Todd E. Jones of Endorphin Bath: How Are You?
HERVE: I'm fine thank you.

T.JONES: Birthdate?
HERVE: November 1962

T.JONES: :Birthplace?
HERVE: North Of France.

T.JONES:  Height?
HERVE:  1.84 meters

T.JONES: Weight?
HERVE:  76Kg

T.JONES:  Eye color?
HERVE:  Blue

T.JONES: Hair color?
HERVE: light brown

T.JONES:  Do you have any phobias?
HERVE: I do not have any phobias.

T.JONES:  What’s your current state of mind?
HERVE: Worker.

T.JONES:  How did Trisomie 21 form?
HERVE: T21 is born in 1981 with mainly Hervé and Philippe Lomprez. During years we had the opportunity to work with different people as manager
or musicians.

T.JONES:  Where would you like to take T21’s music in the future?
HERVE:: We want to keep the completely independent status as for the delay of production.  We have no commercial obligation and will stay in this way.

T.JONES:  Did sibling rivalry ever complicate the recording process? Did you ALWAYS get along well with Philippe, your brother?
HERVE:: The fact that we are brothers simplified things simply by the fact that it was  easier to communicate and to play music together.  As in all groups there are always some good and less good moments but T21 is not a group but 2 individuals!  No rivalry.

T.JONES:  What does "Gohohako" mean? 
HERVE:  We'll keep that a secret for some time.

T.JONES:  What Trisomie 21 album do you like the most? Song? Why?
HERVE: Album-"Distant Voices"..... A song-"A New Outset"... T21 is always a rock group and these titles perfectly reflect the group.

T.JONES:   What T21 album do you like the least? Song? Why?
HERVE:  The album "Wait And Dance"was too experimental! Song? The final song of Chapter IV. I forgot the title..("Waiting For?")... For me this song doesn't seem to be finalized.

T.JONES:  What were some of your previous jobs before you were in T21?
HERVE: We began T21 very early I was 16 years old when we recorded "Le Repos des Enfants Heureux"  We were studying.

T.JONES: What are some of the things you do NOT like?
HERVE: Boy-bands,  dance-machine bands, and all bands who take themselves too seriously.

T.JONES: What are some of the things you like?
HERVE: Kraftwerk, The Residents, Yello ....  my family,  my job, the french  modern Food, , the decoration, journeys.. I like  photography
but T21 and chromo-management doesn't give me more enough time for all other activity.

T.JONES:  Favorite food?
HERVE: Modern French food.

T.JONES:  You told me once that you did not consider T21 a “gothic” or “industrial” group. (I only could find T21 Cds and/or LPs in the “Industrial” section of my local underground record store.) Do you consider T21 to be apart of any genre?
HERVE: We are surprised to  be classified in The Gothic category oriented in  France rather Hard rock.  Gothic is violent and metal. Industrial is not really adapted to T21, Front 242 is an industrial band, T21 seems to be very far of this..

T.JONES:  Drug of choice?
HERVE: None.

T.JONES: What LP did you enjoy making the most?
HERVE: Works... the collaboration with Bruno objoie was a pleasure.

T.JONES: Who are some of your heroes?
HERVE: I never had any heroes.

T.JONES: What makes you angry?
HERVE:  A lot of things... the lack of interest - lies - The silliness - the lack of punctuality...

T.JONES:  Turn-ons? Turn-offs?
HERVE:  I don't like loud and smoky turn-offs, I prefer the quiet places, restaurants and friends.

T.JONES:   What music would you like to be played at your funeral?
HERVE: The music that I composed for my marriage and the birth of my children + The big Ship of Brian Eno.

T.JONES:   What would you do if you only had one day to live?
HERVE:  I would stay with my wife and my children.

T.JONES:   How do you think French people view Americans and how do you think Americans view the French?
HERVE: We consider like an European group: we are French, let's sing in English and let's belong during a long time to a  Belgium label...We don't want to go with this kind of discussion.

T.JONES:   What can spoil a concert for you?
HERVE:  No communication.

T.JONES:   Where do you like to go on holiday?
HERVE:  I know France,  Europe and quite a lot of other countries well. Nevertheless, now I am attracted by the Polynesian islands.

