Rone‘s new album Megaptera, began with a mystery. In 2020, videos of solitary sailors playing Rone’s tracks at sea began to appear online. In them, cetaceans— dolphins and whales—seemed to emerge whenever his music was played in open waters around the world. As these events were repeated by other sailors across the globe, what first seemed amusing soon raised questions for the introspective composer. Why? Was it pure coincidence, or was there something in his music that provoked a reaction from these animals? Could they actually enjoy it? Or, on the contrary, might these sounds disturb them? Documentary filmmaker Valentin Paoli, who is passionate about marine mammals, was equally intrigued by these videos. He suggested that Rone recreate the experience himself off the coast of Réunion Island.
Concerned about respecting the marine environment, they decided to surround themselves with specialists to carry out the project under the best possible conditions. Ethologists, bioacousticians, environmental engineers, and conservation groups joined the team. Conceived during this cinematic and naturalist adventure, the album Megaptera was composed at sea, off the coast of Reunion Island. The film The Whale and the Musician documents the creation of his new album within this exceptional context.
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Across fifteen tracks, the album tells this story, the excitement, the doubts, but also the awakening it provoked: who are we to claim we can understand beings that have inhabited this planet for far longer than we have? And what if understanding meant admitting that we know nothing? Megaptera is the result of this discovery and of those few weeks spent alongside whales, during which music became an attempt to connect with what escapes us. Like Dersu Uzala, Rone’s dive became a quest that allowed him to untangle the threads of his place as both a man and a musician in the world, before returning to the surface. Like Daniel Lopatin or Jon Hopkins, Rone continues on his path, searching for new balances in his music. After iconic albums, a César Award, and collaborations with orchestras and ballets, this return reflects a more intimate evolution and marks a new chapter. |