Roadrunner Records spoke exclusively with Gojira’s Joe Duplantier about the release of their CD/DVD/Photobook ‘Les Enfants Sauvages’ which is out now! Joe also discusses playing live & the devlopment of songs from the studio to the stage.

How many images did you go through while making the final selections for the book? Are there any particularly strong memories brought back by certain shots?

We went through a lot of pictures taken on the road for the last two years. My sister Gabrielle (photographer) and my brother Mario are almost as picky as I am and maybe even more. It wasn’t easy to agree sometimes, but artistically we are on the same page, that’s why we worked together on that project. I love these two, we are like brothers and sisters… Oh wait, we actually are!

Looking at these pictures and making that selection was really cool knowing that it would be for a book. We are used to looking at pictures of the band. We post them on the Internet regularly and always try to create something nice and harmonious. We treat our website like an online exhibit instead of just throwing raw images without any artistic direction, but this time was special because it was for a book. It’s becoming rare to print pictures on paper. It’s a different kind of experience in the end.

Looking back at these two years on the road made me realize how lucky we are to travel so much and how colorful our life is. Like in every other life, we have a kind of routine sometimes on tour, but really the background of our lives is ever-changing. We remember each day on the road and respect equally bad times and good times because they forged what we are today.

What are your memories of the Brixton Academy show?

Pretty good but a little stressful. Like Paris and New York, London is one of these cities where it’s hard to relax before a show. So much press and so much pressure! It isn’t just bad, it always makes a special show. There’s more “electricity” in the air in these places. It was so cool to play at the Brixton Academy. This place is legendary.

How does knowing you’re being recorded and filmed impact you as a live performer? Do you ever tense up, or does it inspire you to play even harder?

Both at the same time. We have just enough experience to be “pro” on stage and overcome the tensions and still deliver a good set under the cameras and microphones around us.

How do Gojira songs grow and change from studio to stage?

They come to life! A song is born in the studio and takes it first steps in life on stage. What happens is that after a couple of years playing the songs live, they become different, they have a personality and an energy on their own. Sometimes I think we should perform our songs live for two years even before recording them in the studio.