It might be an unusual blog post.
But one always needs to start somewhere.
We’re still like many of us processing what’s happening in the world and more specifically what’s going on the other side of the Atlantic.
Maybe due to the state of our language and culture, and the history behind it, we’ve never considered our official country (France, to make things clear) like a perfect example of a democracy. Many things would need to radically change for that.
Now, we’ve entered 2025. Social media is everywhere. And for some people it’s even everything. This definitely saddens us, as it tends to be the opposite of what life and art is for us. Something complex, with layers, personal, enlighting. Something that is more of an experience, preferably a transformative one, than a result at a given moment.
Not only does it lack depth for what we want to bring into the world, but it’s never been so controlled.
The big question is, how do we proceed from there? And here, for charity, we mostly mean us, Astrakan Project, and the way we will carry on expressing our art for you to experience it.
Which “platform”, which media, which medium? So many questions. (Any suggestions welcomed)
We have loads of ideas for next albumS (yes, plural!), and still can’t even completely decide on the physical form for it. Digital obviously from the least controlling platform that we’ve used for all our releases. But maybe also directly from us?
A physical edition would be wonderful. But we can’t so far decide. Again, ideas welcome in the comments or via email astrakanproject@gmail.com.
But the rest? We have this website/blog.
We don’t own it completely, it’s still hosted. And it’s WordPress.
Writing takes time.
Reading takes time
And maybe we need to get back into a space in which we know we don’t have time for it all. We can’t be everything, everywhere for everyone. That’s a sure creativity killer. And maybe even a humanity killer.
All of this to say, you might have noticed (or not, even better !),we barely post anymore on social media. We closed our accounts on Twitter and Instagram – tbh we were not using them for long years already.
But we also almost stopped posting on Facebook, either on our page or personal accounts. Just announcements for gigs like in the old times.
For the most part, we stopped sharing anything creative or creating anything to post in there. And we have no plans of changing that.
At this point, there are other social alternatives, popping around. But they all are still just that. Social media that will generally lack the depth that enriches life.
We long for conversations. For connections.
And that’s what we’re focusing on now. On stage gigs, traveling to meet people, organisers – instead of reaching out via email. And it’s changing our life. At least it’s making it richer and more fulfilling.
We’ll obviously continue with videos. Because, that’s my passion, you know! So plenty is possible online.
Like our Wild Live Songs project.
Like video projects.
Like writing about cultures and languages.
Like collaborative video projects.
So much to be created and shared!
Today, we’re still under the sun in Portugal, and enjoying that time to do some paint jobs on our old camper van that were impossible in Brittany – well, it’s been rainy you know!
And while I’m waiting for the paint to dry, I realized this is also part of who we are as artists. Completely reconstructing an old camper van so that we can travel and create from anywhere is who we are.I
It’s what allows us to create independently, as freely as we can.
Our music doesn’t come from fancy studios, from well-financed productions with public founding, or from the external expectations that those well founded projects always imply.
It comes from making it work. From making choices daily that will make it possible for us to continue, and for our music to exist in the physical world we live in.
Some days, it comes from fixing the paint on your old camper van – but under the Portuguese sun ☀️
Take care, stay creative, stay independent, but mostly, find joy in daily life!
A galon, Simone
. astrakan project . 