Fractal Cypher is an up & coming prog metal band which blends the traditional prog metal music with the modern one. This Canadian act has just released their debut album and Grande Rock took the chance to talk with the vocalist Simon Lavoie so as to find out more about this newcomer. Read below for more…
Hi Simon and welcome to Grande Rock. Do give us a brief bio of the band and also tell us how you came up with the name Fractal Cypher.
S: We are a progressive metal band, based in Montreal, Canada. The band has been founded in 2014, after a brake up of our former band. The band name “Fractal Cypher” is originally an idea of mine and Ludovick. “Fractal” is a term employed most of the time to describe a geometric shape or a design that exhibits a repeating pattern, a rough or fragmented geometric shape that constantly evolves on itself and that can be split into parts. “Cypher” means a secret method of writing to transmit a message or a code. We thought it would be cool to put the two concepts together, which means a repeating secret code that constantly evolves on itself, so it’s basically a message that can never be found.
Did the end of Far From Reality mean the beginning of Fractal Cypher or it took some time to come up with the new band? By the way, why did you disband Far From Reality?
S: The band split up after some conflicts regarding the musical direction of the band. Some wanted to keep the progressive formula more classic, and others wanted to bring the thing to another level, combining elements of different genres and blend it all together. I’ll let you guess on which side we were. Eventually, even after thorough discussions it became obvious that the gap between us was irreconcilable. We found some amazing musicians to fill the vacant spots on the bass and on the drums, so we had little to no breaks between both projects.
During the previous months you released 3 singles from your debut album and this September you finally released your first full-length album. You didn’t waste any time and you did things your way, right?
S: Things turned out pretty much the way we wanted. Nowadays, bands don’t usually release that much singles and all but we wanted to do things the old way. If it worked in 1995, it can still work today. We felt like it was the only way to do it. Everything has been carefully planned a few months prior to the release and fell into place on its own. We had the chance to work with Jon Asher, who worked as a publicist to help us have our things seen and heard, helping us to consolidate a release plan that made sense and was the more possibly efficient.
Did you have in mind to release your debut independently or you didn’t find a label to provide you with all those things you had in mind?
S: Of course we sent our stuff to some specific labels. We got a few answers back but the terms of the offers were not to our liking. We decided to go on independently because we felt that we were able to pull out everything we had in mind for the moment without the help of a label. Again, that will be called to change in the future, but for now, we are doing great the way things are. Still, when the right offer will come, we would be glad to collaborate with a label company.
Do you think it’s easier for a newcomer band to release an album on its own nowadays? Are you happy with that decision now and which are the pros & cons of releasing your album independently?
S: I think, and that is a personal opinion, that bands nowadays have no other options than to release their albums independently. The amount of good music produced worldwide every year is astronomical. The easy access to the means of productions, the cheaper cost to produce music, and the number of good “small scale” studios, out there, makes the thing accessible to a lot musicians. Despite all that, labels, on the other side, don’t invest in bands anymore the way they used to do, mainly because of the money. They’re never sure to see the color of their money back. That being said, we totally understand why they do that, who likes to lose money right? So it puts the financial burden on the bands themselves. After, if you are good and lucky enough to get the attention of the people out there, the chances rise slightly to get a record deal. But what seems to be a tendency in this new era we are living is that bands get their first record deal on the second or third album. So basically, the pros are total freedom over your material, decisions and income. The cons are that you have to pay for all your expenses, and organize everything yourself. It leaves less time to concentrate on the music instead of the business side of things.
Where does the album title “The Human Paradox” refer to?
S: It’s basically the whole “theme” of the album declined in different moods, atmospheres and stories. There’s no song on the record with that title. It summarizes the lyrical content of the album as a whole. I’ll let you judge by yourself, but you’ll have to do something real old school.... Listen to the music and read the lyrics, printed in a beautifully colored booklet.
Do give us a hint about each track…
S: “Lost”: That keyboard solo...
“Endless Circle”: A mix of modern power metal and old school prog…
“Shining a While”: For those who like 80s power ballad...but in a modern way.
“Prison Planet”: The catchiest song of the album.
“Imminent Extinction”: Get ready…
“Final Abode”: For headbangers!
“Awakening”: Features some acoustic instruments.
“Idle Words”: For those who like “djenty” stuff…
“The Ghost of Myself”: Worth a listen for the final guitar solo!
When did the recordings take place and who produced, mixed and mastered the album? The production is full & powerful, in my opinion.
