EMQs With Oïkoumen
EMQs With Oïkoumen
Hi everyone! Welcome to another EMQs interview, this time with French Symphonic Metallers Oïkoumen. Huge thanks to their Vocalist, Laura Mazard, 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?
In Oïkoumen, Elie is the composer and guitarist, Yael is the bassist and sound designer, and I am the vocalist and lyricist.
The project was formed between 2017 and 2019 with an intention it has completely moved away from since. It was originally meant to be a video/acoustic project. But we quickly returned to amplified music and Metal. Elie had already been involved in similar projects before (more Hard Rock–oriented), and I had no musical background at all, but I had always wanted to sing. So when Elie said he was missing having a musical project, I suggested forming a band. Since I sing clean vocals and was, at the time, deeply inspired by Tarja Turunen, we naturally gravitated toward Symphonic Metal.
Later, Yael crossed our path and brought in a more progressive universe, which, combined with Elie’s compositional tastes, pushed the project toward a new direction: Orchestral Progressive Metal.
How did you come up with your band name?
For the band name, I wanted something that could encompass all the themes we might explore. Since this was a deeply personal project, Oïkoumen felt ideal. The name comes from a variation of the Greek word Oikoumene, meaning “the known world.” By extension, it allows us to embrace subjects related to the world we know : human emotions and questions intrinsic to our species.
What Country / Region are you from and what is the Metal / Rock scene like there?
We come from the Paris region in France. The country isn’t particularly oriented toward our style of Metal, but there is a strong extreme Metal scene. Melodic Metal does have an audience, though it’s much smaller. As for Paris, we’re actually quite lucky compared to other regions in France.
What is your latest release? (Album, EP, Single, Video)
Our latest release is the first single in a series of three announcing our next album, which will be released on April 17th this year. We released Reign of Idiocy on January 23rd and have just announced Self-Service for February 20th. You’ll have to wait a little longer for the third single!
Who have been your greatest influences?
As a band, if we focus on the Metal scene, Nightwish is our biggest influence: their universe-building, their use of orchestras, their ambition, their career. Composition-wise, however, we draw even more inspiration from orchestral composers like Sarasate, Chausson, Debussy, and Holst.
Individually, we all have our own inspirations: I’m a huge fan of Tarja, but also of classical voices like Elīna Garanča and Cecilia Bartoli, and I deeply admire Tatiana Shmayluk’s stage presence. Elie is heavily inspired by George Lynch, Yngwie Malmsteen, and 80s guitar playing, but also by more modern riff-driven bands like Trivium and Meshuggah. Yael is strongly influenced by bassists such as Les Claypool, Alex Weber (Exist), Evan Marien, and Dominic “Forest” Lapointe, as well as artists like The Residents, Archspire, Melt-Banana, and Frank Zappa in general.
What first got you into music?
As far as I’m concerned, it was Oïkoumen itself that brought me into making music. Before that, I was a music lover but not a musician. For Elie, music has been part of his life since childhood: his first real shock came from AC/DC and blues music. As for composition, it’s driven by the desire to create something truly his own.
Yael started music with piano at the age of six because his mother heard him whistling all day long. At fifteen, he got into sound design because he loved IDM and Breakcore. He then picked up the bass after college during a period of deep depression. It was the only thing that made him feel better.
If you could collaborate with a current band or musician who would it be?
Nightwish, of course! On paper, we can dream big without blinking. We’d also love to collaborate with Delilah Bon, as we’ve always dreamed of working with a Rap vocalist and she can also Rock and scream, which makes it even more exciting. And beyond that, collaborating with a real orchestra would be amazing.
If you could play any festival in the world, which would you choose and why?
Metal Earth in Brest, because we really appreciate their commitment and Wacken… because why not dream big?
What’s the weirdest gift you have ever received from a fan?
The feedback we receive after shows and new releases. When we feel that the music truly resonates with someone and brings them something emotionally: that’s priceless.
