Exclusive Interview: Yann Tiersen on the Making of His New Album, 'Kerber', the Relationship Between Ecosystem and Creative Output, and his Forthcoming Live Show Experience
The follow-up to 2019’s Portrait – a collection of 25 newly recorded tracks from throughout his career – Kerber is very much a new chapter in Yann Tiersen’s work, one that begins with his most overtly electronic material to date. True to Tiersen’s nuanced and subtle approach, this isn’t a U-turn-like thumping piece of dance music but instead a beautifully textured, highly immersive, and thoughtfully constructed electronic world to step inside of.
Ahead of the album’s release on August 27th via Mute, Yann delves into the making of ‘Kerber’, the origins of its title, its artwork, the writing and recording process, and more in an exclusive interview that we are elated to share with you today. Looking at past, present, and future, the Breton artist reflects upon the connection between this and previous recordings, his surrounding environment – “…to feel the elements and to be indulgent to earth and not lust in other things…it’s my way of life, of living” – and to our utmost excitement, plans for his forthcoming live show experience.
Kerber was recorded at The Eskal, the studio Tiersen built on the island of Ushant where he lives, located 30 kilometres off the West coast of Brittany in the Celtic Sea. Each track sonically maps the landscape that surrounds Tiersen’s home, with the album title taking its name from a chapel in a small village on the island.
On the eve of album release day, Yann Tiersen will be streaming a unique performance film from Ushant, where he’ll take viewers on a social and visual journey across the island. Inspired by isolated island life, expect an immersive audio-visual experience told through scenic imagery and Tiersen’s music. Combining stunning cinematography with Tiersen’s vast, electronic-tinged soundscapes, the film – directed by Kit Monteith – will capture the moods and themes of Kerber alongside selections from his back catalogue using both contemporary and classical instruments and equipment.
Yann Tiersen: Kerber – The Film will stream exclusively on LIVENow from 7 pm (BST) on August 26th, 2021 – tickets are available here. Later this year a worldwide tour will begin in North America with shows in Europe confirmed for 2022.
Follow Yann Tiersen here: WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | TWITTER
Next In Next In
⇥ Orlando Weeks Announces Release of New Album ‘Hop Up’