Joe Duplantier
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Joseph Andrew Duplantier (born 19 October 1976) is a French-American musician, best known as the rhythm guitarist, vocalist, and lyricist of heavy metal band Gojira. He is also a record producer and environmental activist. Duplantier was born in
Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...
and grew up in
Ondres Ondres () is a commune in the Landes department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France. It is only two miles from the nearest beach (Ondres plage), which is well known for being a good surfing spot. Population Culture Ondres is the home ...
. He was raised in an environment where music and arts held a prominent place. He learned to play the guitar at the age of fourteen and formed his first band in high school. He studied art and began working as a graphic designer before co-founding the death metal band Godzilla with his younger brother
Mario is a character created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. He is the title character of the ''Mario'' franchise and the mascot of Japanese video game company Nintendo. Mario has appeared in over 200 video games since his cre ...
in 1996. He was also a member of the band Empalot along with his brother. Godzilla changed its name to Gojira, which rose from obscurity to international prominence. He is also the former bassist of
Cavalera Conspiracy Cavalera Conspiracy is an American heavy metal supergroup founded by Brazilian brothers Max (vocals, rhythm guitar) and Igor Cavalera (drums, percussion). The band originally formed in 2007 as Inflikted but changed its name for legal reasons. ...
, to which Gloria and
Max Cavalera Massimiliano Antonio "Max" Cavalera (; born August 4, 1969) is a Brazilian musician. He co-founded the heavy metal band Sepultura in 1984 with his brother Igor Cavalera, and was the band's lead singer and rhythm guitarist until his departure i ...
invited him. Duplantier possesses United States nationality by parentage, which led him to settle in New York City in 2011. He is a recording studio owner in
Ridgewood, Queens Ridgewood is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens. It borders the neighborhoods of Maspeth, Middle Village and Glendale, as well as the Brooklyn neighborhoods of Bushwick and East Williamsburg. Historically, the neighborhood st ...
, called Silver Cord Studio. Throughout his career, he affirmed his concern for nature and animals. He is engaged in thinking about
ecological Ecology () is the study of the relationships between living organisms, including humans, and their physical environment. Ecology considers organisms at the individual, population, community, ecosystem, and biosphere level. Ecology overlaps wi ...
problems and environmental protection, reflected in his lyrics. Duplantier also expressed his support for indigenous peoples in Brazil through fundraising efforts.


