Pyramid and ArianeGroup, reaching for the stars together

Pyramid is one of the leading lights of the French electronic music scene. The man behind the music is also a huge space enthusiast. For the anniversary of the first Ariane rocket launch, ArianeGroup set him the challenge of (re)telling 40 years of space history in an exclusive EP*. Here he answers questions about the composing of this anniversary mini-album and what inspired it.

How did you react when the project was put to you?

I was extremely surprised, and greatly honored.

Because ArianeGroup is a major aerospace player, and because I have always been very influenced by space myself, I felt privileged to be given the chance to do this; I wanted to get on with it straight away and give it all I could.

Did you know of ArianeGroup before?

Of course! It’s the vision of space in Europe. Even when I was little, I knew that there was a rocket called Ariane and I could imagine it blasting off.

Where does your enthusiasm for space come from?

A lot from science fiction, of course, probably like many people from Star Wars and Alien, films that had an enormous impact on me, both visually and because they create an indelible impression of the mysterious dimension of space, infinite and untameable.

How would you describe your music?

Mostly aerial, but often spacey too; the two mix quite well in my opinion, and they are linked in a logical, scientific way.

What are the similarities between good music and a successful lift-off?

The sensation of rising, a breathless progression leading to a successful entry into orbit.

Good music rises up to a climax. The goal is to maintain the tension, keeping it interesting and rich, so that when you get to the climax it’s really effective. That’s one of the biggest challenges when composing music.

What made you want to collaborate on 2 different tracks with Lucas Nätcher?

Working with Lucas Nätcher was the best way to highlight the fact that ArianeGroup is a Franco-German group. We had to find a way to reflect this in the album. Us collaborating felt natural. I loved his band Fenster, so I thought that I could contact him to see if he was interested in the project, and he was. Then everything was simple: we met in the studio, shared ideas and thought about themes together.

What struck you most when visiting ArianeGroup’s workshops?

The sheer size of the rockets, 50 meters if I remember right, impressed me – that’s a massive 780 tons lifting off! The scale seems beyond human to me and yet this is achieved by human beings. It really amazes me to see what people can do together.

* Extended Play (musical recording between the length of a single and a full album).

The Making Of

Come behind the scenes to find out more about how this mini-album was composed and produced. A form of emotion-based science as fascinating as rocket-building.