SLDGHRAM 1er on "Le Marteau L'Enclume": Pushing the boundaries of dark ambient techno

SLDGHRAM 1er is an underground dark techno artist that’s fast becoming known for his dark, alternative sound and the way that he blends various influences to create quite something of his own. As we delve more into SLDGHRAM 1er’s process and our thoughts on his latest album, “LE MARTEAU ET L’ENCLUME”, keep reading for SLDGHRAM 1er in interview!

The album is filled with ambient, gritty textures that give it a very dystopian, otherworldly sound. A feeling of doom, of dark energy and aggression envelops the listener on the opening track, “Battre l’enfer qu’il est chaud”, and the ones that follow; with the opening track’s textures laying down the foundation for the rest of the album quite eloquently. There is also an experimental piece by the name of “The underwater heartmachine”, which delves into dissonant Autogun sounds, with a metal-esque blast beat percussion department. The whole album has an element of pushing the boundaries, and is, overall, well produced. Here’s SLDGHRAM 1er in interview!

1. How did the energy of the late 1990s hardcore scene and techno influences shape your early musical experiences, and how do you incorporate those influences into your current work?

SLDGHRAM 1er: Well, they were here, and very active, in the music I listened to a lot when I started composing, you could already find techno on the radio years before. I discovered hardcore/gabber thanks to Thunderdome compilations in, like, 1996, and it was the perfect response to a need i had. I was a regularly bullied teenager, full of anger and frustration (not very original, i know), and hardcore had this brutal, fast sound, with the funny “in your face” vibe from the happy hardcore subgenre, it spoke to me, as a simple listener at first. Then the hard saturated kicks became one of those essential tools, right from the beginning.

2. Your bio mentions a connection to dark ambient music. How do you navigate the balance between the energetic vibes of hardcore and techno with the more unsettling atmosphere of dark ambient in your compositions?

SLDGHRAM 1er: To answer such a question, I think it’s important to understand how I create. To summarize : “I have no idea what i’m doing”. It’s easy to see it as a joke but this is it, I just let myself go with the mood of the moment, it works, or doesn’t work ; as opposed to people having an idea they develop. Picture a leaf carried by the wind, there’s no telling where it’ll go; it also has its downside, if the leaf fall from the tree and there’s no wind, it just falls on the floor; so I can stay for sometime quite a while without creating something. I don’t really think about fitting into genres when I compose, I just do “music”, so while music genres have standards and boundaries that define their specific identities, I just creates what feels right at a given moment.

Checkout the latest news: Watch: Jung Kook of BTS Sets the Stage Ablaze with Epic Performance and Global Solo Debut

3. Can you share insights into your creative process when delving into the dreams and uncharted depths of the unconscious for inspiration? How does this exploration manifest in your music?

SLDGHRAM 1er: To clarify the process, I turn on my gear, and simply browse sounds. Of course there’s room for “direction”, for example I probably won’t load the Heavyocity’s Damage plug in if i’m feeling relaxed, if the general mood is peaceful. The essential thing is that it needs to come naturally, and thus trigger some kind of domino effect. If I force creation, the result is always insipid or ugly; I rapidly feel it goes that way and just stop, I don’t even save the project files, it doesn’t worth it. Getting back at the dreams and the unconscious, even the few project I had something to build on, follow that way. The Padded Braincell albums are literally based on elements from dreams I remembered after waking up (which is rare, unfortunately), so you can say even if there is material, it comes from something where the conscious self is not at the helm.

4. How has your music evolved since your first work, and what aspects of your artistic identity have remained consistent throughout your career?

SLDGHRAM 1er: The persona, with the mask, exists since even before I started music. It was created along the beginning of my writings activities in the mid 90s and, even if the name, SLDGHRAM 1er, changed (it was shorter back then), the concept of this mysterious character with a “mirror mask” remains mostly untouched. As for music itself, I almost always put elements from classical/orchestral music in my tracks, even the hardcore ones, in the early years. It’s not unheard of to have elements like this, but it’s mostly samples from existing material, an example could be Buzzfuzz’s Psichomaniax, with an iconic sample of the music from Hitchcock’s movie Psycho (soundtrack composed by Bernard Hermann of course). I also used to make long (10 minutes or more) and fast tracks (sometimes up to 200 BPM), which, I admit it, were “a bit” repetitive. Now my tracks are shorter and slower most of the time.
By reflecting on your question, I ended up wondering if I moved away from those creatives habits because I changed my set up at some point (from DAW+hardware to full software) or because I somehow changed/matured. Probably a bit of both.

5. The intersection of hardcore, techno, and dark ambient is unique. How do you see your music contributing to or challenging the conventions within these genres?

SLDGHRAM 1er: I honestly don’t know; Le marteau et l’enclume is the first album for which I have done some promotion, maybe if there are more people listening to what I do, the possibility of exchanging ideas/opinions, or debating would carry opportunity to address such topic . The uniqueness, it’s probably because I don’t really think of genres when making music, as said above, therefore I’m free to do what I want, beyond those conventions; my point isn’t like “hey, look at me, i’m original, i’m unique, i put weird stuffs together” .But don’t get me wrong, I have no problem with artists that stick to one genre, or have a more “by the book” approach of their work within the standards of one genre; it’s just a different approach, which obviously has its own merits.

You may also like listening to: Proklaim – Options | The Reggae Trap

6. Could you elaborate on the role of atmosphere in your compositions, especially considering the diverse influences you draw from? How do you use sound to create a distinct sonic environment for your listeners?

SLDGHRAM 1er: I think you put your finger on something here, my relationship with the listener. This is not something I think about, as I create for myself, my work is mostly introspective, with the exception of a handful of projects that include another person as subject; so one can think a part of the purpose is to communicate with the said person. But even in these rare cases, it more or less a one-on-one situation, anyone else is not included into the concept.

7. In what ways do you think your music reflects or responds to the current cultural or social landscape? Are there specific themes or messages you aim to convey through your work?

SLDGHRAM 1er: There are themes that matter to me, I’m not hermetic to things happening around me or in the news, even if I can understand some of the things I said could picture me as a self-centered loner. I eventually include elements from current events, it’s just kinda rare, even if I’m impacted (difficult not to be, with what happen in Ukraine, Middle East or Taiwan …), most of the time it does not “turn into creative material”. I don’t think there’s a particular message, but I’d be very happy that what I do could give someone who’s in the dark and feel bad for whatever reason, a little comfort or a moment of peace, as the work of many artists gave me in my darker days.

8. Collaborations are common in the music industry. Are there any artists or producers you dream of collaborating with, and how do you think such collaborations could shape your sound in the future?

‘There’s Still a Lot of Space to Fill Out’ —Jonas Renkse on Collaboration, Change, and the Future of Katatonia

SLDGHRAM 1er: I generally work alone, but of course, the idea of making something with Manu Le Malin or DJ Buzzfuzz (for example, if we stick to hard electronic music) is tantalizing, but I really wonder where could we “meet” creatively. But I’ll stay positive; as often, all you need is an impulse to set things in motion, whatever the result. Dreamed of collab ? David Lynch for sure. This man is a total creator, he’s known for his movies, but he also makes music, paints, takes photos … me being a part of such creative endeavor, that’d be something !

Check out the album here!