S: The recordings took place in Spring 2015 until Fall. We had the album into our hands quite a while before its actual release. It was produced by Ludovick Daoust, who plays the keys in the band and Christian Donaldson, who owns The Grid Studio where we recorded it. The album was mixed and mastered by him as well. We too are very happy with the result of the whole mix. It’s no easy task to sound coherent when you blend that much stuff together. Christian pulled it off like no one else.
Do tell us about the two guest appearances on the album by Julie Jasmin on violin and Sara Jasmin on viola…
S: Well, they are friends of a few members of the band. They met in University where they were in the same music program. We invited them to play on the record and they accepted. They did a great job!
I do fancy the playthrough video for “Idle Words” as well as the lyric video for “Prison Planet”, which is one of my beloved tracks from the album. Do you have in mind to release any concept video at some point or not?
S: We are having some discussions about a possible third music video. But for now, I’ll let the suspense full. As for a concept video, it requires a tremendous amount of resources. It is in the plans, but we can’t say when.
What are your touring plans so far? Any plans to play in the US or Europe?
S: There are a few things being discussed at the moment with a few people. For now we play mainly in our area. We are at the planning stage of a hypothetical tour. Probably US more than Europe for now.
How would you describe your band’s music style to someone that has never heard of you before?
S: Metal. When I first discovered Children Of Bodom, a band that I adored back then, it was written metal beside the track title (which was “Hatebreeder”). Simple as that. I get weary of tags.
What are your expectations from “The Human Paradox”?
S: So far the reviews are great and the feedback we get is positive as well. We just wish to build a solid foundation to keep working on in the future and keep the machine alive.
What are Fractal Cypher’s long term plans?
S: Make a living out of it. It would be great to be able to live of our music.
Time for our “weird questions”!!! If you found a genie in a bottle and you only had 3 wishes what would they be?
S: 1. The Montreal Canadians win the Stanley Cup (they won’t without magical help)
2. Sylvester Stallone is 30 years old again, so he can continue to do movies where he kicks ass and has three lines to say.
3. Forget that I watched Stargate SG-1, so I can watch it again.
Are “social media” a “compulsory part” of music biz these days or bands, artists & labels can do without them as well?
S: Too serious question, I thought it was supposed to be the “weird question” time! It’s an essential part of the business to promote your product now, I fear.
If you were an animal, which animal would you be and why?
S: An Owl. No reason. Maybe because I would get to play in a Harry Potter movie.
Top 3 sci-fi movies of any era...
S: 1. Armageddon, 2. Independence Day, 3. Enemy Mine. 4. Moon…
If you could “erase” one thing from modern music, what would it be?
S: Autotune. Oh, and fake drums. No more fake drums!
Which is that band that you’d like to be part of (any time & era)?
S: As a singer, I must say Styx. First favorite band of my life.
Best 3 Prog Metal albums of all time?
S: 1. “Paradise Lost” by Symphony X – 2. “Timeline” by Ayreon – 3. “The First Chapter” by Circus Maximus…
Which is the record you wish you had written and why?
S: “Once” by Nightwish. It’s just pure perfection to me.
Were you obliged to give just one album to extraterrestrials that would represent the whole human music, which album would it be and from which band/artist?
S: I would give them a Britney Spears album, so the get the hell out of here and go back where they come from. Have you never ever watched sci-fi movies? Seriously, I really don’t know, maybe a Dream Theater album like “A Dramatic Turn of Events”. It’s soft, heavy, simple and complex.
Fill in the phrase… “Prog Metal music wouldn’t have evolved the way it did, if it hadn’t been for…”
S: Symphony X. They brought the thing to a new level with their more recent material. You can be progressive and heavy.
If you had the chance to travel in time… where would you choose to go? To the past or the future and why?
S: I would go back in the 80s because I love that period of our history. It seems like a good time to be in a band.
Best pick-up line that has worked for you several times in the past?
S: Ha-ha, nothing comes to mind.
What’s the worst thing one can say right after sex?
S: Sorry…
You have the opportunity to have sex with a movie-celebrity/porn-star of your choice. Who would it be & why?
S: Kate Beckinsale, because… just because it’s Kate Beckinsale!
Imagine that your girlfriend is selling your whole album-collection just to buy an expensive ring for herself. How would you react? J
S: I wouldn’t date that type of girl. And if she did anyway because I wasn’t bright enough to see the girl’s crazy, I would simply ask her to leave and never come back. And keep the TV for myself as a compensation.