Early life

Duplantier was born on 19 October 1976 in Paris. His mother, Patricia (''née'' Rosa; 6 October 1950 – 5 July 2015), was American. She was born in
Madison, Wisconsin Madison is the county seat of Dane County and the capital city of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census the population was 269,840, making it the second-largest city in Wisconsin by population, after Milwaukee, and the 80th-lar ...
, and grew up in
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
. His father, Dominique Duplantier, born in 1945 in
Bordeaux Bordeaux ( , ; Gascon oc, Bordèu ; eu, Bordele; it, Bordò; es, Burdeos) is a port city on the river Garonne in the Gironde department, Southwestern France. It is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the prefect ...
, is a French painter and architectural drafter, a former student in history at the '' Faculté des Lettres'' and
engraving Engraving is the practice of incising a design onto a hard, usually flat surface by cutting grooves into it with a burin. The result may be a decorated object in itself, as when silver, gold, steel, or glass are engraved, or may provide an in ...
at the Beaux-Arts de Paris. Due to this, Joe Duplantier (and his brother) has
dual nationality Multiple/dual citizenship (or multiple/dual nationality) is a legal status in which a person is concurrently regarded as a national or citizen of more than one country under the laws of those countries. Conceptually, citizenship is focused on ...
of France and the United States. He is ''franco-américain'' (French-American) based primarily on the principle of '' jus sanguinis'' (right of blood), applied through ''attribution à la naissance'' (attribution at birth), because born outside the US but obtained its nationality as he fulfilled the condition stipulating that "at least one of his parents is American". In 1977, the family left Paris and moved to
Ondres Ondres () is a commune in the Landes department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France. It is only two miles from the nearest beach (Ondres plage), which is well known for being a good surfing spot. Population Culture Ondres is the home ...
, a small seaside town in the
Landes department Landes (; oc, label=Gascon language, Gascon and Occitan language, Occitan, Lanas ; eu, Landak) is a Departments of France, department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine Regions of France, region, Southwestern France, with a long coastline on the Atlanti ...
, in an old house with no heating system dating from the
Louis XV Louis XV (15 February 1710 – 10 May 1774), known as Louis the Beloved (french: le Bien-Aimé), was King of France from 1 September 1715 until his death in 1774. He succeeded his great-grandfather Louis XIV at the age of five. Until he reached ...
period. He was raised there, in southwest France, near the Basque country, at north of Biarritz. His sister, Gabrielle, was born in 1978 in Bayonne, and his brother,
Mario is a character created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. He is the title character of the ''Mario'' franchise and the mascot of Japanese video game company Nintendo. Mario has appeared in over 200 video games since his cre ...
, was born in 1981. His mother, manifesting a marked interest in art activities, was a
yoga Yoga (; sa, योग, lit=yoke' or 'union ) is a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines which originated in ancient India and aim to control (yoke) and still the mind, recognizing a detached witness-consci ...
and dance teacher in the periphery of Bayonne. The work of precision and patience of his father, who got up every day at 4:30 am to work, had a significant influence on him. His mother described him as "always active, very creative. Sensitive, gentle", with "some secret force within him, some unusual maturity". As a child, the awakening of his
ecological Ecology () is the study of the relationships between living organisms, including humans, and their physical environment. Ecology considers organisms at the individual, population, community, ecosystem, and biosphere level. Ecology overlaps wi ...
conscience had begun after walking on
oil An oil is any nonpolar chemical substance that is composed primarily of hydrocarbons and is hydrophobic (does not mix with water) & lipophilic (mixes with other oils). Oils are usually flammable and surface active. Most oils are unsaturated ...
traces on the beach. When Duplantier was thirteen, he discovered
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
for the first time, accompanied by his cousin during a visit to his family in
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
, near
Harrisburg Harrisburg is the capital city of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Dauphin County. With a population of 50,135 as of the 2021 census, Harrisburg is the 9th largest city and 15th largest municipality in Pe ...
. Greeted at the airport by his maternal uncle, it was then that he realized how attracted he was to the city. He grew up in an environment where his parents listened to blues,
fado Fado (; "destiny, fate") is a music genre that can be traced to the 1820s in Lisbon, Portugal, but probably has much earlier origins. Fado historian and scholar Rui Vieira Nery states that "the only reliable information on the history of fado was ...
, pop, Mozart, Chopin, Piaf,
