Over more than a decade, Hermetic Delight has undergone various musical transformations, exploring different identities and styles. Their post-punk signature sound has been enriched with pop influences and avant-garde intentions throughout the release of their three EPs and one album.
The band, hailing from Strasbourg, now returns with their latest single ‘Lust For Life’, showcasing a fresh approach to their music-making process and aesthetics. It is the first song that the entire band has written collaboratively, from start to finish.
Can you tell us about the creative process behind your latest single, ‘Lust For Life’?
A : I think it’s the first time the three of us have written together in this way. At the same time, the context was different; we were under curfew during the pandemic and had just come out of two successive confinements. So we regrouped a bit to be able to continue working, and that put us in working conditions that were as intense as they were liberating.
What inspired the 80s aesthetic of the music video for ‘Lust For Life’?
A: We asked Laurens Saint-Gaudens to direct our video and Aurélien Dessez (Melodrama) was the producer. Both defend an ostentatiously oriented aesthetic, paroxysms, great feelings. Here, Laurens was inspired by Italian TV productions from the 70s and 80s, and by Kate Bush, who herself was inspired by German Expressionism. It was an unforgettable experience with a wonderful team. We loved making films because that’s what it was all about.
D: The example of the mime Lindsay Kemp had been discussed beforehand, so we knew that our bodies would be acting, each in their own way because we were free to interpret.
How did the collaborative songwriting process for this track differ from your previous work?
A : We usually work on several projects at the same time so that everyone can progress independently, but in the end we can spend a year or two on each track. That wasn’t the case here, as the writing of this track was short, collective and intensive in a semi-imposed closed-door setting.
D: The 3 of us wrote the lyrics in one weekend flat.
‘Lust For Life’ explores themes of rebirth and awareness. Can you elaborate on the song’s message?
D: I feel that we live in a world where we compare ourselves to others with the aim of standardising ourselves. This song is more about drawing strength from our differences, it’s necessary for self-esteem and the confidence that comes with it.
A : This song describes the feeling you get when you realise that you’ve forgotten yourself in the equation and that a lot of time has passed. It’s that sort of shockwave that goes through you and urges you to stop everything, to jump off the train on the way, not to try and make up for what’s lost but to save what is today and find yourself. In Lust For Life, it’s the love of one person that saves another and brings them back to another reality, slower, livelier, purer.
How has your music evolved since your critically acclaimed debut album, ‘F.A. Cult’?
D: Tied up and Inci are two tracks also released in 2023. We like the immersive experience, getting closer to the idea of total art that appeals to all the senses.
A: F.A. Cult was our first album in ten years, so I think we could feel the urge to show off the full range of our music. But our recent tracks are more pared down, more a testimony to a fringe rather than a repository of the whole. It’s also the single aspect that makes it so. The tracks can be linked together, but that’s not the intention, as it was on the album. The result is something very enriching for us, revealing, new and above all inspiring for the future.
What role does experimentation play in shaping your unique avant-pop sound?
D: The guitars and bass have a fairly precise approach to their own sound, and there’s meticulous work done on the effects pedals, both in the studio and on stage. Live, our sound is less intimate, more straightforward, even massive, where the arrangements are quite extensive and convey a more cinematic universe when the tracks are recorded in the studio.
A : It’s not an experimentation that happens by chance, but rather the hunt for an idea that’s already in our minds and that we have to capture, like a dream after waking up. A rather candid quest at the outset. The means at our disposal are rudimentary compared to what goes on in the imagination, I mean, what do we have, guitars, a keyboard, vocals, drums? It’s relatively ‘poor’ in terms of fidelity of reproduction but that’s precisely what’s interesting!
Could you share some insights into your upcoming series of singles and their themes?
A : Lust For Life is the last single of this year, but one thing’s for sure: there’ll be another one. Maybe several? We’re thinking of going back to a longer format.
Ankara Punk will be the next single – there will be something intimate, light and spontaneous about it.
How has your diverse backgrounds, from jazz to noise-pop, influenced your music as a band?
D: We don’t put it into words, it’s a natural process. But we do have post-punk as a common influence, and you can feel that in the incisive, implacable side that characterises us.
A : Not only are our backgrounds diverse, but they’re different for each of us. Zeynep started out with grunge, punk, then lyricism and jazz. Delphine was a goth when I met her. And I was in transition from techno to rock. What brought us together when we met was a kind of alignment of stars where everyone loved The Cure whatever their background.
Can you discuss the significance of participating in The Great Escape Festival in Brighton in 2023?
A : We were scheduled to perform at The Alternate Escape this year but for unfortunate health reasons we had to decline. All the staff were very understanding and are expecting us in May 2024. We’re obviously planning to keep the date.
D: French programmers are reluctant to let us play because our music doesn’t fit into a specific style. We were on tour this summer and the British public warmed our hearts (Glasgow/ Manchester/ Leeds/ Bristol/ London).
What do you hope listeners take away from ‘Lust For Life’ and its accompanying music video?
A: I think this track is an alignment of stars between us, the people in the band, but also with the splendid director Laurens Saint Gaudens, who has enabled this track to become one of our classics over time. Just like the clip, shot on film, which makes this video an instant classic too.
D: Never forget that you are unique and exceptional!
Qu’espérez-vous que les auditeurs retiennent de “Lust For Life” et du clip qui l’accompagne ?
D : N’oubliez jamais que vous êtes unique et exceptionnel.le !
A : Je crois que ce titre est un alignement d’étoiles entre nous, personnes du groupe, mais aussi avec la splendide réalisatrice Laurens Saint Gaudens permet à ce titre de devenir un de nos classiques avec le temps. À l’image du clip, tourné à la pellicule, qui rend cette vidéo instantanément classique, elle aussi.