20minutes.fr Interview 2012 September

[Kumazzz]

 

http://www.20minutes.fr/article/999947/mika-savoir-gay-important-comprendre-musique

 

Mika: «Savoir que je suis gay n'est pas important pour comprendre ma musique»

2 contributions

Créé le 09/09/2012 à 16h55 -- Mis à jour le 09/09/2012 à 21h57

 

 

MUSIQUE - Après une nouvelle tournée internationale triomphale, Mika a eu besoin de se reposer. Avec «The origin of love», album d’électro-pop solaire et faussement léger, il revient à ses premières amours...

 

 

 

 

Vous n’aviez pas sorti d’album depuis trois ans. Que s’est-il passé après votre dernière tournée?

 

Je voulais être à nouveau entouré par des musiciens. Pour le précédent album, j’avais affronté ma solitude parce que je voulais une musique plus sombre et moins commerciale. Celui-ci, je le voulais joyeux.

 

Avez-vous opérer des changements dans vos méthodes de travail?

 

Je voulais être à nouveau entouré par des musiciens. Pour le précédent album, j’avais affronté ma solitude parce que je voulais une musique plus sombre et moins commerciale. Celui-ci, je le voulais joyeux.

 

Et ça a été un processus difficile?

 

J’ai mis sept mois à l’écrire, ce qui est assez rapide pour moi, puis huit mois en studio. Ça peut sembler long mais c’est vraiment beaucoup de boulot de composer la tapisserie musicale de l’album. J’aime coller plein d’univers musicaux, de la pop au classique. Il y a beaucoup d’orchestrations avec de vrais instruments mais aussi des productions électroniques. Je suis le produit de ces collages qui disent vraiment d’où je viens, qui je suis. Donc, je veux qu’ils soient parfaits, c’est à la fois difficile et amusant.

 

Vous avez besoin de vous amuser pour bien travailler ou c’est le fait de bien travailler qui vous détend?

 

L’un décide l’autre, et vice versa. Si je ne me sens pas libéré, il m’est impossible d’arriver à ce résultat. Mais quand j’écris une chanson comme «The Origin of Love» , je me sens si confiant qu’ensuite, écrire l’album est plus facile. C’est ce qui explique que j’ai été bloqué un an et demi.

 

On fait de la meilleure musique quand on est heureux?

 

Je suis fan de Barbara qui a fait son meilleur travail quand elle était malheureuse. Pour moi, je crois que c’est le contraire, j’ai besoin de confiance. Je dois me sentir invincible, ne pas avoir peur de faire un truc nul.

 

 

Et l’accident de votre sœur vous a aidé à vous sentir en confiance?

 

Paradoxalement, oui. On change pour toujours après avoir vécu quelque chose comme ça. Ça a rapproché notre famille. Tous mes frères et sœurs sont dans l’art. Ce «secouage» nous a tous aidés dans nos domaines. Moi, j’en avais besoin parce que je mets beaucoup de vérité dans ce que je fais, ma musique raconte ma vie, qui, heureusement, est assez riche. Dans mes chansons, je mets tout et médiatiquement, je ne dis rien.

 

Vous avez tout de même fait votre coming out cet été.

 

Je l’ai fait parce que je suis heureux en ce moment. Savoir que je suis gay n’est pas important pour comprendre ma musique mais pour me comprendre en tant que personne.

La sexualité n’influe en rien sur votre musique?

 

Si, elle en a toujours fait partie. Sur scène, j’ai besoin de me sentir libre physiquement et j’aime y mettre de l'ambigüité sexuelle. Pour ça, oui, ça compte.

 

Pourquoi avoir fait votre coming out si tard dans votre carrière?

 

Je crois qu’on ne peut forcer aucun artiste à le faire quand il n’en a pas envie. C’est important de le faire à sa manière et dans un moment de joie et de confiance, pour que ça génère de la tolérance et non pas de la haine. Moi, j’ai trouvé, perdu et retrouvé l’amour. Je suis enfin heureux et libre. C’était le moment de le dire. Je sais que ça n’intéresse pas tout le monde donc je ne vais pas le mettre en avant plus que ça.

 

Entre votre coming out et l’accident de votre sœur qui est un peu à l’origine de l’album, vous vous retrouvez à beaucoup parler de votre vie privée.

