An Interview with Nicolas and Julien from LOS DISIDENTES DEL SUCIO MOTEL And A Special Guest

Los Disidentes Del Sucio Motel (LDDSM) are one of the more interesting and creative bands from the French Doom/Stoner Metal Scene. To date they have released 3 well received albums with the latest being Human Collapse.

LDDSM are a band who aren't afraid of trying different sounds with their music and albums they've released over the years. Each album they've released all sound different to each other. Human Collapse sees the band venture into more Sludge/Post-Metal territory. Compare that album to their debut – Original Soundtrack From The Motion Picture – and you begin to feel they were recorded by two very different bands.

Newly signed to Ripple Music, LDDSM merge hard-hitting social commentary with razor sharp riffs. Human Collapse is one of the most strikingly original Doom/Sludge/Stoner Metal albums you'll hear this year.

I recently caught up with Nicolas (Guitars/Vocals) and Julien (Bass/Vocals). Though the guys had a very special guest with them for this interview. None other than Todd Severin. Co-Owner of Ripple Music who I manage to press for a few answers as well.

So let's get started.

Hi everyone. Thanks for doing the interview. How are things with you today.

All: Very good.

So we are here to discuss the new album – Human Collapse. What can people expect from the new album if they haven't heard it.

Nicolas – Intensity. I hope so. Emotion. A journey. It's the main world is a journey. We wanted to make people travel in their minds. We wanted to make you change your opinion, your religion, your beliefs and what can make you change your situation.

Was it an easy or hard album to write and record for.

Julien – The process to write this album was very different. Usually when you write an album with your friends, you plan and you play the good songs. Sometimes not, you sometimes write some more stuff for the album. For Human Collapse, we wrote the story and then we wrote the music. You have to be put your music into the story. The process is a little bit different.

Nicolas – This is the first time that we do this. For me this was another source of inspiration as it was a new process to compose and to write the lyrics.

It has a very different feel to Arcane. Then again all your records sound different to each other. Do you go in with that purpose when recording new material to release something different.

Julien – Yeah, for the two previous albums we were in a funny state of mind. For ourselves the music is just entertainment. Then you grow up and your situation changes. Some of the guys are now Dad's. You are more mature and you want to talk about something else than something else that is fun.. You want to talk more about the world problems. So for Human Collapse it was the way we want to follow.

Nicolas – For the lyrics it's the case. Though for the music it came naturally with the story.

It's perhaps your heaviest album to date. Were you worried what your fans reaction would be.

Nicolas – Yeah. For now the reactions have been very good. Maybe much better for Arcane. The main difference is that LLDSM now make their own music. That's the main difference for the previous 3 records. For the creation process we thought let's make it a little bit darker and I think we found our very own identity.

You're signed to Ripple Music and with the lovely chap currently in your house. (Todd Severin – Co-Owner of Ripple). How did you sign to Ripple Music.

Nicolas – With the band ZED who are signed to Ripple. Few years ago the song – Brotherhood – from our first album was released on a compilation. Mark from ZED loved the song though I don't know how he got this song but he loved it. One day he sent an email - “I'm Mark from San Francisco and I love your song”.

We became friends. Romain, the other guitar player he went on holiday to San Francisco a couple of years ago. He met Mark, Todd and his wife. After that I remembered chatting with Mark and that he would be on Ripple and that it's a good label. I asked Mark should we send them the new record to Todd. Mark replied - “Sure, I think he will like it”. That's it and they liked it.

Here's a question for Todd if he's still there. When you first heard Human Collapse, were you shocked at how heavy and bleak it was compared to your normal releases.

Todd – I'm still here. Yeah. Absolutely. When I first heard it my initial reaction was AMAZING. It's an amazing piece of work. I never was worried not fitting into the rest of our releases. Ripple has it's own sound but the sound doesn't have to be expansive. To me it was just an amazing piece of music. To me I did wonder how our core audience would respond to it. As it's definitely more Neurosis/Post-Metal/Post-Rock than they are used to.

The first time I heard it I was blown away. My partner Pope freaked out when he heard it as well. We were on board right away.

As you know I called it “The Heaviest Album Ripple has released so far”. Has the success of the album inspired you to sign heavier bands than your currently used to.

Todd – You've seen some of our more recent signings with Vokonis and Poseidon. I don't know LDDSM led to me signing those two more doomier bands. Though I like the expansiveness of our core sound. I will give them full credit for kicking me out of my doldrums.

I have one final question for Todd. Ripple had another phenomenal year. Perhaps one of your most successful years yet. What have been your highlights and what can people expect from Ripple in 2017.

Todd – In simple terms the highlight of the year is the fan response and the reception to our releases. We've had so many releases that I was afraid that we might have hit a saturation point. That wasn't the case. The Ripple name has become more known for a heavy style of rock. The fan response has been so gratifying and it keeps us motivated.

Every once in a while you get a Facebook post – “You made my day for putting this album out or whatever.” That just fires us up.

Next year I don't think it will quite as expansive. You can't sign every band in the world. The number of signings will be slightly less next year. Maybe tone down the number of releases next year and make them bigger releases. We have a lot of great stuff next year with Mothership, Wo-Fat, Roadsaw and Freedom Hawk. Some pretty cool established bands. Plus the new doom stuff from Vokonis and Poseidon. It's going to be an exciting year for Ripple.

Will you guys be touring the album more heavily in Europe in the future. Visiting places you haven't visited before.

Julien – We are trying

Nicolas – We are trying to get over to the USA of courser.

Julien – With ZED.

Nicolas – That would be amazing. We did a European Tour a few months ago. For now we are working on the next step of evolution for Human Collapse. As it's a concept album. You have the story. You have the lyrics and you have the music. Now we are working on a video. There will be a movie playing in the background and we will experience it for the first time tomorrow night. We hope to make a new European Tour in April 2017. We are currently booking now.

The video for Departure is quite an eye-opening video. Who came up with that video.

Nicolas – A friend of ours came up with the video. He was working on picture techniques. What you see on the video is made up of pictures. Nothing is filmed. We were talking together all night and we wanted to make something original. He proposed an idea and we said - “Yeah. Cool can you show me some examples”. He then made it for his own work. We've thought it was really cool and original for a metal band. He made it within 3 weeks. I arranged a meeting with him once a week and we made it all together. Every week he showed me the video.

Julien – It's the guy who made the album cover for Human Collapse. We've got some friends in photo and video. We work with them all the time.

It seems aspects of multi-media will be playing a big part with LDDSM in the future. Is that a fair statement to make.

Julien – Yeah. It's funny because since we started working on the project for the next video for Borders. It's going to be 360 degrees type of video. Some new stuff. We are going to shoot some video as we wanted to try some new things. We've got some great framework to build upon.

So when will that be released.

Julien – We plan to start shooting in January. So don't expect anything until March/April 17.

Nicolas – Just before the start of the tour.

Well guys that's all the questions answered. Thanks for doing this interview.

Nicolas – Thanks for all the nice reviews you written for us in the past. They've been really important for us.

Words by Steve Howe, Juilen, Nicolas and Todd Severin.

I want to thank Claire at Purple Sage PR for arranging this interview. Thanks to Nicolas, Julien and Todd for taking the time out to talking to me.

LDDSM Links:

Official | Facebook | BandCamp | Twitter

Ripple Music Links:

Official | Facebook | BandCamp | Twitter