Paradoxant releases Deux

Paradoxant’s Antoine Meersseman found himself at a crossroads: he had a mostly-finished album of experimental alt-pop songs for Paradoxant’s second album, and his other band BRNS – which was his career for more than 10 years – had called it a day. So, he did what any sensible person would do under pressure, he ran for the hills. Swapping rehearsal studios and greenrooms, for sheepdogs and shears, Meersseman became a shepherd in the French Alps. It was initially meant as a temporary gig, for four months in 2023. But that soon changed: “I was out in nature, looking after 1,600 ewes, and I felt appreciation for more fundamental things and so realised that I no longer wanted to make music “professionally,” says the charismatic multi-instrumentalist, who fronts the Brussels-based three-piece, which is completed by Romain Benard (drums) and new member Lou Wéry (synth/vox/flute). “But I owed it to people who were involved to finish these songs,” says Meersseman. “And so, I reached a compromise: I decided to do contract work as a shepherd and use my time off to focus on Paradoxant. I find it a lot more fun this way: I’ve rediscovered the feeling of having a band as a passion and not as a job.”

Clearly, the frontman adjusting his relationship to music has paid off: The completed album, Deux (the follow-up to the critically acclaimed 2021 debut LP Earworm) sounds like the work of endlessly inspired souls. Protracted studio sessions, placing great emphasis on experimentation and the use of unusual instruments and sonic manipulation, were the foundation for the sonic alchemy performed within the pop mold. From there, Meersseman would allow the songs to take their final shape through age-old face-to-face collaboration...

Learn more about the album and the band by visiting our website.