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After a high-tech minimal performance of Boris Brejcha at DGTL, the low-key melodic sound of Sascha Funke and Julienne Desagne, collectively known as Saschienne, caused a bit of an (undeserved) anticlimax in the overcrowded Analogue stage. They’ve been part of the Kompakt family since 2008. Characterized by the media as ‘technomantic’, they produce deep melodic electronic music and give away thrilling live performances with a romantic feel. After their gig we sat together at a deserted picnic table and talked about love, music and the media.
When and how did you decide to make music together?
S: “One day, we found ourselves in the middle of nowhere in France. We didn’t really plan to make something, let alone to produce and release tracks. But then Julienne started playing something on the piano, and I really enjoyed listening to it..”
J: “Just listening.. so cute!”
S: “..and out of the blue we realized that maybe we had something to tell each other that we couldn’t express in just words. I felt that there were things that I wanted to tell her in a musical way. And that was the beginning.”
You’re a couple, and your music is said to be ‘a product of your love’. Does that affect you more when you get a bad review?
J: “Haha, I think the idea that our music reflects our relationship is invented by the media. We never thought, ‘Let’s make music together, it’ll probably be very successful!’ People write what they want, we’re not here to dictate what has to be said or not. But I personally think that our album was the product of a certain vibe, a special moment. Of course that inevitably relates to us as a couple, but the press tends to solely relate it to our relationship. There’s too much writing about music anyway, too much over-analysing.”
But do you get inspired by each other, right?
S: “Of course. But when we’re in the studio, we have to avoid thinking about everything that’s been said or written. We solved that by locking ourselves in and just make music together. With all the new technologies it’s easy to get influenced and distracted, and I want to reduce that as much as possible. Anyway, we could go on about this for hours.. I guess everyone has an idea of themselves, that’s never completely covered by the image created by the media.”
That’s probably what you’re going to say after reading my article: “This is not the image that we wanted to give off!”
J: “Yeah, probably.. Haha!”
Julienne, do you feel that Sascha’s own musical style influences Saschienne? Do you sometimes get irritated that he’s bringing his own musical style into your act
S: “I really try to avoid that..”
J: “Haha, again, this is something that people assume when they look at us as a couple. They always tend to see the woman as the singer, for example. Yes, it was me singing on the album, but in the studio I produce just as much as Sascha does. But no, I don’t get influenced by Sascha’s music, simply because I don’t know any of it.”
If I’d be Sascha’s groupie, and my role in this duo would be to be Sascha number two, I would never sign up for that.
Not at all?
J: “No! I really don’t know his music! I don’t think I’d be into it..”
S: “Dark cave.”
J: “I mean, if I’d be his groupie, and my role in this duo would be to be Sascha number two, I would never sign up for that.”
Do you have the feeling you’re in his shadow sometimes?
J: “Yes, that’s actually kind of a big thing, especially in the beginning. I go against it by doing my own thing in the studio and bringing my personal style into our act. Again I have to put up a barrier against what people are saying about us, and hold on to what I think we’re doing. At the moment I’m working on a solo project, hopefully that’ll change people’s perspective.”
Sascha, what about your solo projects?
S: “I don’t have any.”
J: “Sascha’s very lazy! He doesn’t have solo projects because he watches football all the time! That’s why I have a lot of free time in the studio. But I’m pushing him to do his own thing, to make his own music. We got everything we wanted with Saschienne in just one year, more than we ever hoped for. Now I think it’s good that have things on our own.”
S: “We’re hoping to move into a new apartment, with a bigger studio. Now, making music sucks, because we have to do it in our small living room, with really bad acoustics. We know it’s not suppose to sound like that but when we can move in, everything will be better and I can start making music again.”
Do you ever get in a fight before a gig? Do you have a way of dealing with that, professionally?
S: “NO! When we perform we switch off all the daily problems, and we come together to what we call our musical nest where we’re safe from all this madness. On stage we forget that we’re even a couple. We are musicians, so the private thing doesn’t even come up.”
J: “Of course there are tensions, we travel a lot and make long hours. But the moment when we hit the first key and the show starts, we forget about all that.”
We’re actually in the beginning, still experimenting and fighting, and discovering how to work together in the best possible way.
What about the future?
S: “As a live act, we need to work on new things, keep producing and progressing. Tonight, we played two new tracks, but are still in the middle of the process of making music. We’re actually in the beginning, still experimenting and fighting, and discovering how to work together in the best possible way.”
Photograph by Faye Lui, and special thanks to Joris van Rest.
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