5 Questions For: Meule

Comprising Valentin Pedler, Dorris Biayenda, and Léo Kapes, France’s Meule brings a unique configuration to the stage: a phalanx of modular synths, dual drum kits harmonizing around a singular kick-drum, and a guitar that acts as a conduit for their sprawling sonic landscapes. On April 3rd, these landscapes will take the stage at Control Club for the 2024 Europavox Festival.

Meule’s debut, a self-titled album released in 2021, alongside a series of compelling EPs, including the notable Beau Red in June 2023, unfolds a dichotomous and harmonious soundscape. Their music, an intricate tapestry of hypnotic grooves and saturated melodies, draws from the wellspring of 70s krautrock and electronic pioneers like CAN, Kraftwerk, and Tangerine Dream while simultaneously engaging in a dialogue with contemporary acts like Animal Collective. This synthesis results in a kaleidoscopic auditory experience rooted in tradition and fiercely modern. Before hitting the Europavox Festival, we caught up with Meule to ask them the latest in our 5 Questions For…

What is your favourite thing about your home country?

There are lots of things we love about France, but perhaps one of the things that makes us stand out from the crowd is our ability to go our own way and express our disagreement—perhaps too much so at times.

If your band was a piece of visual art, who would be the artist behind it?

We like the abyssal vertigo of Maurits Cornelis Escher’s work. Our music is like an off-axis labyrinth where you get lost.

What is your most unusual source of creativity?

Boredom in front of a theatre show that’s far too long or a concert that takes us into a mental trance. Or insomnia on a late-night train journey.

Have you been to Romania before?

This is going to be a big first for us in Romania. We can’t wait to see how our music is perceived by this new audience. We hope that the energy of our music will be well transmitted and that it will enable us to return at a later date over a longer period!

What does the Europavox stage mean to you?

The Europavox is a great opportunity for us, as it allows us to take our music outside France and see how it resonates throughout Europe. It also allows us to meet other bands, and we love being surprised on our travels by all the foreign bands that inspire us. We hope that our music will be well received and enable us to travel again and again to meet all these cultures!