L. Shankar Lakshminarayana Shankar (born 26 April 1950), better known as L. Shankar, Shankar and Shenkar, is an Indian violinist, singer and composer. Early life, family and education Shankar was born in Madras, India, and raised in Ceylon (current- ...
,
the Beatles The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the developmen ...
,
Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...
,
Tina Turner Tina Turner (born Anna Mae Bullock; November 26, 1939) is an American-born Swiss retired singer and actress. Widely referred to as the " Queen of Rock 'n' Roll", she rose to prominence as the lead singer of the Ike & Tina Turner Revue before ...
,
Billie Holiday Billie Holiday (born Eleanora Fagan; April 7, 1915 – July 17, 1959) was an American jazz and swing music singer. Nicknamed "Lady Day" by her friend and music partner, Lester Young, Holiday had an innovative influence on jazz music and pop s ...
, Duke Ellington, Pink Floyd,
the Police The Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. For most of their history the line-up consisted of primary songwriter Sting (lead vocals, bass guitar), Andy Summers (guitar) and Stewart Copeland (drums, percussion). The Polic ...
,
Supertramp Supertramp were an English rock band that formed in London in 1969. Marked by the individual songwriting of founders Roger Hodgson (vocals, keyboards, and guitars) and Rick Davies (vocals and keyboards), they are distinguished for blending p ...
, and
Joan Baez Joan Chandos Baez (; born January 9, 1941) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and activist. Her contemporary folk music often includes songs of protest and social justice. Baez has performed publicly for over 60 years, releasing more ...
. His sister listened to world music,
country music Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...
, and African
percussion A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Ex ...
. According to Duplantier's recollection, he began by taking
piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keybo ...
lessons but soon realized that he preferred the guitar. He began playing his mother's classical guitar, which only had two strings. He listened to hip hop music during a period of time while his cousin was passionate about
Iron Maiden Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band formed in Leyton, East London, in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. While fluid in the early years of the band, the lineup for most of the band's history has consisted of Harri ...
and Metallica. He experienced bullying at school. Subsequently, a second incident marked him when his brother contracted ear infections after swimming in polluted water. With his brother, he was dismayed by the
household A household consists of two or more persons who live in the same dwelling. It may be of a single family or another type of person group. The household is the basic unit of analysis in many social, microeconomic and government models, and is i ...
and industrial wastes and dead animals stranded in the protected area of the dunes of Ondres. Through the influence of his cousin, he began learning to play Metallica's " Fade to Black" on the guitar when he developed his understanding on this matter. At the age of fourteen, Duplantier began listening to Metallica's '' Ride the Lightning'' to find out more about this musical genre which aroused his curiosity. He continued his interests in metal music with ''
Master of Puppets ''Master of Puppets'' is the third studio album by American heavy metal band Metallica, released on March 3, 1986, by Elektra Records. Recorded in Denmark at Sweet Silence Studios with producer Flemming Rasmussen, it was the band's last albu ...
'', then
Sepultura Sepultura (, "grave")Barcinski & Gomes 1999, page 17. is a Brazilian heavy metal band from Belo Horizonte. Formed in 1984 by brothers Max and Igor Cavalera,Barcinski & Gomes 1999, page 16. the band was a major force in the groove metal, thra ...
, and seeking to define his own musical identity he pursued death metal through the band
Death Death is the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain an organism. For organisms with a brain, death can also be defined as the irreversible cessation of functioning of the whole brain, including brainstem, and brain ...
. In high school, at seventeen years of age, he formed his first band, called Eclipse, and embarked on jam sessions with his brother, who had a growing interest and aptitude for drumming. Duplantier went to
university A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States ...
for two years and spent between three and four years in
art school An art school is an educational institution with a primary focus on the visual arts, including fine art – especially illustration, painting, photography, sculpture, and graphic design. Art schools can offer elementary, secondary, post-second ...
, after which he began working as a graphic designer for a short time. '' Dead Man Walking'' by
Tim Robbins Timothy Francis Robbins (born October 16, 1958) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is known for portraying Andy Dufresne in the film '' The Shawshank Redemption ''(1994), and has won an Academy Award and two Golden Globe Awards for his rol ...
has been his favorite movie growing up. When he was a young man, he distinguished himself by picking up trash on a beach and scattering it on a French parking lot, attracting the attention of the local media. Duplantier said: "I found it so weird; people aren't bothered by what's on the beach, but when it's on a parking lot, it becomes a problem".


