Eugène Blove is a multifaceted French artist who connects the dots between brooding abstraction, electronic aggression and wistful neofolk in the most captivating way. Smashing all conventions, Blove explores the fragmented realms of modern (dark-) pop and dysfunctional electronics, inviting us on a journey of cathartic abandon and deep introspection.
Can you tell us about your background? Where and how did you get into music?
I don’t come from a musical family, but my mom played piano a little at home, which intrigued me from a very young age. I started piano lessons when I was six and took up the guitar at thirteen when I got into rock music and bands like Nirvana, Sonic Youth, Pixies, and Radiohead.
Your work is multifaceted and incorporates video, text, and installations. How is a project born? Do you feel that an idea finds its appropriate medium, or is it the other way around? How do the various forms of expression come to life in your work?
Writing has always been a big part of my life, ever since my teenage years. That’s why I studied journalism—I thought, if I don’t become a recognised artist, at least I can write about them. But I got bored with the world of journalism and its certainties. That’s when I developed an interest in performance, especially the Body Art movement, and artists like Marina Abramovic, Vito Acconci, Chris Burden, and Genesis P-Orridge. They were dealing with issues of risk, fear, danger and sexuality at a time when the body was threatened by these issues, which are still relevant today. It gave me the freedom to use any medium that I felt could accurately express the duality of an idea.
You were also active as a member of Post / None. Does solo work fit you better?
It doesn’t, but it allows me to be as honest as I can without being compromised by others’ DNA.
What does introspection mean to you in music? What themes and moods are you looking for?
My music reflects my endless internal conflict between the longing for silence and the rage of unspeakable lyricism. It’s a repercussion of my imperfections, my anomalies, my deformities. A clinical slate that serves as an attempt to discard safety, pragmatism and the logic of order.
“Grace and terror laced into one”. From your liner notes accompanying your album “As if”. Do you think these words describe your work well?
A few years ago, I did a performance about the concept of “Negative Sublime”. Art is mostly harmless, even decorative, whereas I think that the real goal of art is to incite and carry out acts of war.
What are some of your current inspirations? (in general)
Public humiliation, wellness influencers, and dogs.
What projects are you working on at the moment?
I’m currently working on a new track with DJ and producer Lux18, which should come out soon. I’m also working on a video clip with director Anton Bialas for a song called “I have nothing to say (but I want people to know it)”. And I’m also looking for a booker who can get me to Coachella.