Gaspar Claus is a travelling musician in constant search of freedom. Nurtured on flamenco by his father, guitarist Pedro Soler, he chose the cello. Classically trained at the Conservatoire de Perpignan, he soon became a truant, unenthusiastic about formatting and the elitist world of contests, competitions and selections. Gaspar Claus allows himself every freedom, including the freedom to improvise and play his cello in a singular way, rubbing, scratching, pinching and equipping it with different objects. He draws inspiration from the encounters that mark his career and illustrate the richness of his sound universe through their diversity: Angélique Ionatos, Joëlle Léandre, Serge Teyssot-Gay, Barbara Carlotti, Casper Clausen, Jim O'Rourke, Keiji Haino, Peter von Poehl, Marion Cousin and Rone.

In this second part, we talk to Gaspar Claus about his intimate relationship with his cello and how he chose to learn this instrument. We also talk about the Nuit en la, 10h on a single note at the Philharmonie de Paris on October 7, 2017. Among his various encounters, we choose to detail the one with Rone. Finally, we look at his latest album, Scaphandre (2023).

Interview by Guillaume Kosmicki

Selected excerpts: 

- Gaspar Claus and Casper Clausen - "Lisboa"(Claus & Clausen, 2016)

- Soundtrack to the film Makala by Emmanuel Gras - "Tombée du jour" (2017)

- An Island(Tancade, 2021)

-Rone feat. Gaspar Claus - "Icare"(Tohu Bohu, 2012)

- Beyond(Scaphandre, 2023)

Photo © Sylvain Gripoix
Photos © Plon - Le Florida 2021