Manu Ribot
by Mister Mime
16th July 2021
In his latest album ‘Speechless’, Belgian guitarist and musician Manu Ribot takes us on an experimental sonic sojourn inspired by things that leave him…speechless! In this blatantly instrumental soundtrack of stupefaction, Manu unforgivingly takes on various horrible, ludicrous and broken aspects of the modern system with a subtle sprinkle of Belgian wit, plenty of attitude, and both his middle fingers perpetually raised. In today’s increasingly flattering musical landscape, ‘Speechless’ is a breath of fresh air that won’t fail to raise a question or strike a chord, or a few, in the listener’s mind.
MM: Why did you decide to call the album “Speechless”? What is the theme/concept of the record?
MR: I decided to call the album « Speechless » for two reasons, first I wanted to use this picture I had taken of that antic metal diabolic face, something to tie curtains that I used to play with when I was a kid (it explain a lot hahaha) and it’s facial expression explain that speechless feeling perfectly, in addition, to have a very mysterious side, secondly it was the beginning of the Covid pandemic here in Europe and I was speechless hearing the news from Italy (where it really started in Europe) where people died in numbers, helpless.
So I decided to do tracks to express a few things or situations that leave me speechless.
MM: Do you have any interesting incidents or challenges you faced during the making of the album? How did the pandemic affect your creative process?
MR: The Pandemic affected big time the creative process and even started the album creation because when everyone had to be locked at home I decided to do an album instead of going crazy.
The most challenging thing I had to do was playing keyboards myself on this record, as I had never touched this instrument in my life, it was thrilling to try to put my fingers at the right place (or wrong) and find sounds on the crappy keyboard my landlord lent me. Passing the signal through my guitar pedalboard helped a bit hahaha.
The mixing process was also a challenging thing to do as I’m totally self-taught in music. I’m lucky I could benefit from advice from sound and musical genius Pierre Vervloesem, he took part in the EQ and mastering of this record for the best.
MM: Do the tracks have any stories behind their names or their making? {Some VERY intriguing names here: I Menemy; Petroleumweg; Sales Riot, “The Grand Puke Of Luxembourg”, Plastic Continent, Estimado Weon, Karoshi, Enemy Awards, Flaw Enforcement…I guess I’m curious about all of the titles :D}
MR: Titles of the tracks explain things that leave me speechless, it could be very horrible things or totally ludicrous ones.
I Menemy: Menemy is the new word (Newspeak in 1984 book) that the new feminists (or Feminazis) use to describe white males over 50, that they consider them all non-vegan, homophobic, rapists, polluter with Diesel trucks, racists, unyielding machos, intolerants … As a white male over 50, it’s a polite musical way to tell them to f**k off.
Petroleumweg : (Petrol street) It’s a street in the port of Rotterdam along the Shell co. Headquarter where I used to go work for a while, I always thought it’s one of the most ludicrous names for a street, despite it describes the surrounding very well. Musically it is more the travel of petrol from the Middle East to the fuel tank.
Sales Riot: Twice a year here in Europe you have sales days and every time on the first day at the opening of the shops people queue up then run in the shop and fight each other to be the first to buy crap or branded goods for a little bit cheaper than usual… it’s always a pleasure to watch images on TV of those undignified buyers behaving worse than animals.
The Grand Puke Of Luxembourg: It is a wordplay with the Grand Duke of Luxembourg who is the « king » of this small European state. This state is a tax heaven used by big corporations, foreign investors, even mafias for tax evasion and money laundry all of this with the blessing of the European Union. So everything is fine for those users (then the joyful track) all those corrupted companies go there to puke their colossal amount of stolen money.
Plastic Continent: A musical vision of the plastic pollution of the oceans… the « drums » at the beginning of the track are made with plastic objects sounds. I’m very proud of that track.
Estimado Weon: from Chilean language (i worker 1 year in Chile) in English it means « dear arsehole » it’s an answer to arrogant people who think because they have diplomas, good job and money they are superior and treat others like half-slaves… another musical way to tell them to f**k off with the polite formula those people are accustomed to. My first and only keyboard solo, first take, very proud of it!
Karoshi: is the Japanese word for people who under permanent stress die suddenly at work. I was very closed to that point as I did three burn-outs in 4 years…
Ennemy Awards: It’s about all those « artistic » competitions nonsense, they organise all those silly events but it’s just a total waste, waste of money, waste of time, waste of energy, the only thing revealed through those events is all the competitors are just here for silly fame and show their total lack of artistic creation. it’s a gigantic buffoonery they seem to be proud of... party time!
Flaw Enforcement: another play with words… it is mostly enforcement of my « flaws », a lot of people tell me that I should do more cinematic music, long and atmospheric sounds for movie soundtracks… instrumental music is not a movie soundtrack! And I do what I want.
