Eve Future: a Conscious Fusion?
We received the Eve Future group to inquire about their musical project, following their recent announcements that caught our attention. Indeed, we were seized by a certain curiosity when reading their posts on social media and watching the biography of Agrippa d’Aubigné on their YouTube channel. We are in the presence of a musical artist who is promoting themselves, which is quite common, but when this musician invokes ‘heritage literature’ and introduces us to a soldier from the 16th century who lived through the religious wars, naturally, we wanted to know more!
Les Heures Les Plus Sombres: Hello, and in a few words: who are you?
Eve Future: Hello, I am Eve Future, a French singer and composer. In fact, I have been working as a French teacher for 10 years now, but I have always been a musician…
LHLPS : We had the chance to listen to tracks from your upcoming album ‘Misères’. It’s clearly packed with a variety of influences, and we recognize many familiar styles: extreme music, the disturbing poetry of the lyrics – at times it feels like reading a Cannibal Corpse lyric! – but there’s also this techno, electro sound with big synthesizers, and in fact, it’s almost Ibiza-like. And it’s always full of energy with this omnipresent, relentless singing – it’s surprising because the flow isn’t particularly fast, but since there are almost never any breaks, it quickly becomes oppressive, overwhelming. We also noticed the absence of choruses, which are only present in the music, except sometimes at the end of a track. So, we recognize the main ingredients, we love them all separately, but when assembled like this, we can’t quite label it, can’t name the mixture… How do you describe your style?
EF : Complex question! Indeed, I come from metal and fusion, and this new project contains both of these aspects in the background: my compositions are inspired by metal and electro, but the electro element dominates due to a completely digital production, with no instruments used for this album entirely composed using computer-assisted music production. Furthermore, the clear singing, often delivered at a rapid pace, is somewhat reminiscent of rap, but it remains quite distinct from what is most commonly heard in France. So, one could say it’s an electro fusion, I suppose.
LHLPS : Do you find yourself in a commercially uncomfortable position? Is it challenging to market yourself?
EF : I don’t sell myself, so no, it’s not complicated!
Furthermore, I understand what you mean. Promotion can be quite tricky, with the music industry’s almost ubiquitous niche segmentation. We don’t fit neatly into one category or multiple ones, which generally isn’t a good idea from a commercial standpoint.
To simplify, rap enthusiasts might not consider it rap, metal fans might find it lacking in guitars, and electronic music aficionados prefer it as an instrumental, without vocals. So, we might not make headlines in their favorite webzines. There are also poetry enthusiasts and academics who might be intimidated, but they never had many webzines, so that’s less of an issue!
At the same time, since musical genres are tightly controlled by the big names, and there’s fierce competition for the top spots, maybe it’s not so bad to break free from that mold. Practicing a style that doesn’t exist gives us a sort of monopoly! Although, I can’t say there hasn’t been anyone before us. First and foremost, there’s the group Death Grips. If I were ever to sing live, I’d love to have a setup with vocals, drums, and machines like they do. They have it all: sonic richness, absolute paroxysmal violence, self-derision – their discography has almost everything, there’s pure genius in their records. But, please note, I’m paying homage here because we’re talking about it, but Eve Future isn’t a copy of that group! And there are others too, like Igorrr. Now, one might find it strange since Igorrr doesn’t sing much; it’s often more like screaming. However, in terms of music, and while staying very humble compared to Gautier Serre’s perfect work, we can say that Igorrr practices an even crazier mix than ours. Look at what happened to their group: they’ve blown up. Well, Gautier has been at it for a long time too; we’re babies in comparison. It’s like Fantomas with Patton; they were all stars before… Can you imagine trying to make it big with a Fantomas record? I didn’t dare to do that; we’re babies, 40-year-old babies, but still babies. And I also love some tracks from that completely wild South African group, Die Antwoord! If you remove Yolandi and the mainstream tracks, you almost have Eve Future. Eve Future is entirely in the lineage of Death Grips, Igorrr, and Die Antwoord. So, I believe it’s difficult to place on store shelves, but that’s not the goal at the same time.
