Les Gordon: Classic guy goes electric

Album covers of Françoise // Brigitte and Marathon Man. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The cover of the album Françoise // Brigitte features two young women, and was sung by two young women, in French. Do women also inspire your creation? If so, what kind of women are your muses?

Yes actually I made an album called Les Cheveux Longs, it was inspired by a girl with long hair. I think many things can inspire me like movies, or paintings or photographies. I really liked all 60's, 70's movies, like those by Jean Luc Godard, François Truffault or Alfred Hitchcock too. I have nostalgia for this period. I think it was cool.

I really like female singers like Françoise Hardy, Nico and Sibylle Baier too.

The single, Marathon Man seems to be a good song for running. Is this why you gave it the name?

Yes! You can run with this song. I was thinking that Marathon Man was a good name because when I composed the song, I was very dynamic and the mood was very cool on this song. It's many experimental side chained guitar effects.

How do you name your music? Do you compose around the theme (the title), or do you name the song after you composed it?

I have no process of naming my music. Maybe sometimes I think it's fortuity. I called a song Bill Murray, cause I was watching some great movie like Lost in Translation and it featured him. Another time I called a song Les Cheveux Longs cause I was inspired by the very long hair of a girl.

Are there any musicians that you like in particular?

Four Tet was my first influence. But I have a lot and very different ones, like Elliot Smith, Sufjan Stevens, Mura Masa, recently made in Heigts, Bibio, Lxury, etc.

What's your plan for your next album, or the projects you're working on? Can you introduce them to us a little bit?

My next album will be released in September. I have some gigs in France for May and June and I will work on my official album for maybe 2017.

How do you feel about your China tour?

China was great. I played two times in Beijing and Xi'an and I felt people were connected with my music, so I really appreciated it. I would love to come to China again!