French cellist and composer

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: My first natural impulse when picking up the cello is to play in a romantic fashion with lots of vibrato and emotion, but sometimes I also end up hitting the strings with the back of my bow or plucking them underneath the bridge... It depends on the song!

Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?

A: Difficult choice... Let's say a supergroup with Mike Patton on vocals, Radiohead as the backing band and Jaz Coleman working on the arrangements?

Q: What type of music do you usually work on?

A: So far I have worked on genres as diverse as pop-rock, gospel, folk ballads, country, doom metal, experimental jazz and corporate commercials... Each new song is an enriching experience regardless of the genre. The songs I write for myself however are more oriented towards alternative rock with a hint of electro.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Versatility! Or perhaps my training in both classical and modern music which allows me to grasp the spirit of a song quite rapidly.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: A cello track can easily emphasize the melancholy and sadness inherent to a song. But the instrument itself is very versatile and I am open to new experiences myself! Should your song require a hint of orchestral-like acoustic staccato, or layered harmonies to thicken the mix and enhance the flat sound of synthesizers, or even a full cello quartet to convey an impression of pump (and circumstance...), I will wield my bow according to the spirit of your production.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: It takes me roughly an hour to warm up, then on to the recording I guess... If the song requires it I might use comping as well as it allows for more precision in the arrangement.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: As of yet my studio consists in a Zoom H4 digital recorder, which offers good results for both cello and vocal takes; it is usually linked to my computer (along with external soundcard, Focusrite Saffire Pro) where I process everything using software such as Fruity Loops, SoundForge or Adobe Audition. To this you can add all my instruments: aside from a powerful acoustic cello my house accomodates a Yinfente electric cello, one Dean Hillsboro Bass and an electric guitar made by the French luthiers from Custom 77.

Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?

A: Yo-Yo Ma obviously, as a cellist he went beyond the traditional frontiers conceived by classically trained musicians. But as a composer and a songwriter my influences are as diverse as Ennio Morricone, Mike Patton, Radiohead, Serge Gainsbourg...

Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.

A: Usually the client sends me one or several songs with suggestions ranging from extensively annotated sheet music to nothing at all - both are absolutely fine by me! I then proceed to lay down a few tracks, send them back and wait for feedback, though most of the time preliminary work is enough to wrap it up by first shot :)