23 October 2025
When French post-rock duo Sybax name their songs after English towns—Bolton, Poole, Fareham—it’s not wanderlust. It’s spite. These were supposed to be tour dates, twin cities of French venues where concerts fell through at the last minute. So Sylvain Tourgis and Josselin Châtel did what any rational musicians would do: turned geographic disappointment into industrial trip-hop. “Bolton” is no longer a town in Greater Manchester; it’s a Sybax track now.
This kind of stubborn alchemy defines TWIN, the duo’s second album and a sharp left turn from 2022’s meditative I Almost Had Everything. Where that debut felt contemplative, TWIN is confrontational—Godspeed You! Black Emperor if they’d grown up on The Prodigy instead of Slint. Tourgis handles programming and guitars from his day job-funded studio in Caen; Châtel’s bass anchors it all.
They’ve also got a “phantom EP” they recorded and essentially buried, which feels very on-brand for a band that releases 22-minute tracks in 2025. Getting them to talk wasn’t easy—between an ongoing fall tour and the general logistics of existing as a niche instrumental act in a streaming economy—but we eventually connected. What follows is a conversation about creative freedom, the tyranny of algorithms, and why making music for “discerning ears” beats chasing playlists.
Hello guys, thank you for finding the time to speak with me. I’ve been studying your history, and one thing struck me. You create incredibly high-quality music – post-rock, trip-hop, complex instrumental compositions. This requires enormous amounts of time, studio work, expensive equipment. But at the same time, you’re working in a niche that doesn’t get radio play, doesn’t make it into streaming service charts. Your music is for those who are ready to listen carefully, to immerse themselves. And there aren’t that many such people. How do you resolve this dilemma between creative freedom and the necessity of somehow surviving? And have you ever had to make compromises for commercial success?
For us, everything starts with a sincere desire: to create the music we dream of hearing. We don’t ask ourselves whether it will appeal to the greatest number of people. Our influences are very specific and we insist on this authenticity during the composition process; it’s non-negotiable. This approach is possible because music is our passion, not our livelihood. Having a job on the side is a choice that gives us absolute creative freedom to finance our projects. We believe that this sincerity can reach an audience that, like us, is looking for something else. The fact that we’re played on niche radio stations confirms this. Ultimately, our greatest satisfaction is to offer a unique universe, which may perhaps arouse curiosity.
Let’s get straight to the point – you’ve released a new album, TWIN. I’ve listened to it, and you know what? This is a completely different band compared to “I Almost Had Everything”. If the first album was like meditation, contemplative and gentle, then TWIN at times simply blows your mind. What happened to you over these two years? What made you change your approach to music so radically?
This project was born in the studio, but it was the stage that truly transformed it. Live performance was a turning point: we discovered that we took immense pleasure in playing rawer, more direct pieces. This new energy naturally changed our musical cohesion. Previously, for the album I Almost Had Everything, our method was quite sequential: one of us would compose a track, and the other would add their instrument. Today, the process is completely fusional. On TWIN, Josselin and I found a perfect balance where each element is co-constructed. The programming and the bass are no longer two separate layers, they are now one. It was while composing our EP ‘Réflexion’ that we understood that this osmosis was the key to creating a sound that is the representative sum of our two personalities.”
Aren’t you afraid that your old fans won’t understand such a transformation?
On the contrary! We would be much more worried if we released the same album twice. We sincerely believe that we are offering better music today, or at least more in line with what we have become. The worst thing for an artist is to remain compartmentalized. Personally, I want to be shaken up by the bands I listen to, that’s what makes music exciting. So yes, it may take some time to adapt, but the most discerning ears will easily recognize our signature. The intention behind the notes is the same, and that’s the main thing.
Let’s talk about the album TWIN itself. One detail caught my attention – the tracks are named after English towns: “Bolton”, “Poole”, “Fareham”. And you say these are twin towns of French cities where your concerts were supposed to be, but they were cancelled at the last moment. It turns out very symbolic – instead of playing music in these towns, you’ve turned them into music. “Bolton” is now not a town in England, but your track with industrial trip-hop. Is this like geographical revenge?
Thank you, I love your description! That’s exactly the idea: that “Bolton” becomes our sound universe before being a city in England. For the record, this title is indeed a wink, a sort of symbolic revenge linked to concerts that we had prepared enormously. It’s a way of transforming this energy into something creative. More generally, the choice of our titles is very instinctive. They are born from our conversations, from the state of mind in which we are immersed at the time of composition. It is a reflection of our inner ‘movement’.