Career


Gojira

Duplantier and his brother began their band and established themselves on the southwest France live circuit. Initially called Godzilla in 1996, the band was later renamed Gojira. He recalled building cabins in the forest as a child. Then, at the age of twenty-four, he decided to return to the forest and built a new one where he would live with his girlfriend for two years without income or electricity. Gojira's 2001 debut studio album, ''
Terra Incognita ''Terra incognita'' or ''terra ignota'' (Latin "unknown land"; ''incognita'' is stressed on its second syllable in Latin, but with variation in pronunciation in English) is a term used in cartography for regions that have not been mapped or do ...
'', was written during this experience. When launching the band, singing in French was irrelevant for Duplantier; he chose instead to sing in English in efforts to globally project the band's aspirations. Thus, he said he did not sing about the problems of France but international issues and the damage inflicted on the planet. He said, "We consider ourselves above all as human, not French." According to Duplantier, the band's primary goal was to maintain complete autonomy and "total control over the band's music". He has been responsible for the
artworks A work of art, artwork, art piece, piece of art or art object is an artistic creation of aesthetic value. Except for "work of art", which may be used of any work regarded as art in its widest sense, including works from literature ...
for Gojira's albums, each representing an idea that he spontaneously designs, highlighting visual minimalism and conciseness while trying to stand out from the codes of the metal scene. Touring in support of their second album, '' The Link'', Duplantier used to let his imagination run free when performing the songs' extended outro, developing a propensity to experience a "
vision Vision, Visions, or The Vision may refer to: Perception Optical perception * Visual perception, the sense of sight * Visual system, the physical mechanism of eyesight * Computer vision, a field dealing with how computers can be made to gain und ...
" while in a "
trance Trance is a state of semi-consciousness in which a person is not self-aware and is either altogether unresponsive to external stimuli (but nevertheless capable of pursuing and realizing an aim) or is selectively responsive in following the dir ...
"; saying, One of his first achievements was when the band reached headliner status in France and performed at the Paris' Élysée Montmartre, promoting '' From Mars to Sirius'' and then initiating their first tours overseas, notably in America. In 2008,
Randy Blythe Randy is a given name, popular in the United States and Canada. It is primarily a masculine name. It was originally derived from the names Randall, Randolf, Randolph, as well as Bertrand and Andrew, and may be a short form (hypocorism) of them ...
flew from the US to France to record his vocals on and was hosted at Duplantier's home in the southwest for a week. In 2012, he also occasionally played drums in live performances when he and his brother switched places. A week before the release of Gojira's ''
Magma Magma () is the molten or semi-molten natural material from which all igneous rocks are formed. Magma is found beneath the surface of the Earth, and evidence of magmatism has also been discovered on other terrestrial planets and some natural sa ...
'', he expressed his disillusionment when he said that the metal genre did not receive the attention of the main French-language media. He described the genre as a niche that has been perceived as culturally unimportant in the country, compared to
Scandinavia Scandinavia; Sámi languages: /. ( ) is a subregion in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. In English usage, ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, Norway, and Swe ...
and
Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
. Benoit Guerin, department director of ''
Ouest-France ''Ouest-France'' ( ; French for "West-France") is a daily French newspaper known for its emphasis on both local and national news. The paper is produced in 47 different editions covering events in different French départments within the régio ...
'', echoed his view and wrote, "In France, odern''
chanson A (, , french: chanson française, link=no, ; ) is generally any lyric-driven French song, though it most often refers to the secular polyphonic French songs of late medieval and Renaissance music. The genre had origins in the monophonic so ...
'' is the queen", noting that it took Gojira a significant impact on the metal music scene and decades-long experience "to benefit from media spotlights worthy of their rank in their own country". Throughout 2016 and 2017, the French press would publish after scrutiny that Gojira ended up being one of the largest exporters of music from France, leading the country's metal category. In 2017, Gojira performed two consecutive sold-out concerts at the Paris' Olympia, at a time when the band was at its peak of popularity. In 2021, '' Fortitude'' increased Gojira's media exposure in France and earned them global chart success through the album revolving around Duplantier's committed and positive lyrics. The band was scheduled for its first headlining
arena An arena is a large enclosed platform, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theatre, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators ...
tour in Europe and the UK in 2022, including the 20,300-capacity
Accor Arena Accor Arena (originally known as Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy, and previously as AccorHotels Arena; also known as Bercy in competitions where commercial names are prohibited, such as in the Olympic Games) is an indoor sports arena and concert ...
in Paris (it was postponed to 2023 due to COVID-19 restrictions). Duplantier portrayed the band's lifestyle as "marginal", comprising musicians more creative than "self-destructive", and more interested in art than partying. He later said they were "lucky" to meet because communication was the indicator of their personality matching and also noted that none of them have drug addiction problems. Thus, the line-up, including
Jean-Michel Labadie Jean-Michel Labadie (born 14 July 1974 in Cambo-les-Bains, Basque Country) is a French musician best known as the bassist of metal band Gojira. Career Labadie grew up in the Basque Country, and played bass in regional underground bands. Sin ...
and
Christian Andreu Christian Roger Andreu (born November 15, 1976) is a French musician best known as the lead guitarist of metal band Gojira, and was guitarist on a Familha Artús album. Music Christian Andreu's influences include bands such as Death, Metallic ...
, has never changed. Duplantier portrays Gojira as "four brothers, united, to live our passion".


Empalot

He was also in a festive and theatrical band playing a fusion of musical genres called Empalot, involving his brother and friends, which toured in France from 1999 to 2004. For him, the project was synonymous with fits of laughter and happiness.


Cavalera Conspiracy

In 2007, Max and
Igor Cavalera Igor Graziano Cavalera (born 4 September 1970) is a Brazilian musician, best known as the former drummer for the heavy metal band Sepultura, which he co-founded with his brother Max in 1984. Max left the band in 1996, and Cavalera himself wo ...
initially asked Labadie, bassist of Gojira, to do bass duties for their band,
Cavalera Conspiracy Cavalera Conspiracy is an American heavy metal supergroup founded by Brazilian brothers Max (vocals, rhythm guitar) and Igor Cavalera (drums, percussion). The band originally formed in 2007 as Inflikted but changed its name for legal reasons. ...
; however, Labadie was busy with prior commitments, including Gojira. Instead, Duplantier ended up being the band's bassist through the influence of Max Cavalera's wife, Gloria. Playing
Sepultura Sepultura (, "grave")Barcinski & Gomes 1999, page 17. is a Brazilian heavy metal band from Belo Horizonte. Formed in 1984 by brothers Max and Igor Cavalera,Barcinski & Gomes 1999, page 16. the band was a major force in the groove metal, thra ...
's "
Territory A territory is an area of land, sea, or space, particularly belonging or connected to a country, person, or animal. In international politics, a territory is usually either the total area from which a state may extract power resources or a ...
" with the Cavalera brothers during the first jam session in the presence of all the families left him indelible memories. Moreover, while working with the band on their debut album, he experienced a diametrically different studio process, as the songs composed in the morning were recorded "spontaneously" in the afternoon. The studio session lasted fifteen to twenty days. Duplantier stated that Gojira and the recording of ''
The Way of All Flesh ''The Way of All Flesh'' (sometimes called ''Ernest Pontifex, or the Way of All Flesh'') is a semi-autobiographical novel by Samuel Butler that attacks Victorian-era hypocrisy. Written between 1873 and 1884, it traces four generations of the ...
'' had been his main priority, which led him not to do extensive touring with Cavalera Conspiracy. In 2008, he was replaced by
Johny Chow John Mark Bechtel (born February 1, 1972) is an American musician and artist. He is currently the bassist for the Rock music, rock band Stone Sour. He is a former bassist for the bands Cavalera Conspiracy, Souls of We, Fireball Ministry, My Ruin, ...
on bass duties for Cavalera Conspiracy. Max Cavalera regretted that Duplantier did not appear on the band's second album, ''
Blunt Force Trauma Blunt trauma, also known as blunt force trauma or non-penetrating trauma, is physical traumas, and particularly in the elderly who fall. It is contrasted with penetrating trauma which occurs when an object pierces the skin and enters a tissue ...
''. Cavalera said, "He is a great musician, with a lot of good ideas."


Silver Cord Studio

Duplantier is the owner of Silver Cord Studio, a recording studio located in Ridgewood,
Queens Queens is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located on Long Island, it is the largest New York City borough by area. It is bordered by the borough of Brooklyn at the western tip of Long ...
, New York, which he designed himself. After the experience of Gojira's recording studio in the Landes, called Le Studio des Milans, Duplantier sought to continue producing albums independently and planned to create new premises for the band in the US. A friend brought his attention to the Rockwall Studios complex, which contains 100 spaces for artists. Following the project initiation, he teamed up with a friend and sound engineer from
Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
. With the
DIY ethic "Do it yourself" ("DIY") is the method of building, modifying, or repairing things by oneself without the direct aid of professionals or certified experts. Academic research has described DIY as behaviors where "individuals use raw and sem ...
, he built the studio with the help of friends and people he hired. Duplantier managed the construction project and was involved daily over a period of six months. The studio's construction began in November 2014 and was completed at the pivotal moment of the recording start of Gojira's ''Magma''. Becoming the band's headquarter in the US, Duplantier's Silver Cord Studio was inaugurated in April 2015. The studio's name refers to Gojira's instrumental acoustic song, "The Silver Cord", from ''The Way of All Flesh''; he said that like the song, it "now means something else, something very different". On 6 June 2015, it became available for other bands, artists, and producers. In 2016, by acknowledging that he appreciated creating musical arrangements while being responsible for the overall production of recorded music, Duplantier saw himself more as a producer than a musician. That year, Gojira has been considered a "bi-national band". Following a vocal collaboration with Car Bomb on "Third Revelation" in 2012, Duplantier decided to undertake his production activities (apart from Gojira) in 2016 for their album, '' Meta''. He mainly produces American bands at Silver Cord Studio. In September 2018, Nick John, the Gojira,
Mastodon A mastodon ( 'breast' + 'tooth') is any proboscidean belonging to the extinct genus ''Mammut'' (family Mammutidae). Mastodons inhabited North and Central America during the late Miocene or late Pliocene up to their extinction at the end of th ...
, and Slayer manager, died from cancer. Mastodon performed a rendition of Led Zeppelin's Stairway to Heaven at his funeral while Duplantier recorded it on his cell phone. Afterward, Duplantier readjusted the audio taken from his phone and recorded it in his studio with Mastodon for an enhanced version. It was released for Record Store Day on a LP record, 10-inch album limited to 1,500 copies with the studio version of the song on the A-side and the live version on the B-side, whose sale proceeds were donated to the Hirshberg Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research.


Other projects

Duplantier has written and recorded hundreds of demo songs since the early 2000s, which are of an experimental genre. With his music, he explores different sounds, ventures into clean singing, and continues his "personal development", which thus indirectly influences Gojira's compositions.


Artistry


Influences

Duplantier's early influences include bands such as Death, Metallica, Morbid Angel, Sepultura, Cannibal Corpse, and Slayer. He said that the ambition of Gojira in their early days was to be "violent and dissonant and weird". Duplantier cites Mike Oldfield and his 1983 album ''Crises (Mike Oldfield album), Crises'' as a significant musical inspiration. As he grew older, Duplantier mentioned other musical styles as influences, such as progressive rock, traditional Rock music, rock, Americana (music), Americana, and blues. In 2021, he has also discussed how Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix are continuing inspirations to him. Other artists who Duplantier has cited as influences include Portishead (band), Portishead, Radiohead, and Sade (singer), Sade. He has also been surrounded by non-musical influences, such as noise, landscape, and emotion. Duplantier has a wide range of musical tastes. He has an interest in the music of Massive Attack, "old jazz", Dead Can Dance, classical music, Folk music, traditional music, and Stephan Micus. He has expressed admiration for French singer and songwriter Alain Bashung.


Voice

Duplantier has been known for his aggressive vocals and own signature style, going from a typical death growl to an emphasis on singing, clean singing in Gojira's latest works. He began using the Screaming (music), screaming and guttural vocal styles in an instinctive response to his "rage about the world", the planet's Human impact on the environment, environmental problems, the "cruelty of other kids" at school, and Political corruption, politics; he said, "I had to grab a guitar and start screaming". Duplantier's clean singing had already appeared on ''Terra Incognita''s "Clone", conveying the message of human interference with Mother Nature. He used different techniques on the ''From Mars to Sirius'' album, going from a "growling timbre" to "semi-clean" vocals in an Intonation (linguistics), intonation echoing post-punk singer Jaz Coleman. He experimented with his voice on ''The Way of All Flesh'', and then he continued the clean vocals with the low Musical note, note on ''L'Enfant Sauvage (album), L'Enfant Sauvage''s "Born in Winter". In addition, he brought the vocoder for robotic voice effects in "A Sight to Behold". In 2016, Duplantier said he redefined his vocal style with an even greater emphasis on singing. He has expanded his vocal range by personal choice, citing a "vital" need to sing to develop vocal versatility and style diversity. He would take a new vocal approach to his performances during the recording of ''Magma''. On ''Fortitude'', music writer Chad Bowar regarded his vocal performances as a combination of all of his previous techniques: "harsh and melodic". His throat singing was incorporated with various musical forms punctuating "Amazonia", such as the woodwind instrument and the Jaw harp. For their review of this album, ''Forbes'' stated that Duplantier's "vocals and lyrical writing remain at the top of his game, and they further cement him as one of the most unique sounding aggressive vocalists of all time."


