Eric Mouquet,
Deep Forest official site

Add to the favourites.
Deep Projects
US French Japan Brazilia

Editorial DEEP PROJECTS
May 2008

2008-05-14

I am proud to present a new way of sharing with you, my music collaborations with artists from around the world

Deep Projects has burgeoned from the idea of creating a more direct connection between all of you and the artists. The driving principal for this adventure is the ability to share my music, emotions, and enthusiasm nearly non-stop throughout the year.

As a musician I spend the larger part of my time working in the studio composing and producing. One of the main keys of my craft comes from the musical exchanges I experience when working with other artists. I love the uncertainty of these situations, not knowing how we will proceed, but instead letting the magic of the music flow between us. Improvisation and management of the accidental notes are always inexhaustible wells of emotion we have to master.

Some of my most precious musical memories include:

A rainy Sunday afternoon and …. « Remember when it rained » (Josh Groban) just sprang up under my fingertips in less than 5 minutes. Having come out of nowhere, this song was sung masterfully by Josh.

The soft and fragile voice of Ana Torroja, which held me under its spell during our 10-month collaboration.

The white nights with Catherine Lara, during which our bursts of laughter and musical experimentation resulted in ARAL, and then ARAL 2 (Fall 2008).

And less than a month ago, the fabulous Chinese artist Sa Dingding arrived at my studio straight from Peking, and once again the music was there at the rendez-vous. You will soon discover the incredible mix of our musical universes.

And of course, Flávio Dell’Isola and Deep Brasil, with whom I start this series. I met Flávio almost by chance, through a common acquaintance. After listening to his very distinct voice, I knew we would be able to make an album together.


Deep Brasil is a trip into the center of Brazil, not the postcard Brazil. Knowing little of the country, I was fed stories by Flavio, and the songs gradually turned into an album. The first song was « Amazonia ». How could we not draw upon the Amazon and all the imagery that this region illicits? It is a symbol of the diversity of life, and also evokes images of deforestation, and of the faces of the "Indians" who have lost and continue to loss their ancient ways.
 

Will we be able to save the Amazon?

I don’t know, I hope so, but nothing seems less certain.

My children, who often come to play in the studio, were present while we recorded this song. The birds chirping and forest sounds were compelling to them. When my son asked me why there was piano with the birds chirping, I explained to him that the song was meant to express the fear of losing all the beauties of nature. He replied to me « Il faut sauver l’Amazonie », we must save the Amazon. I was so touched that I decided to record him and to keep this testimony of a 5-year old boy who is asking to save the Amazon. His little sister, also present, repeats what her big brother says, the birds (les oiseaux … pipit), the frogs (les grenouilles … nounouilles) etc… That day my two children gave me a magnificent moment of emotion which I hope you’ll be able to feel when listening to this song.

Other songs came afterwards : « Minas Nascimento », a tribute to Milton Nascimento whom I admire so much. « Ceu do Brasil », a song that describes the beauty of the star-lit sky over Brazil …

Deep Brasil totals 14 tracks and will be available in June.

If the idea of participating more directly in my music and musical encounters is appealing to you, I invite you to subscribe to Deep Projects.

Each month you will receive music with information, pictures and interviews that will allow you to take part in some of the things that we artists experience during the music making process during our daily lives.

Eric Mouquet