EMQ’s With HYPNAGONE

EMQ’s With HYPNAGONE

Hi everyone! Welcome to another EMQs interview with French Progressive Modern Metal band, Hypnagone. huge thanks to their guitarist, Yann Roy, for taking part. 

What is your name, what do you play and can you tell us a little bit about the history of the band?

Well my name is Yann ROY and I’m the guitarist of HYPNAGONE, which I believe we can call “prog, modern metal” if it makes any sense, even if I’d rather call it a “metal band”. Whatever, everyone will consider the style of the band by his own references. Concerning its history, the band is simply the gathering of best friends that met at Nancy’s M.A.I in 2017, that shared the same musical tastes and wishes and just worked to realize them with the band and ‘’Qu’il Passe’’.

How did you come up with your band name?

Our bass player Antoine, the founding member of Hypnagone, found the name. Contrary to what some may think, “Hypnagone” does not refer to any geometric figure or stuff like that, nor any eccentric ideas, but to “hypnagogia”.

What Country / Region are you from and what is the Metal / Rock scene like there?

We are from the east of France, Nancy. The local scene is really vivacious, we have lots of great places to play (l’Autre canal, la Laiterie, Chez Paulette etc.), and awesome bands like Death Whore (Antoine is, by the way, their bassist), Bridge of Souls, Berlin Heart, Disregard us, etc.

What is your latest release? 

Our first album “Qu’il Passe”. We are really proud to finally release this first work and we can’t wait to have the first impressions on it!

Who have been your greatest influences?

Metallica, Periphery, “Ocean Machine” of Devin Townsend and Strapping Young Lad’s “ “Melana Chesmata” by Triptykon, Vangelis and his work for Blade Runner, “Endtroducing” of DJ Shadow, and last but not least Vertikal of Cult of Luna. Here are the most fundamentals influences of Hypnagone.

What first got you into music?

It was Metallica’s ‘’Français Pour Une Nuit’’. The location, the songs, the playing, everything was gathered to make a huge impression, and sure enough I was hooked. The DVD is still in my bookshelf to this day and I watch it from time to time, it never misses to make an impact.

If you could collaborate with a current band or musician who would it be?

In my concern it would be Hangman’s chair, and I already know Antoine would tell you Cult of Luna or Brutus ; Jackou would say Periphery, and Adri would say that he doesn’t care ahah. But what is sure is that the entire band would have a guest solo of Tim Cappello!

If you could play any festival in the world, which would you choose and why?

It would obviously be “Festival de Nimes”, which takes place in the ancient arenas of Nimes, precisely where Metallica did their “Français Pour Une Nuit”. Who wouldn’t dream to play in such a place? Playing under the watch of Maximus Decimus … pretty tempting!

What’s the weirdest gift you have ever received from a fan?

I’ll tell you when I’ll receive one ahah.

If you had one message for your fans, what would it be?

A huge thanks, because the reactions and overall feedbacks are very positives for a debut album and a new band, we have more listenings than I could have expected, and we can already see that some people are really following us, which is not only surprising, but truly incredible ! So, thanks to all, because without you, we couldn’t be anything.

If you could bring one rock star back from the dead, who would it be?

Peter Steele, without a doubt. He was such a great musician, such a wonderful singer (here I am thinking about the song ‘Wolf Moon’) … I regret we have so few albums and songs of Type O …

What do you enjoy the most about being a musician? And what do you hate?

Actually, I think I hate more things than I enjoy to be honest. I could try to be “attractive” and “nice” and lie, but I prefer to be honest (even if I understand why some have to and don’t blame them for it). The most important and enjoyable part, for me, is the writing and rehearsing process. When your songs, your own feelings become alive and acquire their own flesh so to speak. The shows are different, and usually you’re dependant on conditions that you have no control over, which can be very, very frustrating. But sometimes when everything goes right, when the crowd are with you and all the right circumstances are gathered, then some shows are really unforgettable. But still, it is a very frustrating side of music … There’s no need to explain why music and furthermore metal have changed and is, for me, not so attractive anymore, and moreover it would not be useful. The only thing I can say is that, no matter what is uncomfortable in music, we couldn’t stop. It’s a too important part of us, so we do what we have to.

If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be?

Because I would change everything, let’s say nothing.

Name one of your all-time favourite albums?

I have many, but right now I’m thinking of “Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia”, by Dimmu Borgir. I love almost all of Dimmu’s work, but this one is very unique to me.

What’s best? Vinyl, Cassettes, CDs or Downloads?

CDs, because I drive a lot and this is the support available in my GOLF ahah.

What’s the best gig that you have played to date?

It wasn’t with Hypnagone, because our first gigs have not happened yet. But otherwise, it was when I was still in Dust In Mind, when we opened for Hypocrisy and Soilwork in Köln.

If you weren’t a musician, what else would you be doing?

What I’m currently doing in the same time: philosophy. Besides Hypnagone, Antoine and I are ending our philosophy studies, so I would be teacher or researcher.

Which five people would you invite to a dinner party?

Rick O’Connell, Hank Moody, Rick Bugenhagen, Guts and Peter Steele. Would be great for sure, wouldn’t it?

What’s next for the band?

A. We are getting ready for the first shows! We can’t wait to make our songs alive on stage and to share them with the audience and fans. I’m very curious to see how it will sound. Besides, we are already working on the next songs to come.

What Social Media / Website links do you use to get your music out to people? 

Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/HYPNAGONE
Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/hypnagone/
Bandcamp : https://hypnagone.bandcamp.com/

Overall, here’s a link to condense all the others : https://orcd.co/hypnagone-quil-passe

Time for a very British question now. As an alternative to the humble sandwich, is the correct name for a round piece of bread common in the UK either a Bap, a Barm (or Barm Cake), a Batch, a Bun, a Cob, a Muffin, a Roll or a Tea Cake?

I would say … a Batch? I don’t know, but thanks to you there’s one thing more to eat and discover before I die!

Thank you for your time. Is there anything else that you would like to add?

First of all, let me thank you for your questions: I’m really happy to have had the chance to speak not only about my project Hypnagone, but about music we all love and share, so thank you for this opportunity! Otherwise, I just want to thank everyone, because so far the overall feedback is tremendous, which is pretty surprising insofar we are playing a very particular type of music. I would have expected more negative reactions, and even the critical feedbacks were very relevant to me; thereby, let me be the spokesman of the band and thank every person which did or will listen to our work!

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