Directed by Pablo Delpedro, the video for Mathis Akengin’s stunning single “Mer d’hiver” captures the deep melancholy of the song as a visual crescendo: a poetic blend of curiosity, unease, stillness, and emotion.
On a calm lake, a small boat drifts. The surface of the water reflects a slightly overcast sky, soft and contemplative. Oars in hand, Mathis Akengin heads toward the isolated island at the lake’s center. From the dock, Claire Passard, who lends her voice to the single, waits in quiet meditation, observing, almost curious.
What begins with a quiet, enigmatic tranquility slowly builds in tension. The atmosphere thickens, uncertainty grows as the pianist approaches the island, until he finally disappears, fully submerging into the dark folds of the water.
There are seas that no longer make waves. In ‘Mer d’hiver’, Mathis Akengin lends his voice to that very sea, joined by the delicate voice of Claire Passard. A winter sea slowed down, dense, almost frozen, where everything seems to be holding its breath. In winter, the sea becomes a metaphor for suspended time, for life slowed down, for what seems asleep yet continues, silently, to transform.
At the age when his peers were learning to read and write, Mathis Akengin discovered a passion for a different form of expression: the piano. Like many early talents—often referred to as ‘prodigies’ due to their rarity—the young musician entered the Conservatory at the age of six, where he would study for fifteen years, later adding a stint at the Haute Ecole de Musique in Lausanne. His exemplary path confirmed his natural talent.
However, the youngling from Franche-Comté (France) didn’t want to limit himself to classical music. Contemporary music quickly caught his attention. At the age of twelve, he formed his first band and started his first tours. Little did he know that, a few years later, he would join the blues-rock duo Catfish, a band he had once opened for. Projects multiplied. By the age of twenty-five, his list of collaborations was already impressive. Mathis’ keyboards, both in the studio and live, resonate in a variety of formations with sounds ranging from Dead Chic (rock), Eméa (world-soul), Alexandrie (pop), to Neptune Quartet (oriental jazz). Eclectic, Mathis is also a versatile artist. He’s often sought after to arrange albums, always finding new ways to develop his creativity and skills.
With all these experiences under his belt, Mathis began to envision a solo project where he could create freely, experiment, and tell the stories running through his mind. The idea became a reality: it all starts with the piano, moving towards rhythmic taps on the wooden frame in sync the melodies. The piano became both the instrument and the muse. It was no longer about telling stories through it but writing for it. Mathis transcribes oriental music for this European instrument, blending his French and Turkish roots. The inspiration flowed, and an album gradually took form.
‘Mer d’hiver’ is the first taster of the record. The piece is built around motifs, mechanical cogs that evoke the workings of a ship, leaving space for breath, for stillness. The piano, deliberately restrained, creates a suspended atmosphere, almost fixed within cold waters. The percussion on the track is crafted with Mathis’ technique of recording the piano as a percussive instrument which guides us through the fog.