 

Oui, c’est le jeu de la promo. Je sais que ça ne dure qu’un moment. Là je suis beaucoup dans l’introspection, je dois raconter en quelques minutes les émotions qui m’ont traversé pendant trois ans et ça laisse peu de temps pour parler de musique finalement. Mais moi, je ne passe pas mes journées à penser à tout ça. Là, on en parle mais ce soir, je retourne travailler à la tournée.

 

Vous allez refaire plusieurs tours du monde pendant un an ou deux… Anxieux?

 

Pas du tout. C’est un moment heureux mais il faut y aller à fond, oublier sa vie quotidienne et ne vivre que pour ça. C’est un peu un cirque, mais un cirque que j’adore.

 

Benjamin Chapon

[Kaito]

TRANSLATION - Sorry for mistakes :'> I'm a bit tired ~ It must sounds a lot "French"... I tried to do it fast before going to bed xD I'll check it tomorrow to improve it ~

 

MUSIQUE –

After a successful international tour, Mika needed to rest. With «The origin of love», solar electro-pop album – no as light as it may seem - , he comes back to what he loves the most.

 

You hadn’t released an album for 3 years. What did happen after your last tour ?

 

It took me quite a long time before getting back to work. I wanted something fresh, a reinvention of my music. For several months, I didn’t know what to do. And then, an event in my life shook me: my sister nearly died in an accident. Once her state had been stabilized, that she was out of danger and began to walk again, I could get back to work.

 

Did you change your way of working ?

 

I wanted to be surrounded again by musicians. For the last album, I had faced loneliness because I wanted darker and less commercial music? For this one, I wanted something joyful.

 

Was that a difficult process ?

It took me 7 months to write it, which is pretty fast for me, and then 8 months in studios. It may seem long but it’s really a lot of work to compose the musical tapistery of the album. I love to put together lots of different musical universes, from pop to classical music. There’re lots of orchestrations with real instruments but also electronic productions. I’m the product of all these X that tells where I’m from, who I am. So, I want them to be perfect, it’s hard but at the same time fun.

 

You need to have fun to work well or does working relax you?

 

One triggers the other, and « vice versa ». If I don’t feel liberated, I can’t get to this result. But when I write a song such as «The Origin of Love» , I feel so confident that, afterwards, writing the album is easier. That’s what explains the fact I had been stuck for a year and a half, not being able to write anything .

Do people make better music when they’re happy ?

I’m a fan of Barbara, whose best work was made when she was unhappy. For me, I think it’s the opposite, I need trust. I need to feel invicible, not being afraid from making something crappy.

 

 

Did your sister’s accident help you to feel more confident?

Paradoxicaly, yes. We always change after having been through something like that. In my family, it brought us closer. All my brothers/sisters work in Art fields. This « shaking » event helped each of us in our respective field. Me, I needed it ‘cause I put a lot of truth in what I do, my music tells my life, which – fortunately- is pretty rich. In my songs, I put everything and when it comes to medias, I don’t say anything.

You have made your coming out this summer, though.

 

I have made it because I’m happy at the moment. Knowing I’m gay isn’t important to understand my music and understand me as a person.

 

Doesn’t your sexuality have an influence on your music ?

 

Well, it has always been a part of it. On stage, I need to feel physically free and I love to add some sexual ambiguity. For that, yes, it matters.

Why such a late coming out ?

 

I think you can’t force any artist to do it unless he feels like it. It’s important to do it “his own way” at a moment of joy and trust, so that it generates tolerance and not hate. In my case, I found, lost love and then found it back. I’m finally happy and free. It was the right time to do it. I know that not everyone is interested in it so I’m not gonna put it forward more than that.

With your coming out and your sister’s accident, you actually have to talk quite a lot about your private life…

Yes, that’s how promo works. I know that it only lasts a while. Right now, I’m rather at the « introspective » stage, I have to tell in a few minutes the emotions that I felt during the 3 past years and it lets not much time left to finally talk about music. But I don’t really think about that all day. Right now, we’re talking but tonight, I’ll be back at work, working on the upcoming tour.

You’re about to start touring again for a year maybe two… anxious ?

Not at all. It’s a joyful moment but you have to give everything you’ve got, forget your daily life and live ONLY for the tour. It sounds a bit like a circus but one I love.

