Men Tensel: A meeting at the Lighthouse...

The night is falling, and the sea rages in its perpetual agony... Somewhere in the distance, a light pulsates... I almost forgot I had a meeting tonight... A meeting at The Lighthouse...

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1. Hello Olivier! It's heartwarming to have you here with us on the Balearic Breakfast blog! I wanted to discuss the Lighthouse so badly with you! I must admit that I took the time to listen back to the third track of your EP, "The Lighthouse", just after requesting it, and the guitar blew me away: hearing these «spiralling down notes» was a hypnotic experience! The whole EP is greatly mixed and beautifully mastered. Can you share with us what it takes to get to that level of sonic perfection? What gear do you use in your studio?

Thank you so much, Artur... That's a pretty high compliment! Well, I tried to do whatever was necessary to create an immersive experience for the listener, transporting him to a lighthouse in the vast open sea. Truly, my first gear was... time! I dedicated as much time as possible to guide the listener on this journey, fueled by my deep passion for lighthouses and nature.

Regarding the equipment, I tried to keep things simple: I utilized a pretty good Spanish guitar, a bass guitar, Rhodes microphones, a Zoom recorder for field recording sessions, and various analogue consoles. I also drew upon my years of experience collaborating with sound engineers and studying exceptional musical productions, such as those by Alan Parsons. I effectively worked thoroughly on the acoustic guitar's sound (which differs according to the tracks...). I searched for a different sound, not necessarily as gentle and delicate as it typically is. I wanted the guitar's sound to align with the immersive, tragic, and mysterious narrative... In short, I made the best out of what I had at hand. I'm thrilled to know that my intentions reached the listener so greatly, and it makes me wonder how You felt while listening to the EP, Artur...

You know... The first thing I saw was the advertisement you did on Instagram. I mean, not many musicians nowadays incorporate "sound effects" into music, right? Pink Floyd did that back in the day with great results, and Roger Waters too on his solo Album "The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking". When done wisely, the sounds enhance the music's message. I always did that, for instance, in my own mixes like "Swan Song" or "Shit Going Through". It's effectively all about immersion; music tells a story, and the additive sounds help anchor the whole experience, allowing the mind to create "pictures". I found myself whole in your concept; it resonated 100% with how I like to make music live.

When listening to your EP at night, of course..., I immediately "saw" the Lighthouse. I felt its walls, the cold, the unbearable and painful loneliness, time ticking away, ghostly invisible figures, and I knew a part of my Soul, Michael, went there; I felt her, and she sent me that letter, you know... Strangely enough, I also felt that "light evolution" in the third track. It wasn't as dark as the two other ones, and that's why I requested it. Knowing Colleen's appetite for great-sounding tunes, this last track had everything I felt the show was about: the Balearic touch, the strangeness and the evolutive structure, going from darkness to light. It really made me think about our Dear David Mancuso for obvious reasons... The whole "Lighthouse" experience was something I needed to share, and here we are...

2. Speaking about sound effects, and given the insane amount of work you put into the editing process (working with nature's sound and other sounds to enhance your musical message), when do you know a sound can be added to your mix? Is it a feeling, or do you have a story in mind while composing?

An insane amount of work... You're right! (laughs!) I literally put my whole life on hold for about a year to complete the first part of the project! As for the sounds, they are both a feeling (as I’m so moved and touched by every nuance, every detail of these layers of sounds, offering them to your ears) and a story: as you said perfectly, music does not tell anything explicitly by itself, and, since there are no words spoken, sounds immerse and guide you in your eerie experience. At the same time, you’re still free to imagine what you want. So, I use them to make you feel contemplative and introspective and to make you understand what happens. I design them accordingly to align with the music, as they do in concrete music, or as Damian Volpe did for the film The Lighthouse. But my tracks are also a hymn to nature, which was not the film's point.

I must add that the musical aim is central: the roaring sea plays the bass, birds and all the strange creatures play in the midrange, the high wind in the treble… I enjoy doing that! All these sounds become music, not just an atmosphere; they align with the lantern's ostinato... Nature is rough and requires much listening to be set to music and thus revealed... I really worked my soul for this experience to be Unexpected, and I was surprised by the results when I listened back to the EP: the whole movements of the tracks became independent of my own will; they speak for themselves, they are not me, it’s the Lighthouse... who is talking to you...

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3. Speaking about lighthouses, you seem passionate about them as you are part of the French SNPB! How did the whole idea come to your mind?

I’m fascinated by lighthouses. I can say I love them! They challenge nature and the people who keep them: on the high seas, they stand alone in dangerous places where nobody should be. Moreover, lighthouses are so important in the cultural domain... There are so many dramatic tales about them! This is why I am honoured to share SNPB's advocacy for preserving the cultural legacy and the future of these incredible buildings, which are now automated and completely unmanned, leading to their widespread abandonment.

You know, lighthouses are places of unique solitude, connecting with nature's elements, evoking a range of emotions including fear, tenderness, despair, and love. After experiencing a stay in a lighthouse, it's hard to view the world the same way; it alters everything, and I'm still exploring that change. I opted for an esoteric approach, a peculiar musical narrative, to convey that transformative power to the listener...

4. It's all so captivating, Olivier... Can you share your musical journey with us? Do other musicians work with you on the Lighthouse project?

I’m so glad you talk about it, Artur! (laughs!) It's an incredible journey! A journey searching for what lies behind...  I composed the first part of the music in a lighthouse in Scotland... And, in a lighthouse... You’re alone! So I don’t have any other musicians with me; I do everything by myself. I must confess that my beloved brother Guillaume, who is a musician, and a music lover, advises me at every step of the process, though. I would not have done all of this without him...

For instance, during a summer night recording session on the island of Ouessant, I was deeply focused on the organ part of the third track... And, at one point, I Found Something...

I was so excited that I called my brother at 2 a.m. to share my discovery with him. Thanks to his assistance, I regained composure and executed the piece accurately before dawn. It was the best moment to do that as I was in a good mood to build this scary but also sweet passage...

5. That's crazy; I find myself so much in what you share here, Olivier (laughs!). I also spent hours on 5 minutes of a mix because I knew I had found something tremendously perfect! Actually, you are still working on the album as we speak! As discussed earlier, the three first songs share a common “musical base” that opens up in the last track towards its end. Do you feel the rest of the album will be as worried as it's beginning, or can the clouds lift up?

Thank you once again, Artur... That’s so well said. Well, the clouds… They will disperse a bit later... The Lighthouse project aims somewhat to awaken people from a kind of numbness we can all experience sometimes… I'm open to everyone's suggestions as far as the Lighthouse story goes, even if I have my own ideas... How about the island having a beautiful cave, which would be a safe haven, for instance, or a dance floor at the top of the lighthouse... in the end? I will take everybody in... You first dear Artur!

What is certain, though, is that dawn will come... Only the constant sound of the lighthouse's lantern, an ostinato in D, and your very self will remain... deeply moved, maybe lost, for sure, by this incredible night...

Thank you so Much, Olivier...

Watch out for the Lighthouse... Artur...