I know you had some “phantom EP” that you recorded but never released. 100% electronic. And this reminds me of stories about how Radiohead recorded an album and burnt it, or how Kanye West was reworking “The Life of Pablo” even after release. But you simply took and… buried an entire album. That’s months of work! What was in there that was so problematic? Why were you afraid to release it? And honestly – don’t you regret it?
These tracks formed the basis of an EP that we practiced extensively on stage. The audience response was always excellent, which confirmed their potential. However, we felt a kind of dissatisfaction. Certain details, whether in the dynamics or the sound choices, did not seem completely finished. These tracks did not yet fully represent the direction we wanted to take. Rather than abandoning them, we saw them as promising sketches. For the TWIN album, we therefore completely rethought them, almost reinvented them. They have finally found their definitive form.
You’re from Caen. This isn’t Paris, London, or Berlin – musical capitals. It’s provincial. And yet you make music that sounds as if Nine Inch Nails were recording in space. How does the provinces affect your music? And are you planning to move somewhere with more of a music scene?
Yes, we’re based in Caen, and that’s a real asset for us. For creation and production, location doesn’t really matter anymore; we have total freedom. In fact, Caen offers us the best of both worlds. On the one hand, it’s a city on a human scale where it’s easier to stand out and develop a project without being drowned in an oversaturated scene like in Paris. On the other, we’re only two hours from the capital and other major cities. This gives us direct access to very dynamic scenes and a curious audience, used to discovering new artists. So we have the peace and quiet to create and the proximity to distribute our music. It’s a perfect balance.
The album has a 22-minute track “Relecture”. Twenty-two minutes! That’s longer than the average TV episode. And now, in the age of TikTok and 15-second clips, you’re recording 22-minute tracks. “Relecture” is almost a meditative experience. But the modern world doesn’t really lend itself to such slow consumption of music. How do you feel about the fact that your music demands time and patience from the listener? And do you create specifically for those people who are ready to truly listen?
This is ‘Reflexion (Réécriture)’, a new version of an older track, which is a project independent of the album. Its length is explained by our desire to create a fully immersive live performance. This approach is also in line with the tradition of some of our favorite styles, such as post-rock, where long formats are common to develop atmospheres. It’s true that the trend is towards short formats, but we don’t identify with this logic. We are convinced that our audience, both current and future, is looking for precisely this depth and is not put off by demanding formats. For us, making music is about offering a vision, not following an algorithm.
Josselin, you joined the project in 2019. Sylvain had “frozen” the project several times before that. Then the pandemic, cancelled concerts, isolation. And the music on the album is at times very dark, oppressive. And it seems to me that behind all this beautiful artwork with post-production and brilliant arrangements lies an ordinary story of two lads who had a really tough time. Especially when concerts were cancelled at the last moment. Were there moments when you wanted to give up everything? And how did you cope with depression and disappointment?
These are just minor setbacks we’ve faced, temporary disappointments. The project is driven by a medium-term vision at least. Sylvain is so prolific as a composer that I knew we’d bounce back with new pieces and have other concert opportunities. In fact, we’re scheduled to play in Vannes (twinned with Fareham) in November. Third time will be the charm.
TWIN has only just been released, it’s your second album, but it’s already clear that you won’t stop. And I’m curious – where are you heading next? Will you become even more radical? Or, on the contrary, will you try something more accessible?
For now, all our energy is focused on the stage. We’re starting a series of concerts for TWIN, and that’s our top priority. For us, the stage has always been a laboratory. It’s by playing the songs night after night, feeling the audience’s reaction, that new ideas and desires emerge. The next step will therefore emerge naturally. Will we take more pleasure in the raw, radical energy, or in the more atmospheric aspects? The live show will give us the answer. The future direction will be born from our concerts.
TWIN is very much studio music. After the story with the cancelled performances that gave the tracks their names, there’s probably some caution. But on the other hand, such music needs to be shown live – it’s created for immersion. Are you planning a tour in support of TWIN?
Yes, the stage is our main area of expression. We have a tour starting this fall and another one coming up for England in 2026. Our music, complex in the studio, was designed to be experienced live. We’re taking on the challenge of being a duo by enriching our performances with video projections to immerse the audience in our world. For us, promotion and distribution come first and foremost through the live experience.