L`ESPRIT DU CLAN – Interview with Chamka

Hello Chamka! Great that you bring some time. Tell me, where are you from, who are you and how, where and when did the story about L`ESPRIT DU CLAN begin?

We are from Paris, we are 6 in L’EDC: Arsene and Shiro are the singers, Chamka and Ben are on the guitars, Clem at the bass, and Niko is the drummer. We are from most of us friends since the school like 13/14 years. We started the story with our first LP Called “Chapitre 0” in 1998. But we´ve played together since 1994.

You released your album „Reverence – Chapitre 2“ that year. Your lyrics are French. Don´t you feel a little bordered, because French is not an international language like English.

No, cause it’d be possible for us to sing in English, but we are French and why can´t a French band become as well-knows as an American band or a German band? We are proud to sing in French and we make it not too bad. I think, we have done a lot of shows in Europe and it’s funny to hear French lyrics sung by our fans who come from everywhere.

And the people who really want to know what we’re talking about, they just ask some friends who speak French etc… They can find a solution…

Where did you record your latest album?

We have recorded it in Recall studio near Paris, with our soundguy (Louta) and we have done the mix in Lille (LB lab studio) in the North of France.

How would you describe your music style?

It’s hard to describe our own style, but I would say that we make a mix from Us metal/hardcore and European metal, a kind of metal with French lyrics, with some hardcore parts. This new album is more metal than the other one (Chapitre 1). You have to listen to it to make you own idea.

Who is responsible for the songwriting?

So, we begin making the guitars lines, and then the drum and bass.

We work with a home studio to make some demos, and when we have everything, the singers can work on it. We always have music before lyrics. Everybody put his stuff on it.

What messages stand behind your songs/lyrics?

A lot, but in general this album is dark. We are talking about the human relations who are more and more difficult, about drugs, about France, but we have some positive songs like phenix. This song is about the fact of not giving up; always fighting to make your dreams come true….

What about song No. 10? It´s called “XXXXXX”. What are the 6 “X” standing for? And what is the song about?

The song XXXXXX is about us, 6 mother fucking desperate guys… so 6 X who represent the 6 of L’Esprit du Clan. This song is about our dark side. It’s our alcohol, sex and drugs song… to make it short.

Why do you call your albums “Chapitre …”. Is it a never-ending story?

Yes, cause we see our evolution in different chapters, from one to another one, you have to see, or hear the difference, and we like this idea of the chapters. I hope, it’ll be a neverending story, but who can tell that???

How does the songwriting process turn to be in detail? How do you start, what comes first and what comes afterwards?

I think you already have this answer ….

How did you come to the band name „L`ESPRIT DU CLAN“? Which meaning does it have?

L’Esprit du Clan means “the spirit of the click”. You know, we live together in the same flat, we share everything, we are a real family and since 1998 we live like that. Easy to work, easy to speak, easy for the communication and easy to live.

So what other name will be appropriated? I guess, L’esprit du clan says everything.

You have played a lot of live concerts. How do you feel about touring? What does it give to you personally and for the band?

We have done more than 250 shows since the beginning . It’s really good to be on tour, cause you are everyday at a different place and you can meet a lot of good people. Now we’ve got friends in Germany, Holland, Spain … And you are playing a lot so you become better on stage or with your instrument. I think it gives you experience and that is very important thing for you as a guy or as a band.

Don´t you have regular jobs or do you live for your music?

Now we can live from it, because we make a lot of concerts. We can not live just by selling our cd’s. It’s hard sometimes, but this is a choice. In France you can have some, so it’s easier.

How is the metal scene there where you live? Are there a lot of metalheads?

Yes, in Paris the scene is pretty cool, you have a lot of metal/hardcore bands.

Ok, it’s not like in Sweden or in Germany where this kind of music is very known.

France is not a rock’n’roll country. I guess it’s more different music but we make it with…..

What about gigs in the near future? Are you planning some concerts or even a tour for next year?

Of course, we’ll play in Germany in January (Moers) and in February (Essen). We’ll make of course some shows in France, too. Then in March we’ll go to Poland (with Merauder), Austria, etc….

In April, we hope to be in Spain and Portugal. We didn’t have a tour but some shows each week.

Which bands do you like privatly?

Metal like us, Slayer, Sepultura (rip), Integrity, Merauder, Hatebreed … stuff like Maiden, Metallica. Europeen metal like At the Gates, The Haunted, Hatesphere, Eucharist ….

Why would you recommend your album?

Cause I play in L’EDC. ….

No, cause this album is a very good album, we worked on it like 1 year.

We have done 35 songs to only have 13 at the end. I’m proud of it, so I recommend this new album.

Which is your favourite song on the new one and why?

I’ve got more than one song, but if I had to choose one, it’ll be “Et Caetera” or “Talion”, cause I like the energy and the power of this 2 songs, very raw.

How far do you want to go with L`ESPRIT DU CLAN? Is the band a fun band or something serious?

We make it very seriously and we don´t make this band for fun. We have fun inside it, but we really want to make it bigger and bigger. We’ll go as far as possible, but we’ll never change to make it real

Your words to the metalheads:

Only 3: Keep On Rocking !!!!

www.espritduclan.com
www.enrageprod.com
Line-Up:
Arsene – Vocals
Shiro – Vocals
Chamka – Guitars
Ben – Guitars
Tnt – Drums
Clem – Bass
Contact:
la_casta@msn.com
Discographie:
Chapitre 0 – 2000 (Demo)
Chapitre 1 – 2002
Reverence – Chapitre 2 – 2005
Chamka
La casta / Play rds
c/o Universal Music Publishing
(Thomas Sandoval)
22 rue des fossés st jacques
75005 Paris
+33(0)614955326
la_casta@msn.com
chamka@play-records.net
http://www.espritduclan.com
http://www.myspace.com/lespritduclan