Enfnts Terribles

Moodoïd is a project that has been around for years. Is the core of the project still the same as it was ten years ago, or has the definition of Moodoïd changed over the years?

I see PrimaDonna as a return to its roots. Moodoïd has always been a project based on mixing my voice with those of women. Since “Je suis la montagne”, the songs have been sung by two voices, and it was important for me to highlight the female collaborators more with this album made exclusively of invitations. The only real difference is the way I write the songs, which is perhaps less instinctive than at the beginning of the project. During my different albums, I have developed other ways of writing and recording, which has made the music evolve. For Cité Champagne, the sessions were thought of as jam sessions. On this new album PrimaDonna, it’s more like a solo project where I travel with my home studio from meeting to meeting. I need to be stimulated by new work processes, otherwise, I get bored.

With over ten years in the music industry, you have witnessed its evolution. Has this had an impact on the way you approach music?

For three records, the issues were different every time. Almost to the point of losing your mind. Le monde MÖÖ was released at a time when the record crisis was still in full swing, just before streaming took over, so physical sales were the priority. Whereas today, songs are defended as singles so that they can be playlisted and, therefore, streamed. The philosophy is no longer the same, and this obviously has repercussions for the way music is created. It pushes you to reinvent yourself and find ways to adapt your world in order to be heard. The aim is just not to lose yourself, not to make compromises that could affect the quality of the music. It requires you to be very inventive and constantly on the go. It’s sometimes tiring because you always have to have a surprise in your bag. But it’s also stimulating; it encourages creativity. It also sometimes makes you want to live in a cabin in the woods and play music just for your dog.

Collaborations are a key element of the project. How do you find the perfect match for your sound?

Sometimes I looked for a voice I imagined for a track, and sometimes, I just get suggested to an artist. I liked to be surprised and take the music somewhere else, where I couldn’t take it myself. There’s no real rule or formula. Each collaboration has its own unique story; its own creative process. I saw it as a way to meet, travel, and create human adventures. That’s what was and is most important to me. So I had in mind that these songs were not really mine exclusively, that I had to share them, and that the involvement of the musicians could completely alter the original idea. That’s what I liked about this album: accepting being taken away by ideas and interventions outside myself.

When you look at the visual world of Moodoïd, you see different moods and styles. What was the mood board for PrimaDonna Vol. 2 like?

Moodoïd is my artistic fantasy laboratory. I see it as a place where I can express myself and try out lots of things. For PrimaDonna, the special thing is to keep the artistic direction of the first volume while finding the right balance between my own world and that of the guests. So it’s case by case, song by song, with the idea of tying it all together with the make-up and costumes. I see things as a sort of glam opera, which is in line with the title of the project: the Primadonna being the first female singer in the opera.

What are your plans for the coming months?

Besides music, I spend a lot of my time making videos—directing has always been my playground—and these days, I’m regularly involved with my friend Juliette Armanet, with whom I share a certain visual requirement. I’ve just shot a second video for Paul Prier, I’m about to shoot another one for Antonin Appaix, and I’m preparing one for SuperParka too. Not to mention the next Moodoïd video, which I’ll be shooting at the end of March! In parallel, I’m preparing my new live show for the dates that are coming up between now and the summer, including a first concert on April 14th in Paris at Ground Control as part of their Underground Control series! And I’m also involved in making the soundtrack of the fabulous creations of the visual artist duo Bella Hunt & DDC from the Southway Studio collective, whose next exhibition is planned in London at the beginning of April. All the while continuing to compose new pieces! In short, a lot of work to do!