After they began gaining fame and notoriety within the Paris club scene a few years ago, French electro quartet Sourya could've easily cashed in on their rising tide of popularity and tailored their sound or image to what the media wanted to hear and see. Instead, they decided to follow the Libertines model and snubbed the institutionalized music press, for fear of going commercial too quickly, and losing any sense of authenticity. After their debut album 'Dawdlewalk' had already been rejected countless times from major labels, the band felt that any permutation of commercial fame would only threaten their ethos anyway, and fray the fibers of their collective artistic impetus that initially fueled them.So they continued to ride their club cult following for a while, but sure enough, people started to take notice; one glowing Guardian article and a swelling surge of critical acclaim later, the group has now arrived at the doorstep of mainstream. And, as Radio France Internationale reports, it hasn't turned out so badly after all. In a revealing interview with the radio station, the Paris-based band reveals some of their most profound influences (including Blur and Oasis), and reflect on the path they've taken thus far--a path which has recently landed them a deal with indie label Massive Central. Record labels until now, according to the guys, were somewhat afraid of the group's music, which draws upon the same electro well that fellow French groups like Air and Daft Punk have been replenishing for the past decade, but which adds an extra layer of distinctly human, atypically emotive textures. Says bandleader and lead vocalist Sourya Voravong, "Other labels said they liked the stuff but didn't know where to put us."
One listen to the group and you'll see why. Theirs is a music so inexplicably unique, you'd be hard pressed to even put together a typical "x-meets-y-meets-z-meets-abc" diagram to describe it. In the Guardian article that first landed the group on the international map, Alan McGee described Voravong and his ineffable vocal range as "part Brian Wilson, Arthur Russell, and Thomas Bangalter." Distinctly high praise, to say the least, but not wholly undeserved--especially considering the unique approach that the group physically takes to their music as well. Instead of going the traditional, guitar-amp-drum route for their live shows, Sourya hops onstage with their fleet of Nintendo DS systems. Julien, who mans the synthesizers for the group, said of their Nintendo technique, "There's a programme that imitates an old synthesiser from the 70s called Korg MS-10 and for Nintendo it's called Korg DS-10. You can create loads of loops."
So is Sourya the next Air? The next Daft Punk? The next Justice? Time (and the success of the finally released 'Dawdlewalk') will only tell. Chances are, though, they'll be remembered simply as "Sourya." And that, we imagine, is just the way they'd like it.