Thx for talking to Grande Rock, Simon. Wish you and your band the best for the future… Take care dude!
S: Thank you, it was a pleasure talking to you!
S: We are a progressive metal band, based in Montreal, Canada. The band has been founded in 2014, after a brake up of our former band. The band name “Fractal Cypher” is originally an idea of mine and Ludovick. “Fractal” is a term employed most of the time to describe a geometric shape or a design that exhibits a repeating pattern, a rough or fragmented geometric shape that constantly evolves on itself and that can be split into parts. “Cypher” means a secret method of writing to transmit a message or a code. We thought it would be cool to put the two concepts together, which means a repeating secret code that constantly evolves on itself, so it’s basically a message that can never be found.
Did the end of Far From Reality mean the beginning of Fractal Cypher or it took some time to come up with the new band? By the way, why did you disband Far From Reality?
S: The band split up after some conflicts regarding the musical direction of the band. Some wanted to keep the progressive formula more classic, and others wanted to bring the thing to another level, combining elements of different genres and blend it all together. I’ll let you guess on which side we were. Eventually, even after thorough discussions it became obvious that the gap between us was irreconcilable. We found some amazing musicians to fill the vacant spots on the bass and on the drums, so we had little to no breaks between both projects.
During the previous months you released 3 singles from your debut album and this September you finally released your first full-length album. You didn’t waste any time and you did things your way, right?
S: Things turned out pretty much the way we wanted. Nowadays, bands don’t usually release that much singles and all but we wanted to do things the old way. If it worked in 1995, it can still work today. We felt like it was the only way to do it. Everything has been carefully planned a few months prior to the release and fell into place on its own. We had the chance to work with Jon Asher, who worked as a publicist to help us have our things seen and heard, helping us to consolidate a release plan that made sense and was the more possibly efficient.
Did you have in mind to release your debut independently or you didn’t find a label to provide you with all those things you had in mind?
S: Of course we sent our stuff to some specific labels. We got a few answers back but the terms of the offers were not to our liking. We decided to go on independently because we felt that we were able to pull out everything we had in mind for the moment without the help of a label. Again, that will be called to change in the future, but for now, we are doing great the way things are. Still, when the right offer will come, we would be glad to collaborate with a label company.
Do you think it’s easier for a newcomer band to release an album on its own nowadays? Are you happy with that decision now and which are the pros & cons of releasing your album independently?
S: I think, and that is a personal opinion, that bands nowadays have no other options than to release their albums independently. The amount of good music produced worldwide every year is astronomical. The easy access to the means of productions, the cheaper cost to produce music, and the number of good “small scale” studios, out there, makes the thing accessible to a lot musicians. Despite all that, labels, on the other side, don’t invest in bands anymore the way they used to do, mainly because of the money. They’re never sure to see the color of their money back. That being said, we totally understand why they do that, who likes to lose money right? So it puts the financial burden on the bands themselves. After, if you are good and lucky enough to get the attention of the people out there, the chances rise slightly to get a record deal. But what seems to be a tendency in this new era we are living is that bands get their first record deal on the second or third album. So basically, the pros are total freedom over your material, decisions and income. The cons are that you have to pay for all your expenses, and organize everything yourself. It leaves less time to concentrate on the music instead of the business side of things.
Where does the album title “The Human Paradox” refer to?
S: It’s basically the whole “theme” of the album declined in different moods, atmospheres and stories. There’s no song on the record with that title. It summarizes the lyrical content of the album as a whole. I’ll let you judge by yourself, but you’ll have to do something real old school.... Listen to the music and read the lyrics, printed in a beautifully colored booklet.
Do give us a hint about each track…
S: “Lost”: That keyboard solo...
“Endless Circle”: A mix of modern power metal and old school prog…
“Shining a While”: For those who like 80s power ballad...but in a modern way.
“Prison Planet”: The catchiest song of the album.
“Imminent Extinction”: Get ready…
“Final Abode”: For headbangers!
“Awakening”: Features some acoustic instruments.
“Idle Words”: For those who like “djenty” stuff…
“The Ghost of Myself”: Worth a listen for the final guitar solo!
When did the recordings take place and who produced, mixed and mastered the album? The production is full & powerful, in my opinion.