T.JONES:   Are you married? If so, how did you meet? If not, are in involved with anyone now?
HERVE:  I am Married with 3 children.

T.JONES:  What are some of your favorite television shows?
HERVE:  No favorite television shows.

T.JONES:  Some people say that some of your recordings (Works) have a “Joy Division/New Order” feel to it… Would you agree? Why? Why not?
HERVE:  Oui, we listened to these groups, there is therefore probably in T21, some influences that come out again.

T.JONES:    In the LP “Plays The Pictures”, the city of New York seems to be a theme (The Billy Idol sample of him yelling “New York!” and the song “Weird New York”) and the song “Million Lights” also has the “city” theme to it. What do you love/hate about New York City and what was your experience within the city itself?
HERVE: New York  as Paris are some extraordinary cities. We never had the opportunity to visit this city. We tried during a Canadian tour to visit the USA and especially New York but we have been driven back because we were a group of rock that seemed to say drug!

T.JONES:   Elvis or The Beatles?
HERVE: I don't like Elvis and even less The beatles

T.JONES:  Who are some of your favorite artists?
HERVE: I am very interested by music in motion pictures... I like Ruichi Sakamoto and Maurice Jarre.

T.JONES:  What was it like working on Play It Again Sam Records and why did you leave?
HERVE: Pias never help T21 or other groups as some professionnals can do. They always look like a independant label with always the same mistakes (no  publicity - no TV - no planning promotion - no tour - no artistic feelings and  no contacts) they never give to their groups the opportunity to become a famous  one.

T.JONES:   Where is the T21 studio and what kind of equiptment is in it?
HERVE: The T21 studio is in the south of France in my own house We worked one a 24track tape recorder with a direct to disk called Soundscape (32 digitak track +  editing) digital mixing desk Tascam TMD 4OOO with 32 channel , keyboards,  samplers, vidéo synchronisation, mastering and CD.

T.JONES:  What is your favorite kind of guitar style?
HERVE:  Heavy guitars like Billy Idol.

T.JONES:  What is your favorite instrument?
HERVE: Pedal steel guitar.

T.JONES:   Were your parents musical?
HERVE: My mother learned the piano a long time ago to the conservatory but we didn't know it. No one forced us to learn music, we always worked alone.

T.JONES:  I’ll say some names of music groups and you give me the first word that pops in your head…
T.JONES:  Beatles?
HERVE: Legend
T.JONES:   Rolling Stones?
 HERVE: Cult
T.JONES:   Joy Division?
 HERVE: Remix
T.JONES:  Electronic (Johnny Marr & Bernard Sumner)?
 HERVE: New Order
T.JONES:  Ministry?
HERVE: I only know the name ministry
T.JONES:  Cocteau Twins?
 HERVE: Strange voice 
T.JONES:  Wolfgang Press?
 HERVE: Unknown
T.JONES:  Buzzcocks?
 HERVE: Unknown
T.JONES:  Stereolab?
 HERVE:Unknown
T.JONES:   St. Entienne?
 HERVE: Unknown
T.JONES:  Felt?
  HERVE: Unknown
T.JONES:   The Fall?
HERVE: Unknown
T.JONES:   Sex Pistols?
 HERVE: Energy
T.JONES:   Severed Heads?
HERVE: New Wave
T.JONES:   Psychic T.V.?
HERVE: Unknown
T.JONES:   Television Personalities?
 HERVE: Unknown
T.JONES:   Marvin Gaye ?
 HERVE: Regaee
T.JONES:   Toog?
 HERVE: Unknown
T.JONES:   Momus?
 HERVE: Unknown

T.JONES:  In the US, T21 seems to have a “cult” status… How do you feel about that?
HERVE: T21 also  have  in Europe the picture of cult status but why?

T.JONES:   How would you rate T21’s popularity or status in France and/or the rest of Europe?
HERVE:  We are astonished that we sold again our first albums Some very young people know and listen to T21. It evidently gave us pleasure.

T.JONES:   In your later recordings like “Gohohako” and “Distant Voices”, there’s more of a “new age” feel with a large variety of  “Eastern” instruments and percussion… What inspired this new sound?
HERVE: We did in France a lot of music in this style notably for movie soundtracks  or publicities. I am attracted since some times toward these kind of music  with a world music feeling.But now it is finished.

