In a bid to serve more of our loyal fans, we present to you the first of our bilingual interviews. Carried out in Angers, France by our correspondent Antoine, we hope to present a deeply personal look into the life of a producer we have come to know and love for equally intimate music, Hortense Coumailleau a.k.a Hydrangea.
FRANCAIS
1 – Quelle a Ă©tĂ© lâimpulsion de commencer Ă sortir tes propres productions? Ton 1er album sur Annulled Music a dĂ©finitivement marquĂ© les esprits, peux-tu nous en parler un peu plus ?
Jâai toujours Ă©tĂ© admirative et fascinĂ©e par les autres artistes, je cherchais Ă comprendre quel Ă©tait le processus pour crĂ©er un morceau, cela attisait Ă©normĂ©ment ma curiositĂ©.
Puis jâai aussi dĂ©couvert lâalbum de Voices From The Lake sur Prologue qui fut comme un Ă©norme Ă©lĂ©ment dĂ©clencheur. Cet album mâa Ă©normĂ©ment marquĂ©. Câest alors que jâai commencĂ© Ă vouloir moi aussi pouvoir crĂ©er mes propres morceaux et pouvoir partager mon univers Ă travers la musique. Maintenant je peux dire que câest la meilleure chose qui ait pu mâarriver et nâaurais jamais eu Ă lâidĂ©e, il y a 3 ans, que je puisse en arriver jusque lĂ un jour.
Mon album « Dawn Light » est dâailleurs constituĂ© de mes tous premiers morceaux, « First » trĂšs exactement dâoĂč le nom trĂšs recherchĂ©. Je dois dire que je suis trĂšs ravie du travail que jâai pu faire dessus, cet album est le fruit de plusieurs mois dâexploration et de dĂ©couvertes sonoresâŠ
2 – De Horty Shooter Ă Hydrangea, comment sâest passĂ© cette transition ? Le silence et la beautĂ© de la nature qui tâentoure tâinspirent beaucoup depuis longtemps, nâest-ce pas ? Quels liens tisses-tu avec ta musique?
TrĂšs simplement, lorsque jâai commencĂ© Ă goĂ»ter Ă la production, jâai su instinctivement que câĂ©tait vers ça que je voulais me diriger et que je mâen donnerai tous les moyens pour pouvoir partager au mieux ma vision du monde Ă travers la musique.
A ce jour, je mâoccupe uniquement de faire les artworks pour la chaĂźne de podcast Inveins, que je tiens avec mon amie Elena Iusco.
Ceux qui me suivent un peu savent que jâaime Ă©normĂ©ment la photographie et le fait de capturer de jolis bouts de nature, mes sources dâinspirations, que je prends plaisir Ă partager avec vous tous.
Jâai moi-mĂȘme beaucoup de difficultĂ©s Ă exprimer ce fort sentiment que jâai envers la nature, câest bien pour ça que je le fais Ă travers la musique ou la photo.
3 – Tu as signĂ© des morceaux et nombreux remix sur des labels trĂšs pointus et visionnaires musicalement comme Silent Season, Annulled Music, Dust Rec., Cenotaph ou plus rĂ©cemment sur Spagiria, un choix naturel? Des relations solides qui se sont crĂ©es au fil du temps?
Les choses se font tout naturellement et rapidement, sans que je nâai vraiment le temps de rĂ©aliser ce quâil mâarrive. Câest bien au-delĂ de toutes mes espĂ©rances et cela constitue mon bonheur de tous les jours.
Bien entendu des relations se crĂ©ent (bien que je sois une grande timide) et je trouve cela important quâelles se tissent bien mĂȘme avant une sortie, que ce soit pour lâartiste ou le gĂ©rant du label.
Dâailleurs Nacho, le label boss de Dust Rec., est dorĂ©navant mon manager et effectue un travail remarquable.
4 – Tes sonoritĂ©s Ă base de rythmiques solides, parfois trĂšs lentes, mĂȘlĂ©es Ă des atmosphĂšres trĂšs deep, parfois inquiĂ©tantes inspirent instantanĂ©ment Ă tâemporter loin, quâest ce qui tâinspire le plus dans le nature que tu enregistres et comment intĂšgres-tu cela Ă tes compositions?
A vrai dire, et toi mĂȘme tu le sais, je nâai quâĂ sortir dans mon jardin pour pouvoir profiter des sons que la nature offre. Comme je disais, il est difficile pour moi de dĂ©crire ce qui mâinspire dans la nature car câest un tout, de sa beautĂ© Ă sa force de rĂ©sistance Ă travers les saisons, ses parfums, ses couleurs, ses mouvements et ses formes⊠Tout est magique dans la nature et elle apporte Ă©normĂ©ment si on apprend Ă bien lâobserver.
5 – On a pu te voir un peu partout en France et en Europe, notamment au Tresor Ă Berlin, comment a Ă©tĂ© cette expĂ©rience?
Je nâai pas fait Ă©normĂ©ment de dates jusquâĂ prĂ©sent, bien que je reçoive de plus en plus de demandes et ce, pour mon plus grand bonheur.
En ce qui concerne le Tresor, cela restera bien évidemment une expérience inoubliable (et trÚs stressante, sachant que ce fut ma seconde date). Cela restera graver à jamais dans mon esprit.
6 – En dehors de la musique, quâas-tu lâhabitude de faire et as-tu des projets pour cette annĂ©e en termes de sorties (EP etc..)
