Projet Marina Interview

Projet Marina – Loin Des Dons Célestes

Projet Marina are an experimental electronic post-punk band from France. On September 9th of this year they released their 2nd full length album, Loin Des Dons Célestes. The record was released by New Sinister and is superb from start to finish.

The artwork was done by artist Matteo Bosi Arte. It contains saxophone work by Xavier Thibaud of SubuteX, violins and vocals by Blaine L. Reininger of Tuxedomoon, expert mixing by JF Le Coq and mastered by, Wellencocktail – Tonstudio & Musikproduktion.

Willy and Lilian took the time to answer some of our questions about the record, their writing, and how the group came together. Check it out:

Would you please give your name and what instruments you play in Project Marina?

Willy: Willy aka Ailhenn, I do the production, drum machine, synth, vocals and some vocal parts.
Lilian: I write lyrics and guitar parts. I’m taking part in the musical arrangements.

How did Project Marina start?

Willy: We played together in a 4-person post-rock band and we wanted to experiment more with sound, which had to be done in duo. Personally, I took control of the composition at that time
Lilian: We found each other around common musical influences and around the sense we wanted to give to our music.

What do you love most about being in a musical group?

Willy: The moments of wild concerts in small bars and pubs remain the best moments of the group in my opinion.
Lilian: I agree, I also have a great souvenir of a gig we did in a blockhaus in Nantes.

Who are your biggest influences on Loin Des Dons Célestes?

Willy: For this album, I think Talking Head, Liquid Liquid, Lizzie Mercier Descloux are big influences. Overall, the band I listen to the most is Coil but I’m not sure that really fits on this album. For the direct influences that we sound like … I would say Mansfield Tya maybe … It’s always hard to look back on your music!

Could you briefly describe the Project Marina music-making process?

Willy: I work most of the time on musical sketches alone in my cellar with my synths connected by MIDI to an electribe. Then I send the songs to Lilian who is thinking about guitar parts. We rework the pieces in rehearsal and we modify our contributions at these times. We record versions and then rework them in post-production with over-dubs or by replacing parts …

Some pieces give birth on their own (Histoire du coté ouest was written in one night and we just added the violin and the voice of Blaine Reininger) other pieces require a lot of back and forth (Ventre à Terre has nothing to do with with the first versions)

Lilian: For this Lp, we began with four or fives texts I had written. We decided to keep the same theme and Willy had many musical ideas.

What are your lyrics about?

Lilian: The lyrics are about the collapse, about the difficulties for the occident to face the environmental crisis. So it talks about the climate, the migrants that Europe has difficulties to welcome, the fear of a big black out…

Projet Marina – 14 h 46

Sous la lune et son halo,
on entend des chevaux le galop,
les roseaux dans le vent,
le reflux de l’océan.

Luxe, calme et volupté:
vapeurs, une tasse de thé
le démon qui s’annonce:
la violence et la rage

14 h 46
la furie dévastatrice
les augures du poisson chat:
une ville sort de l’anonymat

14 h 46
la furie dévastatrice
vapeurs, réacteur 3:
un thé à Fukushima

What is the best song you’ve written thus far and why?

Willy: The best song is being mixed now, I’m always projecting myself into new compositions and I’m having a hard time listening to my work again. I enjoy playing the songs live especially.
Lilian: On this album, I particularly like Ecce homo. I like how it sounds now and also the way we created it: this track was easy to compose and sounded as something evident. I like the talk over. The title is an oblique reference to Serge Gainsbourg. Ecce homo is a kind of synthesis of the whole album.

How has your music evolved since you first began playing music together?

Willy: A lot I think and she continues to evolve with turns of style. This album is more post-punk whereas we started out with more atmospheric music. The previous album had a more techno accent. There is no clear guideline at Projet Marina, it is important to us.

How did you get involved with New Sinister records and Mary McIntyre?

Willy: Mary was one of the first to follow us. I still remember when I had to send our first EP we released in Northern Ireland, I was very proud! We contacted her afterwards and she was very attentive and very patient!

Lilian: Mary’s opinion is very important to us. We are very thankful for her support and for leading this project of vinyle Lp to its end.

What inspires each of you?

Willy: The music itself mainly. The one I’m listening to. I feel like a receiver of the ideas of time. There is a common evolution of productions, a sort of collective unconscious of which I feel myself part. It’s a reaction to what you are going through, what is around you. A way to resist, to get out of your anxieties.
Lilian: Yes Music is a way to get better. And writing around this theme of collapse was a way to express fear and anger. Live shows are also a good way to inspire us : xhen you hear a special sound and you want to try it or try something new and live shows have been too rare during this pandemic times!

How is the music scene in France?

Willy: The music scene is very disparate and fragmented like everywhere else. I have small-scene and micro-fashion style that doesn’t last … Nothing makes a common culture except commercial auto-tuned rap. Yet there is a very creative scene and exciting projects. Overall the music is bursting with communication, the constant search for the next big buzz.

Who are some of your favorite bands to listen to?

Willy: Lately always Coil! 😉 Puce Mary in a very dark register … Yann Tiersen always too. Denez Prigent. I listen to a lot of Celtic music at the moment.
Lilian: I’m currently listening to many various kinds of music.: Ghanen highlife music, or juju music as Sunny Ade. I frequently go back to Leonard Cohen or Serge Gainsbourg. I interchange with Talking Heads or Ian Dury.

What are your plans for the future?

With the Covid we had stopped playing for concerts, so we’re going to rework a set and book small dates in the bar. We are in the process of mixing an album much darker than the previous one, six tracks on the Loire in an experimental register. We let ourselves be carried away by our desires!

Project Marina can also be found here: