Interview: Rodolphe Coster (Belgium)

Interview conducted by Michael Cupoli 

Rodolphe Coster is a Belgian musician that is currently touring through Asia with dates in China. Over the years, Rodolphe has been involved with a number of bands and theater groups which include Flexa Lyndo and PONI. In the past five or six years, Rodolphe has been touring international through out Europe and Asia and has shared the stage with some big names that include Saul Williams, Grimes, Boredoms, Keiji Haino, and Gold Panda. Catch Rodolphe Coster at DDC this Thursday, September 15th and at fRUITYSPACE this Friday, September 16th.

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What is your background in music?

My background in music is in classical first. I studied violin when from I was 9 years old till  15 years old. Then I went into a teenage crisis (not really heavy ;)) and I began to play Bauhaus, Joy Division, Pixies and Sonic Youth songs on bass guitar in my room.

What bands and projects are you involved with in the past and present?

I was kinda in a few bands. First was Flexa Lyndo, well known in Belgium around the end of nineties to the beginning of 2000’s. We released three LP’s on 62TVrcrds.  We were a little bit the Belgian Pavement followers, with something also close to Long fin Killie, and more art rock bands. I then took part in an international punk art group. PONI, we self released an EP, and did two performances with contemporary dancers and visual artists in the group (Icelandic, New Zealand, and belgians performers). We toured a lot, even went to South Korea.  Then I was part of Cafeneon. We recorded an album with Cristian Vogel as producer, at his studio in Barcelona, and released it on his label Station 55. That was more influenced by New Order, and The Cure, with lyrics in french. I was singing with another girl singing. Then also was part of a duet electronica and voice. I was singing in french on electronics done by a friend.

Why do you like to perform solo?

I like to perform solo, but it’s never really solo. It’s just easier for travelling, and also I’ve done my time in bands. i’m not so young anymore, so it\’s not really excited anymore to write songs with verses and Chorus, with a band. Now i do that solo.  It was great to experience it, but now I want to experience something else. I still do music with other musicians but it is improv, and also more connected to political actions. My solo project is done to be crossed by other musicians. So in my solo performances I love to invite musicians to jump in, improv with me.

What kind of gear do you like to use as a solo project?

My gear is really simple. It’s like I am traveling with my desk. I like to use the words of Gold Panda, a great musician I once supported. He said,\”he just put his apartment gear on stage.\” That’s the same for me; computer, effects, guitar, keys. And I sing.

How is working with a theater group different from doing a band or a solo project?

Theater is my official background concerning studies. I did 4 years in a theater school and graduated. I still love theater a lot. My theater group experiences were never that classical theater stuffs, more contemporary. We were writing everything, we never took impulses on already written plays. I loved it. And then if in the performers some were doing music, we would create a band, in the theater group, so working like a punk band. Writing lyrics and music. The difference was that we could perform in theaters and in rock venues the same week and we could dance or act in the concert.  It’s just so great to be front of different audiences. That was the main difference.

You seem to tour a lot. What are some places you have been to that have been special? What are some places you would like go to?

The most special place i performed to me was Beirut. I went there to meet my girlfriend at this time, 2 years ago, and I performed in Radio Beirut. The only indie club with qualitative programming in a town not too big.  They all work there as promoters for no money to keep a piece of freedom and rock’n’roll vibes in this totally crazy schizophrenic city. You feel danger everywhere, but people got used to taking care of the basics: love, respect the others, even if you have all the differences of social classes and religions of course. These people as Palestinian people got their daily lives destroyed by European and American lies, and money deals. Nobody internationally cares about them, but they keep on living with a human quality that I didn’t find anywhere else. The smallest smile means a lot. Also, the city itself is totally amazing, destroyed and at the same time beautiful, with the montains and the ocean. As a Belgian considering the recent attacks, I take a lot of distance with the media, and empathy it generates.

What are some expectations that you have for playing in China?

It is really difficult to talk of expectations. I never can answer this question 😉 Right now, I don’t have any expectations about the DJ set I’ll have tonightin Tokyo. The music is just stronger than any thing. I just love to see people , humans, reacting on something that just touches their senses, dancing, kissing, i don’t know… enjoying things. My first point I\’d like to use the title of an exhibition of this fantastic british artist Jeremy Deller: JOY IN THE PEOPLE. That’s it I think.

You are playing three shows in Beijing. How will the shows be different besides the venues?

I never know in advance the track list of my shows. I feel the vibes and depending on it. It can go electro-pop, or techno punk-or experimental. Last time in Tokyo, I was about to start with songs, more pop, but then i could feel , first the sound system was not that easy for that track list. Also I was still jetlaged, I needed something more « rough » a little bit more punk. , so i said to the audience, let’s have 5 min break. I think I’m gonna play something else. Then I loaded my techno files, and went full on guitars for 30 min. The people liked it and I did too!

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