Interview met Neon Mirage

Vanuit de stad Brest, gelegen in het noordwesten van Frankrijk, produceert Neon Mirage vanuit zijn studio prachtige synthwave muziek. Na jaren van voorbereiding en het experimenteren met geluiden, bracht Neon Mirage dit jaar negen albums uit. Allemaal zeer de moeite waard om te beluisteren. Maar eerst, tijd voor een interview!

From the city of Brest, located in the northwest of France, Neon Mirage produces beautiful synthwave music from its studio. After years of preparation and experimenting with sounds, Neon Mirage released nine albums this year. All very worth listening to. But first, time for an interview!

Marc, thank you for having this interview. Can you please introduce yourself?
Hello, Sander! My name is Marc Simon, and in the music world, I am known as Neon Mirage. I live in the city of Brest, which is located in France.  

Congratulations with your new album ¨Diffused Frequencies¨, how was it to work on this album?
Thank you for the congratulations. I really appreciate it. I wanted to create something unlike myself - yet at the same time, something nostalgic. The work took a long time, with ideas layering on top of each other. Sometimes I had to sleep only 2–3 hours a night to bring another idea to life. Each track is like its own story, yet the album as a whole feels unified. I love experimenting with sound and textures. Sometimes I even go overboard, and the result turns out too "mechanical" or overly robotic.

Can you share with us your process in creating a new track?
I’ve decided to take a little break now. Over the past few months, I’ve released nine albums. However, the groundwork and experiments lasted for four years. In the end, it all culminated in nine full-fledged albums.  

When was your first encounter with synthwave music?
I got into synthwave music about ten years ago. A friend recommended it to me. I was already into techno, trance, space synth, a bit of new wave, and synth-pop. I really love electronic music and decided to try composing something myself.  

For the electronic music producers reading this interview, can you give us a look in your studio?
My studio is small. A good studio requires good money - such are the realities of life.

Being an independent producer, how do you promote your music and try to reach new listeners?
I try to distribute my music through my friend Alexander, who has a project called The Sound Archive. He does it better than I do, and I really enjoy working with him. For me, it's important that as many people as possible hear my work. I just want to share my ideas and thoughts with people through music.  

Can you share some of your other plans for this year with us?
As wise people say: If you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans. I'm afraid to plan things. Sometimes I just do, and that's it. The result comes on its own.  

What are your dreams for the future?
My only dream is for there to be no war and for there to be no one who provokes it. I envisioned my dreams for the future in the album Rebuild the Horizon.

What do you like most about the ´80s?
This is the era of VHS, cassettes, and neon. Experiments with synthesizers and sound. The birth of new musical styles. An era that will forever remain in the hearts of millions.

And finally, any last words?
Thank you for the opportunity to express myself. I wish every reader of your blog happiness and well-being.

Je kunt Neon Mirage volgen op:

• Bandcamp