LHLPS : I can see the uniqueness of your blend. When you mention that electronic music enthusiasts might want to cut the vocal track, indeed, as an instrumental, it would flow much smoother, just being electronic. However, the omnipresent and fast-paced vocals push it into a sort of rap, which creates a kind of marking dissonance, as rap has an increasingly distinct identity, particularly in its volume. Rap works quite well commercially, but at the same time, its market is evolving: the social dimension has been overshadowed by commercial segmentation, and we see a music genre that appears to be becoming more and more identity-driven, at least in its stereotypes. But this is where you stand out, or rather, where you can’t fit in, can’t assimilate, because clearly, Eve Future is not rap, or at least it doesn’t fit into what we ordinarily conceive as rap… Why did you choose this style of singing?
EF : Clearly not to sell, that’s for sure! But the math is simple, you’ll see: I had a text of about 1200 verses that I had to fit into 45 minutes of music. I can assure you that to make it all fit, you can’t leave much room to breathe… So, either we went the metal route, growled quickly, and it worked, but you couldn’t understand anything, and then I don’t see the point of having such a good text, or we recited it in a clear voice, and inevitably, it sounds like rap… That’s why the singing style.
LHLPS : So it all started with the text… Where does your interest in this poem come from? Honestly, I didn’t know it. I had heard of it vaguely at most; the name sounded familiar, but I had never read it. Agrippa d’Aubigné, where did you get that from?
EF : I discovered this author at the university, and also, there’s a text that’s often found in high school textbooks, which I used for the track ‘Peindre la France.’ He’s a relatively unknown but culturally significant author. The testimony he left about the religious wars is truly striking, but he wrote it somewhat late in his life, or rather, he published it towards the end of his life, and it didn’t really resonate with the people of his time. I think people wanted to move on from that dark period, so Agrippa was largely forgotten! However, he resurfaced in the 19th century: first, Hugo was a fan, and then the Romantics embraced him, so by the 20th century, he was an established author. But with the post-war economic boom, it seems that people thought of him as a somber testimony of a dark era, something no longer relevant, and he slowly faded into obscurity again. But in recent times, I’ve been thinking of him more and more often, and when I revisited his text, which I also didn’t know very well, it deeply moved me! I did a test, precisely for ‘Peindre la France,’ and this choice seemed absolutely obvious to me. It’s perfect for my style of music, as it’s also a kind of fusion, and the themes he explores unfortunately resonate perfectly with current events in France.
LHLPS : Hence the great importance placed on the text, but the problem is that we don’t always understand what you’re singing…
EF : It’s like with suburban rap, isn’t it? Do you understand everything they’re rapping about? Between slang, verlan, words borrowed, often from Arabic but also from American English, trendy expressions – personally, I often need explanations, well, need, let’s not exaggerate my taste for this music… On the other hand, take metal: often in English and often screamed, do we understand everything? No… Like in opera, like in many styles, actually… Without the libretto, you’re stuck! So, if you put things into perspective, you’ll see that we actually understand Agrippa’s language better than many things we listen to without paying attention… Furthermore, I would say that sometimes it might be better not to understand, especially when he describes scenes of familial cannibalism or certain horrors… Lastly, I’m not a 16th-century expert, and consequently, I don’t understand everything either. I lack historical references, some mysterious words, and Agrippa’s syntax is sometimes a bit daring, even Marguerite Yourcenar says so!
LHLPS : Ah! So, could your approach of singing such an ancient text be somewhat political?
EF : It’s not the age of the text that matters but what it tells. Of course, in our age of cancel culture, singing this could earn me an accusation of conservatism. Also, since it sometimes speaks of France with as much love as disappointment, and it’s not really in vogue to emphasize the greatness of our French culture (despite what Mr. Macron may think, for whom this culture doesn’t exist…), I wouldn’t be surprised to be labeled as a conservative singer. But, if we stop at the opinions of fools, we won’t accomplish anything… No, I don’t think it’s political. Well, if you look closely, you’ll see that Agrippa defends the Huguenots, of course, but more broadly, he defends the people, the weak, animals, the land, which makes him decidedly a socialist man! So, sure, he massacred a bunch of Catholics… And that’s less commendable, it’s less socialist… But personally, I don’t care if he is Democrat or Conservative; what matters to me is his poem. A few years ago, an academic portrayed him as a writer of intolerance, accusing him of glorifying violence, and I completely disagree with that. The violence exercised by Agrippa was a response to the violence of the Catholic authorities. Protestants at the time were genuinely suffering from systemic discrimination. Edits proove that. So, if we were to project this onto the current situation, I understand that one could possibly say that Muslims are the new Huguenots, except no political decision, no law, condemns them; that makes all the difference between the two situations. And Agrippa expresses the violence of the time without any complacency. It is certainly magnified by the poetic style, but never to legitimize or excuse it; rather, it’s a lamentation.
