My loves, all the time such a pleasure to put in writing to you, to have this house and alternative to specific myself freely at any time when the time is true. There was a time, I keep in mind, once I was about 17 or 18 once I was writing articles on right here on a regular basis and generally I scroll again at my archives and look again at that interval of my life. It feels so way back and on the similar time, fairly shut. The start, the eagerness to be heard, the willingness to turn out to be somebody, to do one thing, to flee routine and odd life… I used to be craving journey, craving the chance to unlock a life I by no means thought I’d sooner or later have entry to. Web grew to become a window into one other world, and a chance to construct a brand new life. In that sense, I’ve been experiencing the mysterious bliss of virtuality for a few years now… I need to hold this text lighter than the final one the place I expressed myself on a number of issues that had been tough, and intensely painful all through this expertise. I need to focus on this submit, on the wonder and studying that got here together with it.

My relationship with know-how started at a really younger age, with my dad who labored primarily with computer systems, so I used to be all the time very delicate to the tech world. I all the time had a deep fascination for it, and located in some ways my confort in it. Rising up as an solely youngster, and being an introvert, video video games actually grew to become my playground. As a substitute of going out with different kinds and enjoying within the park, I might sit and play video video games for hours with out ever taking a break. I used to be completely hooked on what they made me really feel, the adrenaline, the problem, the frenzy. It felt like actuality couldn’t make me really feel such intense issues in such a brief period of time. Confronting different youngsters within the “actual world” has all the time been very tough too, I used to be all the time too delicate relating to what others had been pondering of me and every little thing for some cause simply felt awkward. Whereas within the digital world, you can select to be anybody you need, create your individual avatar, construct a wholly new life, new group of digital associates… It in some way felt a lot simpler to put on a masks.

Finally that’s additionally what occurred with the weblog in a manner as I can now make a transparent parallel between these two tales. I all the time had an odd method to seing myself in photos. As I advised you, there was a time once I was posting articles each single day, a mess of images of myself in several conditions and locations… What might really feel like absolute and full narcism felt to me just like the creation of a personality. I feel I loved it as a result of once I was wanting again on the photos, it didn’t even really feel prefer it was actually me however as a substitute a curated model of what I ultimately wished to be. I used to be by no means totally snug with my darkish aspect, with my profound melancholy or introversion. To me there was no good in that. I had fairly a stereotypical concept of the type of character it’s essential to have so as to achieve success in life, or at the least to ensure that different individuals to love you… And it primarily advanced round fixed optimism and absolute positivity. One thing I don’t essentially agree with anymore as my imaginative and prescient is extra tinted now. I discover a lot magnificence and purity in multi-faced personalities which have a little bit of every little thing and that embrace all of the vast scope of their internal colours and feelings… Accepting each single aspect of who they’re with out ever falling into social requirements or norms however as a substitute, making their very own guidelines. I’ve been making an attempt thus to embrace a extra full model of myself. What I used to be scared to be or present earlier than, I now put on proudly as a energy. To me, there’s something fairly fantastic within the concept of inspiring individuals with one thing darkish. Making individuals proud of one thing unhappy. If something, I want for it to be my objective. Encourage others to not be afraid of this aspect of themselves, a aspect all of us have in us. However as a substitute to put on it proudly, put on our fears and vulnerabilities as manifestations of our human pressure.

The boundaries between actuality and virtuality are undoubtedly changing into blur and I all the time felt that by way of my work, I used to be changing into considerably of a digital determine. My concept of actuality and what’s actuality was corrupted ultimately. The concept I even had of myself was digital. Now, wanting again at it. I actually assume that in a manner, I created a digital character, an avatar that mirrored an excellent that appeared applicable at the moment in my life. I might examine this to the precise CGI influencers that are actually “current” nearly on social media, precise digital ladies like Lil Miquela or Noonoori who’ve simply as many followers as actual, human style makers. To me, this concept is totally unbelievable. The truth that they are often something and anybody is fascinating. As a human being, in fact you’ll be able to select to be whoever you’d prefer to be however let’s face it, there’s a sure pure predetermination. You might be born right into a sure household, in a sure nation, you might be uncovered to a selected schooling and so on… Additionally in fact there’s the bodily predetermination. We will’t totally select or completely management what we appear like… However a digital character might be anybody and something it’s creator decides. These days, manufacturers are increasingly desirous to work with digital influencers as they’re much extra “impartial” than human beings that include a previous, current and future. As a substitute these digital beings can adapt precisely to every model and be anchored within the infinite current. Their existence being simply as adaptative as it may possibly get.

All of this in fact triggered a number of pondering on the subject of music. I knew that I wished my subsequent music to speak about virtuality and this relationship we’ve with our personal illusions. So long as it makes you are feeling one thing, do we actually care if it’s actual or not? If virtuality can set off the identical emotional depth as actuality, then how can we distinguish the 2? And particularly, what if virtuality can truly make us really feel issues extra intensely than actuality, concentrating on precisely our wants and delivering precisely what we’re in search of?  I’m fascinated by VR and the improvements we’ve been making within the discipline. It jogs my memory of the video video games I used to play as a baby, when it was so intense and immersive that you just overlook what’s truly round you… I’d play a lot that I’d truly even dream of it at evening. You guys ought to completely watch this episode of Black Mirror, it’s fascinating to me how know-how can analyze our reactions and emotions to ship precisely what we want, giving us every a customized expertise. It’s additionally fairly intriguing in a manner as life itself, has such a random issue, you by no means actually know what you’re gonna get, however with know-how there’s a assure that comes alongside making it at terribly tempting expertise…

My new music “VR” is all about that, and extra particularly it addresses how virtuality and know-how have an effect on our relationship life. I feel our technology is so deeply influenced by social media, this prompt gratification, this digital bubble crammed with alternatives. We devour every little thing at an extremely quick tempo and it looks like these are mechanisms we apply now to our love life as effectively. Not likely making the hassle, being afraid of our personal emotions, being afraid of affection, and of being liked. However what if know-how may give you precisely what you want? This prompt “activate” all of us crave infrequently… I had this concept of a nightclub the place individuals can go to satisfy mysterious creatures in digital actuality and so the entire concept began like that. My unbelievable good friend Giovanna Gorassini directed the music video (she can be the one who labored with me on Clockwork) and we each wished to create a psychedelic, retro-futuristic imaginative and prescient, one thing out of house and time… That’s why I wished the principle character to be alien-like, or at the least not human. So we received our stunning fish-boy who enters the magical VR Paradise and the sport begins.

I’m so pleased and happy with this new work. Such stunning reminiscences of being on set and dealing with all these completely marvelous individuals. To all my associates who got here by, who gave their time and delightful vitality so generously : thanks. Christopher, Andy, Nicolas, Sylvain you guys completely rocked it. Because of all of the crew who created such dreamy photos and mirrored precisely what I had in thoughts, Sasha, Sully, Gisele, Thomas, Richard… Because of the Pink Paradise for letting us movie in such a fully beautiful location that matches the universe so completely. Because of my staff at E.47 data for giving me a lot freedom to create, Nico, Helène, Joelle, Léo and naturally Cyril and my love Anne-Sophie. I really feel actually part of such a stupendous household and am so grateful and proud. And final however not least, because of all of you, for sticking round, for nonetheless being right here, for studying this. A lot like to all of you.

I’m so pleased to share with you bellow all the photographs from the set! You may hearken to the music by clicking on this hyperlink, and naturally the music video can be down bellow!

And be careful as my upcoming EP drops this month! 26TH OF OCTOBER HERE WE COME!!!