Please tell us about the history of your band and its members.
I'm Gaetan Juif from to Strasbourg (France) and I'm based in Paris for 8 years now. I founder of this one man band started in 2017 with the first release "Les Années Décapitées". While being active in several bands in parallel, I started this project because I needed a more personal interraction between my music and my emotions. I whished for a french word (since that’s the langage the lyrics are written in) that would convey my approach to music as a listener, as well as the way I use it to express my feelings. In french, the word « Baume » can be interpreted in multiple way. It can mean «a substance that heals and soften the pain», or figuratively, it can be understood as «Dispels the sorrow and the worries» (Voltaire, Lett. Vers, 42)
These meanings matched perfectly my relation with music perfectly, making «BAUME» the obvious name for this solo project.
How would you describe your style? Which bands influenced your music?
I think my music is mainly the result of various influences that mixed together, and with which I worked inconsciously. I try above all to use this medium, which became a necessary mode of expression for me, to try and create a dialogue in the face of my feelings about the world. That may be through the textures of the tracks, their format, the lyrics, ...There is very broard influences, even though they generally revolve around extreme metal, like atmospheric black metal, post-black, post-hardcore, and as an opposite, some trends of rap and electronic music. I don't know an similar band of mine but I can tell you some band important for me for various genre woh the maybe an source of inspiration : Yelloweyes, fell voices, weakling,the psyckeproject, this will destroy you, trentmoller …
Why should a metalhead buy your demos/albums?
Beyond buying, I hope propose an emotional music and a view who try constantly to beyond his limits by the way of news influences, news partnership etc
What have you released so far and how were your releases received by the public/media?
Actually, in parrelle outhings with my others bands,I have composed 3 albums for BAUME.
I have received lot of great feedback, lot of reviews and for example, now alls releases of the first album « Les Années Décapitées » are sold out. I have also some proposal for any news partnership and i'ts really rewarding and interesting. For the last album, I just start the promote but I have already received lot of good feedback and lot of reviews and interview are planned.
Do you play live as well? How's your live activity so far?
Right now BAUME is a studio project which is not meant to be played live, however I’m part of
other projects such as BASILIQUE or RANCE with whom I regularly play live. It’s a really important time of sharing in the life of a band, and we highly enjoy ourselves in those moments since we can have this instinctive way of playing our music we strive for.
Otherwise for BAUME, the idea of presenting my texts during performance or in the form of recitation of live poem is under study.
What should labels/zines/promoters know about your band? Why should they be interested in it?
This project is in constant evolution and lot of partnership coming soon. I hope in the future to start to make a live. I think it's will be a interesting exercice for the interpretation of my music
What plans do you have for the near future as a band?
For 2020, the main priority is releasing BAUME’s EP, « Un calme entre les tempêtes ». On this EP, I wish to mark a break with previous albums by picking more daringly in some of my influences, like Rap and Coldwave, I’m eager to get feebacks ! In parallel, there is another release coming up this year, with new collaborations and new participants.
Regarding my other musical projects, new BASILIQUE and RANCE releases are planned, and resuming work with CEPHEIDE is being discussed.
Music aside, I just finished my 2nd book of poetry and I hope to have it published during this year, but the main non-musical project this year is the creation of a contemporary arts journal, with the participation of about a dozen artists per issue, of which we’re finalizing the first one.
This project started in collaboration with Guillaume Galaup, founder of BLURRTHROWER, who’s also collaborating in BASILIQUE, the graphic chart was layed up by Lila Briand, who plays bass in RANCE. Everybody, participant like founders are really eager for this first issue to be released !
Where can we listen to your band and where can we buy your stuff?
You can listen and buy my stuff on my bandcamp, just here: https://baumeband.bandcamp.com
April 2020