By Keith Walsh
Belgium’s mischievous singer/songwriter just released a summery new EP, featuring beachy grooves and covers by Cold Chisel and Eddy Grant. Read my review here. I had the chance to ask Gilles a few questions, revealing the magic behind the EP’s creation.

Synthbeat: What inspired this beachy themed, love related album?
Gilles Snowcat: Concepts and themes always come very naturally. It simply just had to be that way, I don’t have to think that far. I also realised that each time I go to the beach, my favourite part is sipping cocktails on the bar.

There’s also a natural link between the songs, like you have a glass of Limoncello on a beach bar with the first track, then on track 2 things get a little hotter, then it’s late at night with track 3 and you get some red wine and feel a little blue, and then it’s morning, track 4, the morning dew, the refreshing waves and your life starts again…

Synthbeat: Did the pandemic bring out some something new in you?Gilles Snowcat: The pandemic doesn’t do much to my music, nor to myself, actually.

Synthbeat: What was the experience like, doing this remotely?
Gilles Snowcat: This is studio work, so there’s a mix of remote, not so remote, etc… It’s always been like this, since the multitrack recorder exists. Studio recording is like FX in a movie, it’s the illusion that prevails. Studio work is a bag of tricks, a beautiful universe of happy cheating, it’s all about fun. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter how it has been done.

 Synthbeat: Was this at We See Limes studio?
Gilles Snowcat: We See Limes studio is the central point of it all. In a way, what happens in We See Limes stays in We See Limes. It’s so cozy that it completes the music and the atmosphere like nothing else. It’s like a first-class seat in a plane, even cozier.

Synthbeat: I see you have some of your longtime collaborators, Seb, Hetpampa. This makes it more meaningful, I would imagine?
Gilles Snowcat: I chose collaborators when I know they will bring something unique to the music, either because I know they have the special skill needed for the song, or because I want to break their comfort zone by putting them in an unusual situation. Like Seb (drummer Sébastien Bournier), I know he always speaks ill of ternary songs, so I thought it would be fun to give him the gig on “Just How Many Times”, which is a pure blues. He did it superbly. On “Lemon Body Scrub”, it’s Paul G who plays the guitar, he was in Awaken from 1998 till 2001, then in 2008. I knew his style would match the song here.
I chose guitarist Bill Bayer and bassist Hetpampa for “Blue Wave” because they have an edge that the song would need. Then we have new ones, Patrick Deltenre, who’s a fantastic jazz musician on harmonica and guitar, and Mr Beaver on drums, I wanted him to play because I like his approach on drums, he’s very musical, a bit like Ringo Starr. In return, I had to sing an Italian song on his own project. Even Ringo Starr doesn’t write Italian songs, but Ringo’s English, that may explain why…

I could write a line about every musician here. I should, ‘cause if they read the article and don’t see their names they will want to roast me…

Synthbeat: Please tell me about the voice synth you told me about. Where is it on the album?
Gilles Snowcat: Ah that one, it’s a great computer from the 80’s, still working, every line should be programmed manually. It’s on “Lemon Body Scrub”, I’ll let you figure out what he’s saying.

Synthbeat: And any new synths, you were specific about the sounds. Kalimba, velvet synth?
Gilles Snowcat : It’s a We See Limes studio specificity. I can’t be transcribed with words. Remember, what happens in We See Limes studio remains in We See Limes studio.

‘Last Summer On The Beach’ EP Review On Synthbeat.com
Gilles-Snowcat dot com
Gilles Snowcat On Bandcamp.com

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