over isn't that easy these days, but we're investigating possibilities!

There have been a lot of comparisons between you and Front 242. Does being compared to such a renowned act, does this intimidate or flatter you?

Nicolaï: It flatters me, of course!

Schelpe: It's flattering in a way that I think people use these kind of comparisons to make a compliment. But, well, I think we're not at all the same; their insight into the technologies they use and the craftsmanship of their music is still a long way from where we are. We still learn things every day!

Having looked at your live performances and video contributions, how does the visual aspect of the band translate to what you do musically?

Nicolaï: Our live performances are much more dynamic these days then what you see online, so I guess it's time to make some new live clips. I've also been thinking about adding some visuals to the show, but I have to find the time to really get into that. Also, I've recently made a new video for 'Moments.' The video doesn't necessarily reflect the image of Psy'Aviah, but it does show you how I have interpreted this song and the poem of Suzi Q. Smith.

Schelpe: We're still searching and experimenting with various things on stage and progressing to find our own way of approaching these things. But actually Emélie is in charge of the visual elements of the band.

Collaborations with names like Laeather Strip and Implant were very impressive. How did these come about?

Schelpe: Yeah, we like collaborating with artists. For example, the remix IC 434 did was partly because he only lives like a block away from us. After finding out about his new album, we immediately asked him to do a remix. Leaether strip came about a different way; we simply mailed him nicely to ask if he would try a remix for us, and he kindly responded he would love to do so. Suzi Q. Smith is a different story; I found her at a rather unknown site packed with vocals, etc. I really liked her voice and started searching for contact info, mailed her at different profiles and e-mail addresses, and asked her if she would like to contribute a poem and vocal for us.

How did you find working with Len Lemeire of Implant?

Schelpe: Len has been a great help; we got in contact with him even before joining Alfa Matrix. It was through a mutual connection we got to meet, through Je M'En Fish, actually, a Belgian indie music collective. We asked him if he did production, and one thing led to another. Basically, working with Len is always a pleasure; it's always fun in the studio. Len also knows to keep the artist's sound intact, no overproducing, just helping where help is needed. That's what we were looking for.

Nicolaï: I love working with Len. I'm usually kind of nervous when I have to go to the studio, but Len is just such a nice and laid back guy that I always feel relaxed when I'm around him.

What are your immediate plans? Are you heading back to the studio soon, or can we expect to see you hitting stages abroad?

Schelpe: Concert plans are always around, only some of them get cancelled or we never hear anything from some events, so there's no real plan. We're currently accepting shows, and in the mean time we're also recording demos constantly; it's more like recording ideas to work out in a later stage, but we're always busy, that's one thing you can be sure of!