Interview with Oïkoumen

What got you into music, and if you had not gotten into music what would you be doing today?

We all three got into music in different ways. Yael always was playing music and his mother said that he was whistling all the day so she asked him if he would like to play violin or piano and he started piano.Then he got into bass ! And if music hadn’t been on his way, he would have been a poet !

About Elie, he got into music thanks to an AC/DC live album he heard when he was young and then he really wanted to be a guitar player. And if music hadn’t been on his way, he would have been a History teacher.  

And I got into music thanks to Elie ! We met at university and, even if I always loved music, I was too ill-at-ease to imagine making music. But he had the will to form a new band and I like challenges so I joined him and learnt to sing to make Oïkoumen happens. If I wasn’t making music I would certainly be a full time guide and would have much more break time to play video games !

What do you like to do when you are not playing music and how does that influence your creativity?

We love to play video games ! For me, it does influence my creativity just because it offers a break in my super full schedule so my brain can breathe. But if I need inspiration for the lyrics, it won’t come from video games. I just have to open a newspaper. For the boys, they are more influenced by the music they heard in games but they don’t take a literal influence from that.  

How long has your band been around?

Elie and I formed Oïkoumen in 2017 but we weren’t sure about the kind of music we would do. Then we met Yael in 2019 and we confirmed we would do a metal band between prog and symphonic metal. And now we are still there and for a long time !

Where are you based out of and how did that influence your music?

We are all from the Parisian region in France and I think the major influence comes from the fact that France isn’t an easy country for small metal band. So we really need to struggle and believe in our project to put all this energy and money inside.   

How did you come up with the name of your band and what does it mean to you?

Oïkoumen comes from a Greek word that refers to the known and the habitable world. It is also a notion related to mankind and its relationship with its environment. It hints at what we’re all part of but also points all that we still have to discover. So I thought it could be a great way to evoke the subjects we have in the band ! We also chose the famous ouroboros as our symbol beause it evokes the eternal renewal of humanity‘s actions and division time into cycles. Radiate behind him sunrays, hint optimism in a dark reality.

Tell me about your most memorable shows.

I would say, the first one ! Not because it was better than the others… Just because it was the first ! Because each show is memorable in its way and most of the time that’s thanks to the public ! They always help to make a show memorable. So as we appreciated each show we did, it’s hard to choose.

What is your favorite venue to play at, and do you have any places you want to play that you have not already?

We really loved playing at the Manoir Pub in Switzerland ! The team was so welcoming, the sound was so great, someone from the Manoir also did lights for us and we were fed ! I know it sounds normal but it is not ! We never had food in France (excepted in Montpellier). So I must say this venue was great ! But we also could add the Klub in Paris where we often have the most powerful and interactive relation with the public.   

If you could play any show with any lineup, who would be on the ticket?

We would be Nightwish first part of course ! Let us dream… Because dreams give wings !

What is some advice that you would give to someone who is just getting into playing in a band and some advice that you would give to your younger self?

Don’t waste time because you will never get enough of it. Life is short and you will have to build everything yourself in this short time. So if if you can find help somewhere that is very important but you might never find help. So you also need to be realistic and keep in mind that maybe, even with all the efforts you do, you will never make it. So don’t forget to enjoy the process not only the potential results !

If you could go back in time and give yourselves advice, what would it be?

For me it would be : study music while you’re still young and have time for that ! Because now it’s so hard to learn singing, work, and do all the “what’s around a musical project” (social medias, communication, music video, lyrics, organizing tours….).
Elie regrets he didn’t learn musical theory earlier and with a good teacher...
And Yael would say to his younger self… Buy Bitcoins !  

Of your songs which one means the most to you and why?

For me, the song which is the most important didn’t came out ! It’s in album number two. But to talk about something which is now out I would say Impulse ! The song is about doing something with the short thing we call life. It says that you need to stay active and enjoy everything you do while you are still alive and it’s so me ! Even if I might do too much sometimes…
Elie says it’s Burnout because he likes the lyrics as he don’t understand this world where it seems normal to sacrifice ourselves on the altar of work and he really like how he composed it at the time.
And Yael has a preference for Green Warriors because it’s the first song where he established his own bass style for the band.    

Which songs are your favorite to play and which get requested the most?

My favorite song to sing is Blood Ores ! Not too hard and dynamic ! And the most difficult is…. Impulse maybe ? Or Burnout… Those songs where I want to move but I must stay quiet because the singing lines are so demanding that I need all my oxygen !  
For Elie, it’s Burnout too because it goes very fast, with no break and he has to switch between lead and rhythm guitar.
And for Yael it’s Five Elements where he has to alternate double thumb, hybrid thumb and lots of other technics.

What is the creative process for the band, and what inspires you to write your music?

Usually, I’m giving a main idea for an album or and EP or a single. Then Elie is composing things referring to my ideas or not. And if not, I then try to think from his compositions and find a theme which fits (often bases on nowadays subjects). And then we talk together about the song evolution and Elie writes everything.  

What kinds of messages do you like to get across in your music?

Our music is our way to protest about what angers us in our society. We talk about injustice, violence but we also want to share positivity so we always work on the assumption that there is hope. We address subjects like ecology in our first album, the second one will be about violence and childhood so… revolting things !   

Do you ever have disagreements in your band, and how do you get past them?

Of course there is disagreements but we solve them with talking ! As simple as that. So everybody can give their point of view and then we like “vote”. So everyone can convince the other members if he brings good arguments. And if we really can’t find a common ground, we’ll split ! But the hard core has always remained welded !

What are your plans for the future, and do you have anything that you want to spotlight that is coming up?

We have many plans and we hope the next step, which is album number 2, will come soon. But for now, we just released an important single (Impulse) so we were focusing on it and the shows which are coming each month. We will soon release a new cover and maybe other singles. We are also preparing tours in France and maybe new merch ! It’s all WIP.