Comme dit prĂ©cĂ©demment, jâai une autre passion pour la photographie. De par ce fait, jâaime passer Ă©normĂ©ment dans la nature, Ă lâĂ©couter ou bien Ă©couter une sĂ©lection « nature trip » prĂ©parĂ©e au prĂ©alable. De la pure mĂ©ditation.
Et bien que la vie ne soit pas toujours rose, jâessaie dâapprendre chaque jour Ă apprĂ©cier ce que la vie nous offre, Ă partir des choses simples qui nous entourent.
De nombreux projets sont en train de fleurir mais je prĂ©fĂšre garder le silence Ă ce sujet et garder la surprise pour le moment venu đ
7 – Peut-on prĂ©voir une Ă©ventuelle future collaboration sur un projet?
Absolument, je collabore depuis quelques mois avec Eric (la moitiĂ© dâAgnosia) sur un projet que nous avons baptisĂ© « A Beautiful Place ».
Sur ce projet, nous exprimons nos ressentis sur des lieux qui nous inspirent au plus haut point, réels ou fictifs.
Nous avons eu la chance de pouvoir sortir un premier morceau sur le projet dâAimĂ©e Portioli : One Instrument. Mais aussi un album qui verra le jour trĂšs prochainement đ
8 – Un mot de la fin? đ
Et bien, je tiens Ă remercier incommensurablement Ă toutes les personnes qui me soutiennent, et qui croient en moi⊠Chaque jour, je me rappelle Ă quel point jâai de la chance de vivre une telle aventure qui est, de loin, la plus belle que jâeus connue.
ENGLISH

Hydrangea at work
1 – What was the impetus for your own productions? Your 1st album on Annulled Music definitely touched the hearts of many, can you tell us a little more about it?
I always admired and was fascinated by other artists. I was trying to figure out what the process of creating a track is and it really piqued my curiosity. Then I also discovered an album by Voices From The Lake on Prologue which was a huge trigger.
This album impressed me greatly. It was then that I began to want to be able to create my own tracks and to be able to share my universe through music. Now I can say that this is the best thing that happened to me. I would never have had the idea, 3 years ago, that I could get there one day.
My album “Dawn Light” is made up of my very first tracks, “First” being the first of them, as suggested by its title. I must say that Iâm very happy with the work I did on this album, thatâs the fruit of several months of exploration and sound discoveries …
2 – From Horty Shooter to Hydrangea, how did this transition happen? The silence and beauty of nature around you have inspired you for a long time, isnât it? What links do you make between this inspiration and your music?
Very simply, when I started to taste the production, I knew instinctively that it was towards this that I wanted to direct myself and that Iâll give the best to be able to share my vision of the world through the music.
Nowadays, I only do the artwork for the podcast channel Inveins, which I curate with my friend Elena Iusco.
Those who follow me a little know that I love photography a lot; capturing little pieces of nature, my sources of inspiration; which I take pleasure in sharing with all of you.
I have many difficulties expressing this strong connection that I have with nature, that’s why I do it through music or photography.
3 – You have signed tracks and remixes on highly-specialised and musically-visionary labels like Silent Season, Annulled Music, Dust Rec., Cenotaph or more recently on Spagiria â a natural choice? Or were these the result of strong relationships that have developed over time?
Things happen quite naturally and quickly, without me having time to realise what is happening to me. This is far beyond my expectations and is my daily happiness.
Of course relationships are created (although Iâm very shy) and I think itâs important that they are good (better)Â even before a release, whether for the artist or the label manager.
Moreover, Nacho â the label boss of Dust Rec. â is now my manager and does a remarkable job.
4 – Your sonorities are based on solid rhythms, sometimes very slow, mixed with very deep atmospheres; sometimes disturbing. They instantly inspire and take you away. What inspires you most in nature that you record and how do you integrate it into your compositions?
To tell you the truth, and you know, I have only to go out into my garden to enjoy the sounds that nature offers. As I said, itâs difficult for me to describe what inspires me in nature because this is an everything, from its beauty to its strength of resistance through the seasons, its perfumes, its colors, its movements and its forms… Everything is magic in nature and brings a lot if we learn to observe and listen to it well.
5 – We were able to see you all over France and Europe, especially at Tresor in Berlin, how was this experience?
I didnât have a lot of gigs until now, although I receive more and more requests (which makes me very happy).
About Tresor, it will of course be an unforgettable experience (and very stressful, knowing that this was my second date). This will be etched forever in my mindâŠ
6 – Apart from music, what do you usually do and do you have plans for this year in terms of releases (EP etc …)
As said before, I have another passion â photography. Because of this, I like to spend a lot of time in nature, listening to it or to listen to a “nature trip” music selection prepared before. Pure meditation.
And as life is not always rosy, I try to learn every day to appreciate what life offers to us, from the simple things that surround us.
Many projects are blooming but I prefer to stay silent about it and keep the surprise for the right moment đ
7 – Can we foresee possible future collaboration on a project?
Absolutely, I have been collaborating for a few months with Eric (half of Agnosia) on a project we have named “A Beautiful Place“.
On this project, we express our feelings on places that inspire us to the highest point, real or fictitious.
We were lucky enough to be able to release a first track on the project of Aimée Portioli: One Instrument.
But also, an album that will see the light of day very soon đ
8 – A word for the end? đ
Well, I want to thank immeasurably all the people who support me and who believe in me… Every day, I remember how lucky I am to experience such an adventure which is â by far â the most beautiful that I have ever known.
Our sincerest thanks go out to Hortense for her patience with us and the incredible story she shared with us through her music and words. Do share this far and wide and inspire someone today đ