T.JONES:    Since "Distant Voices" and "Gohohako"  have a more NEW-AGE sound to it.. Is this a direction T21 is going in or will it ever return to the 80's sound of "Works"?
HERVE:   A new sound but different from the 80's years based on loops - sequence and guitars that rather rock.

T.JONES:  Will T21 EVER play in the USA ? Did they in the past? If so, where and when?
HERVE:  We never played USA, our concerts require a lot of means that the American promoters don't want to provide!

T.JONES:    What part of France are you from and what’s it like? Urban? Rural? Upperclass? Lowerclass?
HERVE: Urban - Middle Class.

T.JONES:  Your seem to be a very intelligent, cultured, and sophisticated individual from your music, album covers, and emails… Do you consider yourself to be this? And if so, where did this sophistication come from?
HERVE: I’m really not sophisticated, I make my work with respect and honesty.

T.JONES:  What is one thing that could make the world a better place?
HERVE: Money is too important ! All relations are distorted!

T.JONES:  Do you think a REVOLUTION is possible?
HERVE:  I do not believe that a revolution is possible... people are now too into individualism!

T.JONES:  What is your sign?
HERVE: Scorpion

T.JONES:  The name TRISOMIE 21 is also known as a chromosome that has something to do with Down Syndrome. Why did you choose to use this as your name for a group? Did you encounter people who were angered or offended by this? Do you know anyone with Down Syndrome? Is the group now only known as “T21”?
HERVE:  At the beginning, T21 have been considered like a violent group, punk. We have been forbidden several times of concerts. Now, T21 is well known we don't have any problem anymore.

T.JONES:  Do you believe in Karma? 
HERVE: I don't believe in Karma.

T.JONES:   Do you believe in God? Are you religious?
HERVE: I don't believe in God.. I am not religious.

T.JONES:  Do you believe in Destiny or Fate?
HERVE:  I believe in Destiny.

T.JONES:  If time travel were possible, what time period would you like to explore?
HERVE:  I like  to see the world before the man's birth.

T.JONES:   What does “Lamia” mean?
HERVE:  _____________

T.JONES:  Your songs have a strong feeling of PASSION flowing through them (“A New Outset”, “Joh’Burg”, “Shift Away”, “The Last Song”)… What kind of emotions would you like the music of T21 to stir in the listeners?
HERVE:  We try with T21 to present our own points of view one different subjects.. It's is just some information, some ideas.

T.JONES:   Did you ever take advantage of your songwriter/compose status?
HERVE: I don't know what you mean with take advantage of song writer status!

T.JONES:  Was there a specific time or incident that T21 would have been destroyed? If so, what made you go on?
HERVE:  T21 is not a united group. Of course, we had some problems that resolved  alone regularly. The fact that Phil and me composed alone make  that T21 is a  strange band, a studio band without lot of contacts with the musicians  together. So, no one knows if T21 is really living or dead..

EB: On the T21 “Official” bootleg, you have Rene Valentin sing an Edith Piaf song and he did a marvelous performance. What was it like having Rene Valentin opening your shows on the Million Lights tour? How did you find him?
HERVE:  Rene valentin was a musician that in years 1930 played with biggest in  France (Edith Piaf....) . Some reproached to T21 to be very cold on stage. We had decided to employed  René Valentin  (alcoholic - without money -  living in the street) to surprise&aamp;nbbsp; the public that didn't wait surely for such a show and in even time to give  back the opportunity to Rene Valentin to go back on  Stage in the Rex Club in  Paris before his death.  It was a great moment.

T.JONES:    Since "Gohohako" just has "T21" instead of "Trisomie 21", are you guys now just going by "T21"?
HERVE:   Trisomie 21 or T21.... We are always going to use both Trisomie 21 and T21.

T.JONES:   What is a typical day like in the life of Herve Lomprez?
HERVE:  Wake up  very early (6 o'clock at the latest)...no  breakfast, directly in studio for T21 until  10 o'clock..For the rest of the day I work for Chromo-management, our society, specialized in the studio sound equipment. Stop at 17h30 for  private life.
 

T.JONES:  What would you like your Epitaph to say?
HERVE:  I do not want any epitaph.

Todd E. Jones: Thank you for your patience. I thank you and the many fans who submitted questions thank you!