“Messing around on my synthesizers, when a sound gives me butterflies inside, it’s usually a great sign that it’s the right one to express what I’m feeling. I think it’s important to stay open – it can lead to great, unexpected results – and that applies to everyday life too,” says Guillaume, aka Milaue, who is just about to release his debut album florale on August 15th. His way of speaking, much like his sound, feels both comforting and alive — a quiet kind of honesty that draws you in without asking for attention.
As we talk, I’m listening to the soothing sounds of “Mournful” – a track as calming and invigorating as a walk through the forest. It was born from a place of sadness, but you can feel how it offers both artist and listener a quiet kind of hope.
We talked to the talented Canadian artist about his songwriting process, the time he fell out of love with electronic music – and what drew him back in – and why slowing down and letting go has become such an important part of his journey.
photography by Catherine and Guillaume
Hey dear Guillaume, Your track Mournful is playing right now – it’s truly beautiful. I love how it builds up – all the different sounds that slowly emerge and interact with each other, and the calm, flowing vibe of the song. It’s just perfect for escaping everyday life, tuning out the noise of the world, and recharging with new energy.
You once told me that you actually wrote the track during a sad moment – at least the beginning. And later, the more hopeful part came into it. Would you like to share what that sad moment was about, or is it too personal?
Thanks for the kind words about Mournful and for having me! Absolutely, I was coming back from an appointment with my therapist and I felt really sad. Back home, I started playing on the piano just to let go of my emotions and slowly discovered a little melody that made me feel hopeful to overcome that sadness. While adding more parts later to the starting point, I ended up with a full track that I kept listening to when I much needed to slow down from this fast-going life.
Do you notice that effect right away when you write a song – that the emotion somehow gets released through the process?
I am a highly sensitive person so most of the time yes. I am amazed by the power of music and sounds that shape our feelings into something near tangible. It has always been a relief for me listening to different artists to help me process my feelings. I didn’t expect to have that same effect when I started writing my own tracks, it’s been a beautiful discovery for me.
“I was first exposed to electronic music during high school, discovering Scooter’s old techno albums.”
We can hear a recording of your girlfriend Catherine laughing with your friends in Mournful. I love that intimate detail – how did that recording end up in the track? Was it spontaneous or planned?
It was really spontaneous! I was looking through old videos that I took last summer and I liked the fact that I filmed with no intentions that we were having fun during the car ride. I added light effects and chopped a couple of audio parts of them laughing. Just for fun, I added it in Mournful as I felt the track was missing something and found that it was a nice addition as it blends more happiness into it. You can also hear them say my first name, Guillaume, towards the end of the track – it represents a gentle reminder when someone calls you to stop overthinking ;)
Do you usually have a clear vision of what a track will become, or does it evolve naturally as you go?
Most of the time it evolves naturally as I dive deeper during the creative process. While a couple of projects were clear ideas from the beginning, I found myself reworking them to better fit my overall vision for a track. Messing around on my synthesizers, when a sound gives me butterflies inside it’s usually a great sign that it’s the right one to fit what I want to express. I think it’s important to stay open – it can lead to great unexpected results (and this applies to everyday life too!).
You’ve already released other beautiful tracks, like Good Memories, Fervid, You Made It, and more. Which of your own songs feels most personal to you, and why?
Fervid is very personal for me. It’s a track I use to describe myself. It blends all the elements of my personality which range from calm all the way up to an euphoric feeling. I tend to be very thrilled when someone or something makes me passionate about them, sometimes to the point that I get shy about assuming it. The rhythm of the bass line with the synth melody is something that makes me thrilled to the point I could be in a flow state all day long listening to that. Plus, the simple vocal line saying “High’s and Low’s, one more night” reflects the aftermath of that excitement when I need to slow down but I don’t want to because it’s too good, oops! :)
“Fervid is very personal for me – it blends all the elements of my personality, which range from calm all the way up to an euphoric feeling.”
Where do you usually write your songs – is it at home?
And when do you feel most creative – early in the morning or more at night?
My home is surrounded by a small beautiful forest on a country road – it’s where I write all of my songs. I’ve always been a night owl and when the night comes in, it’s the moment that I feel the most creative mainly because of the calm vibe from the world outside that surrounds me.
Do you have any small rituals or habits that help get you into a creative flow?
That’s a good question I never thought about! A funny ritual that I have is preparing myself a lovely warm cup of herbal tea that I always end up forgetting about because during the time it infuses, I begin work on my music projects. When it’s time to pack up my gear, I remember my cup of tea – now cold. I enjoy it cold anyway afterward and usually those are the nights when my creative flow was at its best.
How did you get into music in the first place? Did you have any professional training, or are you self-taught?
Since I was young, my dad always played jazz music, mostly on bass guitar. My uncle played guitar and sang traditional folk music. I remember loving listening to them play, feeling the vibration coming from the sound of the instrument amplifiers. The funny thing is my dad offered to teach me some instruments and musical stuff but I always declined. Later on, I am all self-taught from the ground up. I try to combine the influence of heavy bass that I heard my dad play many times with the happier root folk melodies of my uncle, all of that on my electronic taste of music.
“My home is surrounded by a small beautiful forest on a country road – it’s where I write all of my songs.”
And what drew you specifically to electronic music?
I was first exposed to electronic music during high school discovering Scooter’s old techno albums while my friends were listening to rock/pop music. Over time, I listened to different styles of music to build my own taste and slowly lost interest in electronic music because what I only knew back then was really high bpm techno or chillout slow music that I found was missing the emotional parts of music I liked from other genres. Later on, after always watching the synth guy playing while attending many different live shows, I decided to buy a small Korg synth to mess around with. That renewed my love for electronic sounds and I began to gain interest in producing my own style blending different elements in it. That’s how Milaue, my musical project, was born.
Which songs are you currently working on? Can you share a bit about them?
I am very happy to tell you that I finished my debut album a couple of weeks ago. It is named florale and will be out on August 15th. It features some slower and faster tracks with a touch of classical instruments accompanying sweet synth lines, drum machine and more to fit my emotive vision of electronic music. It’s 12 tracks that I made over the last two years that helped me get through a very rough period of my life living with an anxiety disorder. Some days I was so anxious that making music was the only thing that I could do to calm myself down by escaping reality. I am very proud to share florale with you all in August!
“Happiness is everywhere in everything, but you can also miss it if you don’t pay attention because you think that you want more.”
I am also curious – what does your artist name Milaue mean or stand for?
Milaue is a combination of letters from my first name, Guillaume. The way to pronounce it is like the word “mellow,” which also describes myself. In contrast to my anxiety, I am a very gentle and soft person. It’s something I am happy to be in this beautiful but hard world sometimes.
What’s something you’re still learning or trying to understand about yourself?
Slowing down and letting go in everything. The more you hold on to, the more it can hurt in the end. I like to chill down, but sometimes it’s easier said than done. Learning about living a slower yet meaningful life.
And finally… Happiness is…?
Happiness is in the small things for sure! The pleasure of sitting down and doing nothing while watching the sky, eating your favourite foods, playing your best songs, telling someone kind words, finding the beauty in the colours of flowers, doing something you love, ordering a fresh cold ice cream – and the list goes on! Happiness is everywhere in everything, but you can also miss it if you don’t pay attention because you think that you want more.
Follow Milaue for more:
www.instagram.com/milaue________/