If you had one message for your fans, what would it be?
Thank you for being there and for sharing your energy with us. Without it, we couldn’t move forward.
If you could bring one rock star back from the dead, who would it be?
Freddie Mercury. Because he’s a legend.
What do you enjoy the most about being a musician? And what do you hate?
Personally, I love creating and shaping our projects (thinking about the next album’s concept, defining its artistic direction and themes). What I hate is technical practice: I work so much that when I finally sit down to practice, I’m often exhausted, my voice is tired, and I don’t like what I’m doing.
Yael, on the other hand, loves working on his bass lines until they fully reflect who he is, both technically and emotionally. What he dislikes the most is recording in a studio. He prefers working at home, because he’s a perfectionist and can record the same parts, even the same bars, over and over until it feels right… sometimes only to throw everything away and start again. But the results are worth it.
Elie prefers playing live, that’s where he truly feels at home and energized. But he hates handling the technical management side of shows, since everything falls on his shoulders and it adds a lot of stress during concerts.
If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be?
I’d like to see music valued again as an art form rather than just a consumer product. And for the industry to be more open to smaller artists. Today, you’re expected to already be “professional” to enter the industry, but not everyone has the means to get there alone.
Name one of your all-time favourite albums?
Elie chose “Oceanborn” by Nightwish. I’d go with the complete soundtracks of Miyazaki films (though I could just as easily say Disney or Zelda soundtracks). Yael chose “Nothing” by Louis Cole, though that changes all the time, as he rarely listens to the same album from start to finish more than a few times in a row.
What’s best? Vinyl, Cassettes, CDs or Downloads?
We all answered the same: streaming. It’s the least restrictive: you pay and you can listen. We’re not particularly attached to physical formats (a T-shirt, yes! But music itself isn’t physical, so owning an object just to listen isn’t very intuitive to us).
What’s the best gig that you have played to date?
Elie has great memories of a show at Le Klub, a key underground venue in Paris, where we invited two friendly bands. The whole night felt cohesive and the atmosphere was on fire.
Personally, I’ll always remember our show at La Buvette TchouTchou Charbon in Paris. It was in the middle of July, with strong support from the local symphonic fans and even families passing by with their kids. The atmosphere was joyful and warm.
Yael, ever the philosopher, says the best show is always the next one.
If you weren’t a musician, what else would you be doing?
Elie would be working as an Audiovisual Director, as he did before committing fully to music. I’d probably invest myself completely in my career as a guide and spend all my money on traveling. And Yael… he would just be… Sad.
Which five people would you invite to a dinner party?
A producer, a manager, a booker, a PR agent, and a drummer. And by the end of the evening, we’d sign everything.
What’s next for the band?
We’re preparing the release of our next album on April 17th this year. In the meantime, we’re releasing teasers in the form of singles and videos in January, February, and March to introduce our new universe. We’re also preparing upcoming shows, including our release party in Paris on April 19th, and other dates we’re excited to focus on more deeply. We’re working on an orchestral version of the album, new stage costumes and lots of new merch!
What Social Media / Website links do you use to get your music out to people?
https://linktr.ee/
Website: https://www.oikoumen.fr/
YouTube: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=P6hFxIJNZtI&t=2109s
Bandcamp: https://oikoumen.bandcamp.com/album/dystopia-album
Bigcartel (pour les versions physiques): https://oikoumenstore.bigcartel.com/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/5buGZ3KMWgzP5VmF6vSriC
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oikoumen/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Oikoumen
There’s a long-standing food-based debate here in the UK. And we’d like your help. So… A Jaffa cake – is it a cake or a biscuit? Discuss!
That’s a very good question! And let me tell you, it’s definitely a cake. In France, we don’t consider sponge cake (génoise) a biscuit.
Thank you for your time. Is there anything else that you would like to add?
Thank you for your time =)
Disclaimer: This interview is solely the property of Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this interview, unless you have the strict permission of said party. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.