Anti Homeless Architecture: you didn’t mention it in your question. It’s about all those new features that appeared to chase homeless people from towns they, unfortunately, surviving in… what f**k*d up mind came with these evil ideas, what kind of moronic mayors paid for having these devices installed in their towns, mostly located in places you could find a bit of warmth or a brief shelter when it rains. Why those people who lost everything should be persecuted without end by a society which already disposed them of their dignity? It makes me really angry.
MM: Can you elaborate a bit about how you created the album in reverse, from the last (title) track to the intro?
MR: It even started with the cover of the album (that speechless facial expression that gave the album title)… that is the starting point.
Then this led me to the title track of the album that sounded to me as «the last album track », then I decided to go from last to the first song (why not?), it is always good to work under little (or big) constraints, it forced you to stay focus on your goal and give the album a kind of unity. (I did my previous album from first to last track).
It also gives you a good direction to follow and to have a more fluid listening of the album, « ok I did a slow track now the album needs something faster... » it’s like using a map.
MM: Can you tell us about your musical background, and how your journey into music began?
MR: I’ve been exposed to rock music very early in life by my sister who is 10 years older than me, my first big thing was Alice Cooper School’s Out album around 1972, my sister explaining to me what meant the album’s title (I’m french…) I was seven years old and totally agreed with that. I dreamt to play the drums like the intro of Public Animal N°9, but you know how it could be when living in a flat from a modest family in France… it stayed a dream to this day.
In these early 70s, the music that turned me on was mostly Glam Rock, Bowie, Sweet, Slade, I never had any likes for french music which to this day remains crap and boredom to me. The biggest musical shock I ever had was Raw Power from Iggy And The Stooges I think it was around 1976, for the first time I heard something that was expressed perfectly the way I felt inside in those days despite I had no knowledge of the English language, I was around 11 years old.
MR: Then Punk rock exploded and all those bands full of energy cleaned the scene with an incredible variety of musical styles and visions, while listening to the Sex Pistols, Ramones, Nina Hagen, or Devo on the other side I discovered Frank Zappa, Captain Beefheart or Jimi Hendrix, and the eclectic musical discovery continues to this day.
At a young age from 6 to 10, I’ve been introduced to musical knowledge with lessons on music theory and violin by an old teacher that used to beat the pupils with an old bow, it was so stressful that after that I forgot all of it. Around 15 my brother had an electric guitar so I learned how to play it while listening to punk rock records and trying to replicate the same noise, et voilà.
I played a lot live in the 90s mainly in the Brussels area getting experience and learned what I didn’t want to do anymore musically. I haven’t played in many bands, just avoiding morons or musical mercenaries and bands with no vision. That’s why I do my records alone now. I’ve just joined a Brussels-based instrumental dark rock band that has a vision, the musicians are charming and organized people it is called Generator, I’m happy I can play live again!
MM: What were your biggest influences for this album and through your life?
MR: The biggest influence while doing this album was «maybe this track will be the last, maybe in two weeks time I will be dying at the hospital from that virus ».
I do music mostly to impress and please myself, if I don’t do it, who will? If on the other end if my music can please some of my friends, mission accomplished.
MM: What inspires you outside of music: places, things and people from other disciplines and walks of life?
MR: I don’t think of what inspires me, it comes or doesn’t come, I do and while doing, things come together, whatever they are, they are welcome.
Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t hahaha. The most unexpected things always worked for me...
The goal of all my records is always the same, it has to sound like me and no one else, of course, there are influences.
Sometimes I think more like a painter, it is no use in doing the same painting, isn’t it? it is no use to do a copy of a painting from another painter either, my style would be a naive over-colourful mess.
MM: Can you tell us about the album artwork? And who made it?
GS: The artwork comes from a picture I took at my sister place of that diabolic face that I used to play with when I was a kid, I worked on it with photoshop until I said « that’s it, that’s the cover of the album ». Done!
I like tweaking images with photoshop.
MM: What do you like to do apart from making music?
GS: I like electric guitars, I’m actually learning how to build electric guitars with a professional luthier, that’s the job I intend to do in the close future. I use to assemble quite a few Fender-ish guitars and basses, now it’s time to build from scratch but unlike the majority of guitar builders who show figure woods and mother of pearl nonsense I intend to do simple instruments, efficient with a vintage toy appeal and cheap to buy… wish me good luck!
You Can Follow Manu Ribot on:
https://stilll-off.bandcamp.com/album/speechless
http://off-recordlabel.blogspot.be
https://www.facebook.com/Alinovsky
All Images courtesy of Manu Ribot