LHLPS : You’re familiar with the theme of our website, so what are your concerns about the future?
EF : They are multiple: first, the political situation in France. I increasingly identify as a sovereigntist, in the sense given by the philosopher Michel Onfray, meaning I lament that France delegated its decision-making power to Maastricht. The referendum on the constitution didn’t help either, with the Lisbon Treaty, co-signed by both the Democratic camp and the Conservative side, hand in hand. You can see why I care little about what these two sides have to say… Furthermore, I am concerned about the unbearable living conditions that are looming worldwide. I am very receptive to the speeches of figures like Jean-Marc Jancovici or Aurélien Barrau, with the decline of biodiversity, rising temperatures, and dwindling energy resources. I don’t believe that this can be resolved, and I fear that totalitarianism may take hold, even in the West. On the flip side, transhumanism, Musk, Silicon Valley – this little world seems to completely ignore climate concerns, and it’s unclear with what energy they intend to pursue their projects. But that’s fine by me because it seems just as frightening!
LHLPS : How do you adapt to the changing world?
EF : I engage in sports: cycling for cardio and push-ups for aesthetics. I feed my mind with philosophy and novels. Otherwise, it seems essential to spend time with family and make the most of the present moment.
LHLPS : Let’s talk about this first track, ‘Les Rois,’ which is being released on October 31st, right? I’ve had the chance to listen to other tracks, and I’m sure many people will be interested in this album, ‘Misères,’ adapted from the first part of Agrippa d’Aubigné’s epic poem, ‘Les Tragiques.’ So, is ‘Les Rois’ the beginning of the book? It’s a track that starts very violently, with quite a power-thrash beat and a stunningly fast-paced vocal delivery. Then it calms down, picks up again, turns into electro, and by the end, we’re not far from djent… As I mentioned, I’ve been able to listen to other tracks, and this one, ‘Les Rois,’ also doesn’t seem to be the easiest for promotion. In fact, you’re starting the journey with the most intense you have! Are you looking to break down the door to success?
EF : It was important to show the colors right away. It’s true that other tracks are easier, more breathable, but here it’s clear that it won’t be a walk in the park. Because that’s Agrippa d’Aubigné, it’s dark. It shines here and there, there’s light, of course, since there’s God, but it’s not a text you come out of unscathed; it’s wounds you bear, and it can’t be approached without great energy and deep determination. At least, that’s how I see it; it’s like climbing Everest. You don’t attack it head-on recklessly, but you have to concentrate, harness your power, like with big technology, big bass, big leads; I needed that to face it. But it’s not an absolute either. I would like to make other albums with baroque instruments. And maybe always with machines too; at the same time, for me, coming from the guitar, I can tell you that machines are like a wild card! It’s like a wild card: the sound comes out effortlessly, it’s easy, it’s pure, but with real baroque instruments, can you imagine: viols, harpsichords, winds, brass, with some fierce compositions? It could sound like war! Of course, to come back to the track, we’re trying to shake things up a bit, and after that, I’ll release one every month. Not faster because recording is not finished yet, so I’m dropping the bombs little by little… And to go back to one of your earlier questions, it’s not the beginning of the poem; in fact, it will be the third track on the album. The second one is in the bag, ‘Peindre la France,’ it will be released at the end of November. And I’m saving the first one for later, but I can already tell you that it will blow the listeners’ minds…
LHLPS : Thank you very much, and we’ll see each other again soon to catch up!
EF : Thank you. And for the readers, if you want to support me, subscribe to my social media channels; there’s nothing better to help me out! Can we include some links?
LHLPS : It’s as if it was done! Dear readers, here they are:
