[INTERVIEW] French music venue Stereolux showcases Korean tunes beyond K-pop

Nantes is embracing Korean music beyond K-pop, with music venue Stereolux collaborating with the Korean culture festival "Printemps Coréen" to explore Korean music. Laurent Mareschal, president of Stereolux, is excited to discover new bands.

President of Stereolux Laurent Mareschal met with the Korea JoongAng Daily in Mapo District, western Seoul, on Nov. 8. [PARK SANG-MOON]

K-pop is having its moment in the world right now, but Nantes, a quirky and energetic cultural hub in western France, has its sights set on more than just BTS and Blackpink when it comes to Korean music.

From traditional geomungo (a traditional Korean six-stringed zither) performances to local indie, electronic and rock — and of course, K-pop — this traditional French enclave is exploring Korean music from all its angles through festivals, concerts, contests and dance lessons.

One of the people driving the city’s diverse music scene is Laurent Mareschal, president of music venue Stereolux at Nantes He is also responsible for casting musical acts for the local arts festival, “Les Nefs Nantes.” Next year, the festival is slated to collaborate with a Korean culture festival in Nantes, “Printemps Coréen,” or Korean Spring, headed by E’ Joung-ju, a geomungo player living in the French city.

“I am always looking to discover new music all around the world,” Mareschal told the Korea JoongAng Daily in an interview on Nov. 8. “And while K-pop is everywhere and very popular in France as well, I am more interested in discovering bands that reflect the identity and style of the festivals we do at Nantes.”

A scene of "Printemps Coréen" at Stereolux in 2019 [PARK SANG-YUN]

Nantes, in the words of Mareschal, who was born and raised in the city, is a “strange but wonderful” place.

It used to be a shipyard until factories closed in the 1990s and the area became an industrial wasteland. The city government, however, started an urban renewal project that transformed Nantes into one of the most culturally vibrant and innovative cities in France.

Stereolux in Nantes, France [STEREOLUX]

Stereolux was founded in 2011. It has two performance halls and a single exhibition space that welcome around 160,000 visitors annually. It opts to support young artists, with around 35 percent of them based locally. Some acts that have performed at Stereolux include Icelandic singer-songwriter Asgeir Trausti, French singer Claire days and American rock band Blonde Redhead.

The venue has hosted Korean Spring in the past as well as other K-pop contests and dance lessons.

Inside a performance venue of Stereolux in Nantes, France [STEREOLUX]

Stereolux, according to its website, strives to be as inclusive and future-oriented as possible by holding cultural workshops, working with charities and schools, and raising societal questions by combining art and technology. Foremost, it strongly believes that art is for everybody.

“I don’t think art is for consuming,” Mareschal said. “At Stereolux, we try to eliminate that dividing line between artists and audience. There are no stars and fans; rather, it's a community here where everybody feels open to express his or her selves.”

Les Machines de l'Île, which hosts “Les Nefs Nantes” festival, is a large tourist site adjacent to Stereolux. Where they used to make ships, now they make larger-than-life machines in the form of animals and insects. Its walking three-story mechanical elephant is one of the iconic images of Nantes.

Les Machines de l'ile in Nantes, France [LES MACHINES DE L'ILE]

“The city has a reputation for having plenty to see,” Mareschal said. “People who come to Nantes don’t regret it.”

The Korea JoongAng Daily sat down with Mareschal at its office in Mapo District, western Seoul, on Nov. 8, to discuss his visit to Korea as well as key factors behind Nantes’ transformation. The interview has been edited for clarity.

You have many roles in Nantes. Please introduce yourself to our readers.

Stereolux is a venue run by a non-profit association named Songo, of which I am the president. Songo also organizes an annual festival named Scopitone.

Songo was created in 1996 to run a smaller venue — l’Olympic. Scopitone festival was launched in 2001, and Stereolux was opened in 2011.

Stereolux and Scopitone's main fields of activity are music in a wide variety of genres and digital arts. We have shows and exhibitions. We are also strongly committed to attracting diverse audiences to our shows and work a lot with other facilities such as schools and charities. We try to implement the conviction that art is for everybody.

I also cast musical acts to perform at a live arts festival called "Les Nefs Nantes" at Les Machines de I’ile, and I am a music programmer for Euradio which airs in 16 cities across France.

What brings you to Korea?

My work at Les Machines de l'Île is the main reason for my trip to Korea. Next year, we are going to collaborate with "Printemps Coréen," a 10-year-old Nantes festival aiming at a better knowledge of Korean Culture. This festival is headed by E’ Joung-ju, a geomungo player living in Nantes. Stereolux has also hosted this festival in the past.

I am here to seek out some possible talents to perform at this festival next year. I have met some and already have a few in mind!

What are some things that you see as key to creating a city like Nantes, now known as a hub of culture and music? Regional cities like Pohang and Busan are also trying to become cultural hubs. What advice or tips do you have?

Though I am not very familiar with the individual situations of these regional cities in Korea, in Nantes, I believe it was a combination of time and work over some 40 years.

Nantes used to be a shipyard until it closed in 1987. Before that, whenever a new ship was being launched, thousands of city locals would gather to see the new ship going to sea. Making ships was a special and important part of the city’s identity. You never make the same ship twice, and the craftsmen behind the ships, as well as the locals, carry great pride in their shipbuilding identity. Now, at the places where ships used to be made, we make this huge art, inspired by our shipbuilding identity. So people today gather to see art and experience cultural events, but the idea is still the same: They are coming to see what the city is making best.

There was also a long-term political drive. Jean-Marc Ayrault was the city's mayor for three consecutive terms, from 1989 to 2012. Architects Alexandre Chemetoff and Patrick Henry were commissioned for the renovation of the cityscape who worked to maintain the city’s identity in their work process. There was also a collective effort from the people who embraced the government’s effort to culturally revitalize the city.

What are some of your favorite Korean acts?

As a music programmer for a radio program that is channeled in 16 cities across France, I am always looking to discover new music.

I like Airy, who sings “Soulful Energy Exchange,” as well as Haepaary and Leenalchi.

This is something personal, but I really enjoy listening to music that incorporates local traditions and cultures that I don’t know. For instance, a band like Haepaary incorporates very traditional Korean sounds but interprets them in a new way. I find that interesting.

What I think is wonderful about music is that it can always be new yet familiar. So I love music that teeters around that line of being new yet familiar.

My work at the radio also has me looking for new music to play. We have a policy of playing works by younger artists and playing songs that are not in English. So we try to use music as a way of letting people know about other cultures.

BY LEE JIAN [lee.jian@joongang.co.kr]