Off The Record: An Interview With JackDupon

JackDupon onstage

A few weeks ago the extravagant and eclectic sounds of a French band named JackDupon caught our attention. We decided to investigate further and listen to all their records which, thanks to their kindness, are available for free streaming on their Bandcamp page. It would be a good idea if you did the same, clicked on the link and got captured by the whirlwind of sounds that this quartet can generate, ranging from progressive rock to avant-garde, from punk to noise, while you read this interview to the band itself. In all they've produced five albums so far, they've toured all over the world, playing in front of huge crowds at prestigious festivals (like the Rock Preserv festival, Bilborock and the Progday in the US). The line up sees Mike Popov (aka Arnaud M'Doihoma) on bass / vocals, Fil San (aka Philippe Prebet) on guitar / vocals, Ray Gozzoli (aka Gregory Pozzoli) on guitar / vocals and L'Abbé (aka Thomas Larsen) on drums / vocals. Here's what they confessed to us!

UKN:  in your latest studio album ("Jesus l'aventurier") you decided to tell the stories of 9 characters (and a well-known dog!) in 10 songs. Do you consider this some kind of concept album? What is the idea behind it?

JD: in a way, it is. Though, the music remains pure JackDupon's anarchic work; we've been working on themes and lyrics as we wanted the whole album to be one story told by different angles. The idea was to explore how these characters have taken some life changing directions. Why, why, how ?

"Jesus l'aventurier" cover art

UKN: this year you published a live record that contains live versions of songs on the "Jesus..." album. How come?

JD: Well, we've always been more comfortable on stage. After touring, these songs have evolved, not as much in a structural way but they matured a lot and we felt much more confident about how they should be interpreted. We could play then with much more involvement, honesty, and we thought it was needed to get this second version.

JackDupon's Live album ("Tête de chien") cover art

UKN: you played all around the world, which do you think was the most-welcoming and receptive crowd so far? Any anecdotes?

JD: We wouldn't classify people by location, maybe more from a venue to another. Also there is no great prize to be the most welcoming one. We sometimes, from one night to another, meet prog-fans sitting and enjoying, and another day drunk dancing crowds. We do not prefer one or another, it is just a different energy feedback. So Music is different everytime.

Some anecdotes so far. The first time we went to Bosnia was a great experience, when kids wanted to help us to carry the back-line and asking us to sign autographs on their clothes, or in the US when the crowd was literally enjoying, giving hugs and taking pictures with us all the time.

UKN: what do you remember of the "Prog-day" festival in Chapel Hill, NC? How was that experience? Chapel Hill has a long tradition in indipendent music, even Sonic Youth dedicated one of their songs to the city!

JD: it was one crazy gig. One of the times you feel like a rockstar. We remember that we went there in the dark, the label we were working with there was having their first international band, we were having our first international tour and we were like U.F.O.s on the Festival. Before the gig, everyone was very expectative, we just landed few hours before and felt very high on jet-lag. But as soon as we played our first note it was a blast. All that tension took everyone to some other level of musical experience. This is the city for Rock'n Roll !


UKN: can you explain who JackDupon is? The concept behind this name?

JD: JackDupon is our own mythology. He can be anywhere any time, a bit like "Kilroy was here" from World War II. He is our eyes and ears, a prism through which we can understand and transform the world into music.

UKN:  How is it "working" for Musea, an historic prog label?

JD: Musea has been and still is a gateway to get our strange music into unknown people's ears.

UKN: what's next for JackDupon, does this live album signal the end of a period or is this just a "snapshot", a souvenir of your tour?

JD: Each album is like giving birth, it is the end of something and the beginning of something else but you're right, we're now taking a few months home to compose new music which we could hardly do as we've been touring non-stop for three years now. We do hope to get back on tour very soon as we're already missing it.


UKN: if you had to pick 5 albums you consider fundamental, which would you choose?

JD: Bongo Fury - Zappa and Beefheart - What can you say ?

       Of fungi and foe - Les Claypool - Tom waits meets Primus

       Catch my shoe - The Ex - Political historical international independent dinosaurs.

       Etron Fou Leloublan - Les Poumons Gonflés - Featuring Guigou Chenevier, founder of the Rock In Opposition movement, we discovered it late but this music never gets old.

       Albert Marcoeur - Album à colorier - While being strange and experimental, this music is so fun and colorful. A good reason to learn French.

And bonus :

        Pryapisme - Rococo Holocaust - A disc everyone should have.

About our future projects we will probably tour "everywhere" in 2015. With new CD and new album so stay tuned.

(Italian version after the jump)