Jérémie Ternoy — Ça commence par la marche

An immobile, organic trance, between micro and macro. Ça commence par la marche celebrates detail — its construction and its gradual rise in intensity. An eminently monumental edifice.

One Pianist, Two Pianos

Born in 1977 and based in the Hauts-de-France region, Jérémie Ternoy has been developing, for more than twenty years, a demanding body of work in which composition and collective energy engage in dialogue. With a career marked by major collaborations — from MAGMA to projects such as the Organik Orkeztra, his trio, or the group TOC — he makes Ça commence par la marche a synthesis of his artistic explorations. The album is an immersive experience where repetition becomes movement, and movement becomes sonic architecture.

Walking as a Foundational Principle

“Richard Lee calculated that a Bushman child will be carried over a distance of 7,900 km before beginning to walk alone. During this rhythmic phase, he will constantly name the elements of his territory, and it is impossible that he will not become a poet.”

— Bruce Chatwin, The Songlines

To walk is to place one foot after the other, slowly, and to observe the world at the pace of one’s movement. Each gesture transforms perception, and attention shifts along with motion. At the piano, the hammer falls under the force of gravity, propelled again by the body’s energy. Playing becomes walking; walking becomes listening. Apparent stillness gives way to a gradual awakening in which every variation reveals new nuances.

13 Notes – An Organic Sonic Architecture

At the heart of the piece lies a single motif of 13 notes, played in a loop by the two pianos — the guiding thread of the entire work. Two drum kits, two basses, three voices, and three wind instruments gradually emerge as extensions of the piano, taking up and transforming the motif until they gain independence. Each prolongs, amplifies, or shifts the original cell, contributing to the collective progression of the music.

“Two legs to move forward, two pianos, one in each hand. Instrumental symmetry in its simplest form unfolds, weaving layers and mirror effects. A dazzling sonic mirage, a loss of bearings in favor of a sensation of organic movement. From trance to awakening, the ear opens to the finest details, endlessly hearing and discovering new motifs.”

A Luminous Trance

Influenced by repetitive music and cyclical rhythms, Ça commence par la marche builds a slow and inexorable rise. Like the vertiginous perspectives of M. C. Escher, the ear navigates between micro-details and the broader vision. Apparent stillness reveals continuous motion. The trance is not spectacular: it is interior, organic, evolving. The listener is invited into active listening, where each variation shifts perspective.