How was the group born and how do you work together?
Paul
: We are childhood friends.
Alex has been a pianist since the age of 4, and I am trained as a sound engineer.
In 2009, we decided to combine melody with technique and founded Synapson.
Everyone has their own studio, but we are always connected.
Alexandre
: We have imbibed each other's musical culture, it is a shared wealth.
Today, from the song's composition to its release, we do everything ourselves.
Our strength is to be complementary.
Audemars Piguet shooting - Vallée du Joux - Switzerland Photo Thomas Birch
You went to the Audemars Piguet Atelier Museum in Le Brassus to compose the song. What impressed you the most?
P
.: Excellence, passion, know-how… We had the chance to visit the museum, to see historical pieces, large-scale models of mechanisms to better understand how the exhausts work. After our visit at Le Brassus, we wanted to offer something with all humility, but which transcends the emotion we felt there.
The deep desire was to make an elegant piece.
Time stops when we are in a phase of creativity
Paul
A .
: As soon as we worked on the title, these images from Le Brassus inspired us.
We had a clear idea of what we wanted.
It happened naturally.
How did you approach the composition?
P .
: The basic idea was to integrate the sound of the Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet Grande Sonnerie Carillon Supersonnerie watch in a non-literal way into the song.
It is a watch with a classic appearance but which hides a treasure.
Its humble, non-flashy appearance makes this piece even more elegant.
It is of extraordinary technicality and detail.
We worked on its sound to extract a little melody.
With a portable microphone, we also picked up other sounds from Le Brassus to build the title.
A .
: We composed the sound in a progressive way, so that the title is understandable, with a climax.
We wanted to convey the natural aspect of watchmaking by adding an instrument that does not emanate from a computer.
The foundations are electro, but the copper on top brings an authentic touch.
Alexandre et Paul - Synapson - Paris Photo Shooting Thomas Birch
Between the creation of a watch and that of an electro song, we can find many common points, right?
A .
: In a song, we have to respect the measures but give it another reading to make it interesting.
Audemars Piguet goes out of its comfort zone to add complexity to its creations in the same way.
In music, it's about finding the right melody, the one that arouses the most emotions.
P
.: Audemars Piguet manages to break away from the rules thanks to its creativity.
Great musicians do the same, they know the mechanics by heart and offer something else.
It's a real exercise to make a piece of electro intelligible.
Synapson remains accessible because we are careful that it is not too brutal.
What is your relationship to time when composing a title?
A .
: If I have an idea, I have to use it right away and it will go quickly, otherwise it won't work.
Paul does the work of a sound engineer as well, and since he's a very perfectionist, each song can have fifteen or twenty final versions.
P
.: During the composition, time is suspended.
We no longer see him pass.
It stops when we are in a phase of creativity.
What will be your next challenge?
P
.: In November, we will release our new album which revolves around artists from around the world with whom we wanted to work.
The notion of travel is fundamental in this album, as in the piece composed for Audemars Piguet, which is part of this discovery of new sounds.
We love the idea of creating a bridge between cultures, taking the Synapson training and taking it elsewhere.
Synapson's “Supersonnerie” track will be available in November on Spotify, Deezer and Apple Music.