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Interview with: Grégoire Fray
Conducted by: Ines
Where there’s distortion and a massive flow or raw energy, then you can be certain there also has to be a realm of serenity to keep things in balance. Grégoire Fray, a talented musician, can easily portray both words, which can exist each for its own, but are everlastingly entwined. The creative force behind vegetal noise makers Thot took some time off from all the noise and decided to revive his old, acoustic project The Hills Mover. Recently he released an EP Dead Notes (you can read our review HERE), a six track poetic and tranquil odyssey through lands, mythology and personal struggles. Minimalistic approach to the music on Dead Notes is, however, anything but simplistic, as The Hills Mover’s music paints a wide array of emotions, while trying to find his place. Grégoire kindly took some time to give us some insight on the project, the story and inspiration behind it and also a glimpse what is coming next.
Ines: Hello Grégoire and again thank you for taking the time to do this interview. When we talked last year it was mostly about Thot, you had a new album coming out and you were touring, but now you're focused on an old project of yours, The Hills Mover. Your EP Dead Notes, came out just recently, but still this is quite an old project of yours, which you revived recently. Could you perhaps tell us where the idea for The Hills Mover came in the first place?
Grégoire: Hello Ines, it’s a pleasure to do this interview! Well, The Hills Mover is a project, which I started back in 2007; at the same time when I was composing the first notes of what became the album Obscured By The Wind by Thot. Some songs I was writing didn’t fit exactly with what I was trying to do with Thot. That’s how The Hills Mover was born, with the idea of playing songs in the simplest possible way.
Ines: Naturally I must ask why revive this project after so many years, what gave you the inspiration and drove you to bring it back to life and finally to release this EP?
Grégoire: Ever since 2007 I have been focused on Thot for 100% of my time. I produced two albums, several EPs, remixes, videos and booked our tours as well - among many other things. I put a lot of pressure on my shoulders, and as you can imagine, sometimes, you can lose your taste and pleasure of doing music. I think I’m kind of exhausted, and even if I already have many new ideas with Thot, I had to write songs for other purposes, like The Hills Mover.
Ines: Dead Notes seems quite a…. how should I put it, cold album title. Was there anything specific you wanted to state with the album title?
Grégoire: OK, I will try to explain this, but I must warn you: you have to know a bit of Thot’s discography to understand what I’m going to tell. The idea was to create a story, which links two of Thot’s releases: 2014’s The City That Disappears and 2012’s The Fall Of The Water Towers. So, The Hills Mover leaves the city and is back to the land of the water towers, which fell ages ago. He wants to rebuild them, but he also needs to discover how to do it. The Dead Notes are the key to this quest.
Ines: A very interesting story behind it indeed. I remember you told me that you grew up mostly in the countryside and that nature was a big inspiration for what you write for Thot, so I couldn't helped noticing the very name The Hills Mover does also revolve around nature. Nonetheless, is there any other meaning behind this name?
Grégoire: Do you remember the song called "Moved Hills" in Thot’s 2011 album Obscured By The Wind? Well, The Hills Mover is the character of this song. He is maybe alter ego: capable of everything, like “moving mountains”. But in my countryside, there aren’t any mountains. Only hills.
Ines: The Hills Mover and Thot have quite some differences, but we can also draw some parallels – there's a strong atmosphere present in your music, no matter which project we take under the microscope. What would you say in your words would be the biggest difference between them and on the other hand also what would be the biggest similarity?
Grégoire: Like I’ve explained, the name The Hills Mover comes from the song "Moved Hills" by Thot. Also, there are many links between both narrative worlds. Although, if I would want to do an acoustic album with Thot, I think it would sound very different from what I do with The Hills Mover. I know it sounds obvious, but I’m pretty sure about that. I’m writing about different feelings in both projects. Thot is more a struggle between hope and anger, while The Hills Mover is more about poetry and melancholy. What do you think?
Grégoire: I'm glad you noticed those names and origins. Actually, I wrote the song "Šiwa" for a woman I love. "Vélès" talks more about the duality I came to find in my own experiences.
Ines: Speaking of live shows, you're hitting the road again in September with Thot and you had two European tours last year, so what are your expectations for this year's live shows? Any new countries you want to or will visit coming up perhaps?This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