S: The recordings took place in Spring 2015 until Fall. We had the album into our hands quite a while before its actual release. It was produced by Ludovick Daoust, who plays the keys in the band and Christian Donaldson, who owns The Grid Studio where we recorded it. The album was mixed and mastered by him as well. We too are very happy with the result of the whole mix. It’s no easy task to sound coherent when you blend that much stuff together. Christian pulled it off like no one else.
Do tell us about the two guest appearances on the album by Julie Jasmin on violin and Sara Jasmin on viola…
S: Well, they are friends of a few members of the band. They met in University where they were in the same music program. We invited them to play on the record and they accepted. They did a great job!
I do fancy the playthrough video for “Idle Words” as well as the lyric video for “Prison Planet”, which is one of my beloved tracks from the album. Do you have in mind to release any concept video at some point or not?
S: We are having some discussions about a possible third music video. But for now, I’ll let the suspense full. As for a concept video, it requires a tremendous amount of resources. It is in the plans, but we can’t say when.
What are your touring plans so far? Any plans to play in the US or Europe?
S: There are a few things being discussed at the moment with a few people. For now we play mainly in our area. We are at the planning stage of a hypothetical tour. Probably US more than Europe for now.
How would you describe your band’s music style to someone that has never heard of you before?
S: Metal. When I first discovered Children Of Bodom, a band that I adored back then, it was written metal beside the track title (which was “Hatebreeder”). Simple as that. I get weary of tags.
What are your expectations from “The Human Paradox”?
S: So far the reviews are great and the feedback we get is positive as well. We just wish to build a solid foundation to keep working on in the future and keep the machine alive.
What are Fractal Cypher’s long term plans?
S: Make a living out of it. It would be great to be able to live of our music.
Time for our “weird questions”!!! If you found a genie in a bottle and you only had 3 wishes what would they be?
S: 1. The Montreal Canadians win the Stanley Cup (they won’t without magical help)
2. Sylvester Stallone is 30 years old again, so he can continue to do movies where he kicks ass and has three lines to say.
3. Forget that I watched Stargate SG-1, so I can watch it again.
Are “social media” a “compulsory part” of music biz these days or bands, artists & labels can do without them as well?
S: Too serious question, I thought it was supposed to be the “weird question” time! It’s an essential part of the business to promote your product now, I fear.
If you were an animal, which animal would you be and why?
S: An Owl. No reason. Maybe because I would get to play in a Harry Potter movie.
Top 3 sci-fi movies of any era...
S: 1. Armageddon, 2. Independence Day, 3. Enemy Mine. 4. Moon…
If you could “erase” one thing from modern music, what would it be?
S: Autotune. Oh, and fake drums. No more fake drums!
Which is that band that you’d like to be part of (any time & era)?
S: As a singer, I must say Styx. First favorite band of my life.
Best 3 Prog Metal albums of all time?
S: 1. “Paradise Lost” by Symphony X – 2. “Timeline” by Ayreon – 3. “The First Chapter” by Circus Maximus…
Which is the record you wish you had written and why?
S: “Once” by Nightwish. It’s just pure perfection to me.
Were you obliged to give just one album to extraterrestrials that would represent the whole human music, which album would it be and from which band/artist?
S: I would give them a Britney Spears album, so the get the hell out of here and go back where they come from. Have you never ever watched sci-fi movies? Seriously, I really don’t know, maybe a Dream Theater album like “A Dramatic Turn of Events”. It’s soft, heavy, simple and complex.
Fill in the phrase… “Prog Metal music wouldn’t have evolved the way it did, if it hadn’t been for…”
S: Symphony X. They brought the thing to a new level with their more recent material. You can be progressive and heavy.
If you had the chance to travel in time… where would you choose to go? To the past or the future and why?
S: I would go back in the 80s because I love that period of our history. It seems like a good time to be in a band.
Best pick-up line that has worked for you several times in the past?
S: Ha-ha, nothing comes to mind.
What’s the worst thing one can say right after sex?
S: Sorry…
You have the opportunity to have sex with a movie-celebrity/porn-star of your choice. Who would it be & why?
S: Kate Beckinsale, because… just because it’s Kate Beckinsale!
Imagine that your girlfriend is selling your whole album-collection just to buy an expensive ring for herself. How would you react? J
S: I wouldn’t date that type of girl. And if she did anyway because I wasn’t bright enough to see the girl’s crazy, I would simply ask her to leave and never come back. And keep the TV for myself as a compensation.
Thx for talking to Grande Rock, Simon. Wish you and your band the best for the future… Take care dude!
S: Thank you, it was a pleasure talking to you!