An Urbanian Exclusive: Joëlle Phuong Minh Lê
In a world of generic everyday music, it’s quite refreshing to come across someone that is pushing the limits on music normality. That is exactly what one comes across within the mind of Joëlle P.M. Lê, the brains behind the music of Greetings From Tuskan and Bike For Three!
Lê is Vietnamese born, but now resides in Belgium, where she furthers her not only musical, but visual craft. Yep, Lê is the first artist we’ve featured to go beyond the musical realm and delve into the other worlds of art such as photography and film.
Solo, under the alias of Greetings From Tuskan, Lê has managed to create this world of self-reflecting ambient thought that is sure to provoke anyone that gives her music a listen. After her collaboration with Canadian musician, Buck 65, she has built an empire of music that further provokes the brain into thoughts of love and loss.
It is under this project Bike For Three! where Lê first caught the attention of The Urbanian team. Her production of this electronica-driven duo was overwhelming for us as we became lost in the sounds and wonderment she was able to create. Her production alone was enough to provoke the minds of many, but after the words of wisdom of Buck 65 became embedded within the sounds, beautiful perfection was created.
Under the alias of Greetings From Tuskan, Lê becomes an alternative world of Sigur Ros for the musical thinking soul that’s looking for simple beauty contained within music.
However, once Lê’s electronic driven musical greatness meets the words of Buck 65, indescribable musical supreme arises that no one thought was possible.
The Urbanian was lucky enough to interview Lê about all her creative artistic endeavors.
The Urbanian: First off, what drove you to get into the electronica-ambient sound?
Joëlle P.M. Lê: I have been listening to electronic music for long time, I come from that side of the spectrum, and also classical music, so I always had an affinity with instrumental music and how emotions translate into moods and atmospheres. The idea of machines helping us to put feelings into sounds really intrigues me.
TU: Whether it’s sights or sounds, what influences your music most?
J: I think from the core it is images, or at least images I have in my head. I always imagine myself painting with the sound as if I am throwing paint on a canvas. Splashing sounds around. I come from a visual art background, that is how I started out. I always loved to work on images, to make visuals to the music I love. From that feeling I started doing music.
TU: I’ve read that you also do photography, paint, and do films along with the music making. Which one of the four came first? Is there one that you feel you are better at than the rest?
J: Well, as I mentioned above I started out painting and then after that I discovered the digital side of visual art. I did a lot of live visuals for artists in the electronica field, and also for tracks that I loved, putting the things I heard in the music into images. It is from there that I wanted to switch place in the process and that made we want to do music myself. I don’t think that I can say that I feel I am better at a certain thing. I mean I don’t let my passions compete with each other.
TU: The debut Greetings From Tuskan album came out in 2006. Any plans for a follow-up anytime soon?
J: There is definitely new GFT material, but no album is coming together at the moment. I am in the middle of setting up some more projects and collaborations which I think for now is the way to go for me. I let things happen as they come and not try to force things too much.
TU: Your latest music project was a collaboration with Buck 65, called Bike For Three! You guys made the entire ‘More Heart than Brains’ album without ever meeting face to face. What was it like working this way?
J: It was strange, intense and sometimes hard. When not in the same place it is hard to feed on each others reaction to what we did. It is only by text and that make the process quite solitary. But making music is quite a lonely process most of the time, especially electronic “computer music”, so I think that fits the overall theme of the album very well.
TU: One of the songs, ‘Let’s Never Meet,’ I’ve always looked at as the song that sums up the relationship you two made over working on the album. Do you guys ever plan on meeting down the road, or is the way it is now indeed for the greater good?
J: No plans for that no. We keep it as in the song for now.
TU: I’ve read that you two are already working on the second Bike For Three! album. Anything you can tell us about it?
J: There are things flying around, until now a bit more uptempo. We will know how it sounds like when everything comes down into the shape of an album.
TU: Thank you for your time, is there anything you’d like to add?
J: Thank you for the interest.
Here is the song, ‘Let’s Never Meet,’ which is discussed in the interview.
For more info on Greetings From Tuskan, visit here, and for more info on Bike For Three! visit here.
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2 Responses to “An Urbanian Exclusive: Joëlle Phuong Minh Lê”
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very beautiful
production is tight