Edited September 10, 2012 by Kaito

[Kumazzz]

TRANSLATION - Sorry for mistakes :'> I'm a bit tired ~ It must sounds a lot "French"... I tried to do it fast before going to bed xD I'll check it tomorrow to improve it ~

 

 

Thanks a lot for translation as always !!!!

[BiaIchihara]

Thanks @Kumazzz for posting and @Kaito or translating ^^

[Marilyn Mastin]

TRANSLATION - Sorry for mistakes :'> I'm a bit tired ~ It must sounds a lot "French"... I tried to do it fast before going to bed xD I'll check it tomorrow to improve it ~

 

MUSIQUE –

After a successful international tour, Mika needed to rest. With «The origin of love», solar electro-pop album – no as light as it may seem - , he comes back to what he loves the most.

 

You hadn’t released an album for 3 years. What did happen after your last tour ?

 

It took me quite a long time before getting back to work. I wanted something fresh, a reinvention of my music. For several months, I didn’t know what to do. And then, an event in my life shook me: my sister nearly died in an accident. Once her state had been stabilized, that she was out of danger and began to walk again, I could get back to work.

 

Did you change your way of working ?

 

I wanted to be surrounded again by musicians. For the last album, I had faced loneliness because I wanted darker and less commercial music? For this one, I wanted something joyful.

 

Was that a difficult process ?

It took me 7 months to write it, which is pretty fast for me, and then 8 months in studios. It may seem long but it’s really a lot of work to compose the musical tapistery of the album. I love to put together lots of different musical universes, from pop to classical music. There’re lots of orchestrations with real instruments but also electronic productions. I’m the product of all these X that tells where I’m from, who I am. So, I want them to be perfect, it’s hard but at the same time fun.

 

You need to have fun to work well or does working relax you?

 

One triggers the other, and « vice versa ». If I don’t feel liberated, I can’t get to this result. But when I write a song such as «The Origin of Love» , I feel so confident that, afterwards, writing the album is easier. That’s what explains the fact I had been stuck for a year and a half, not being able to write anything .

Do people make better music when they’re happy ?

I’m a fan of Barbara, whose best work was made when she was unhappy. For me, I think it’s the opposite, I need trust. I need to feel invicible, not being afraid from making something crappy.

 

 

Did your sister’s accident help you to feel more confident?

Paradoxicaly, yes. We always change after having been through something like that. In my family, it brought us closer. All my brothers/sisters work in Art fields. This « shaking » event helped each of us in our respective field. Me, I needed it ‘cause I put a lot of truth in what I do, my music tells my life, which – fortunately- is pretty rich. In my songs, I put everything and when it comes to medias, I don’t say anything.

You have made your coming out this summer, though.

 

I have made it because I’m happy at the moment. Knowing I’m gay isn’t important to understand my music and understand me as a person.

 

Doesn’t your sexuality have an influence on your music ?

 

Well, it has always been a part of it. On stage, I need to feel physically free and I love to add some sexual ambiguity. For that, yes, it matters.

Why such a late coming out ?

 

I think you can’t force any artist to do it unless he feels like it. It’s important to do it “his own way” at a moment of joy and trust, so that it generates tolerance and not hate. In my case, I found, lost love and then found it back. I’m finally happy and free. It was the right time to do it. I know that not everyone is interested in it so I’m not gonna put it forward more than that.

With your coming out and your sister’s accident, you actually have to talk quite a lot about your private life…

Yes, that’s how promo works. I know that it only lasts a while. Right now, I’m rather at the « introspective » stage, I have to tell in a few minutes the emotions that I felt during the 3 past years and it lets not much time left to finally talk about music. But I don’t really think about that all day. Right now, we’re talking but tonight, I’ll be back at work, working on the upcoming tour.

You’re about to start touring again for a year maybe two… anxious ?

Not at all. It’s a joyful moment but you have to give everything you’ve got, forget your daily life and live ONLY for the tour. It sounds a bit like a circus but one I love.

Thank you for the translation. I love that he's come out, and now it's done and it's business as usual. He's the best! T4P

[mellody]

many thanks for posting and for translating!

[Dreamy_Queen]

Thank you girls for finding it and translating!