Music from another world.
ALCEST was founded in 2000 by songwriter and
multi-instrumentalist Neige and later joined by drummer
Winterhalter in 2009. Labeled as pioneers of post
metal/shoegaze or “blackgaze”, ALCEST crafted a unique
sound based on musical opposites from their very first EP
“Le Secret” (2005), and through their full-length releases
“Souvenirs D'Un Autre Monde” (2007), “Écailles De Lune”
(2010) and “Les Voyages De L'Ame” (2012). Since its
beginnings, the conceptual project is based on a personal
spiritual experience portrayed by Neige in the otherworldly
melodies and lyrics of the band.
In 2014 their 4th album “Shelter” marked the band's
departure from the metal sound, in favor of dream-pop
aesthetics, while the follow-up "Kodama" (2016), was
inspired by Hayao Miyazaki's anime "Princess Mononoke”
and picks up on the fate of a protagonist dealing with the
sensation of not belonging and living in between worlds.
The album marked the group’s return to the style of its early
works.
After excessive touring, Neige felt exhausted and faced the
darker aspects of his personality. While fighting to
reconnect with his spiritual essence, he wrote the most
cathartic record to date, “Spiritual Instinct”. The 1st album
to be released via Nuclear Blast in 2019, melts the heavy
and lighter aspects of the band and sounds darker than
most of its predecessors while dipping ALCEST’s toes in a
multitude of styles without ever fitting in – and therefore
proving them once again as pioneers of their own genre.
Neige : guitars/bass, synths and vocals
Winterhalter : drums