Lyrical themes

In 2016, Duplantier gave a broad interpretation of the lyrical theme of Gojira's songs, saying, "My lyrics speak above all about the liberation of the soul, encourage to see the beauty of things." According to Duplantier, the title of Gojira's second album, ''The Link'', was a symbolic "link" between earth and sky, in allusion to an individual Enlightenment (spiritual), spiritual journey toward Self-knowledge (psychology), self-knowledge. The roots of the tree symbolized the Unconscious mind, unconscious, while the branches symbolized the Deity, divine; thus, the link represented the Trunk (botany), trunk. Thematically, Gojira's third album recounted the transition from a situation of conflict and war to a situation of serenity that he hoped to see accomplished within humanity, hence the album's title, ''From Mars to Sirius''. Duplantier paid homage to the Cetacean intelligence, intelligence of whales on the album and was also inspired by an idea of extraterrestrial life on the "ocean planet" Sirius C. At that time, he said he has been interested in "other worlds" beyond the earth and "Multiverse, different realities". While he theorized that whales would inhabit Sirius C, ''From Mars to Sirius'' was also ecologically themed. Some of the lyrical themes of Gojira reflect Duplantier's personal beliefs in preserving the environment. Adrien Begrand of ''PopMatters'' noted that he explored the metaphysical, "elemental", environmental, and spiritual themes on ''The Way of All Flesh'', using words "often poetic" in an approach exhibiting "sincerity and complete lack of pretension". The album ''L'Enfant Sauvage'' elaborated on the theme of man's relationship with nature and was juxtaposed with his "difficult" choice he made—collectively with Gojira—to integrate himself "to a certain extent" into society to devote his life to music, rather than living "in a cabin surrounded by nature". The newspaper ''Voir'' describes him as "caught between the concrete and the Bark (botany), bark" and writes that he has nevertheless retained his lucidity to focus on art. The Philosophy, philosophical reflection on the relationship of man to nature has been a theme that perpetually fascinated Duplantier. Duplantier's texts also explore themes such as anguish, death, and Grief, loss. He has a philosophical view of death which he, therefore, describes as "the idea of death", and believes in the afterlife, a notion he shared with his mother. ''Magma''s writing and release allow him to understand and accept his own ageing and to apprehend his departure to "another dimension". "Stranded" is a personal song; thus, he did not want to reveal the meaning of the lyrics, nor to whom the song was directed, particularly the line "You kill me face down, dead". However, Duplantier explained problematic communication with a person close to him whom he esteemed. Lyrically "Silvera" focuses on topics including Intensive animal farming, exploitation of farm animals by industrial and animal rights and detail cruelty to animals, cruelty inflicted on animals shown in the lines, "Dead bodies falling from the sky/We are the ape with the vision of the killing." Speaking on his own behalf and on behalf of Gojira, Duplantier said, nonetheless, that [he] "do not go on a crusade" or impose [his] ideas on other bands while on tour. According to him, music has remained the most important; saying, "It is raw and in your face." Reviewing "Amazonia", Alec Chillingworth of ''Metal Hammer'' praised its musical style combined with the themes Duplantier drew on his lyrics and described it as Gojira's "starkest, definitive protest song".


Advocacy and activism

Duplantier supports and is part of the environmental corporation Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. Lyon's ''Radio Metal'' asked him what he would do for a living if he was not in Gojira—or even if he would not have made music at all; he responded, "I would be an activist in Greenpeace or Sea Shepherd, an action that defends the planet or the animals. Without any hesitation." He said of himself and Gojira that they spontaneously headed toward Paul Watson and Sea Shepherd and began supporting the organization because, according to him, they became "hard heads" similarly to the band due to the same nomadic lifestyle; adding that they "give everything for their passion, to defend the earth". He felt "mentally" and "spiritually" engaged in the Environmentalism, future of the planet; he said, "I have it in my guts. Why? I never really knew". Duplantier observed that the planet has been overpopulated and thus argued about his lifestyle in accordance with his convictions, saying: "I try to reduce my impact", adding, "but that seems like just a drop in the ocean". He has been interested and worried about the Environmental impact of meat production, environmental impact of animal husbandry which demands Natural resource, resources such as water, food and contributes to deforestation. Duplantier was a Vegetarianism, vegetarian but switched to a Veganism, vegan diet. He has been vegan since 2014. He constantly described himself as an animal-defender speaking in favor of Wildlife conservation, preserving species while evoking Overexploitation, humans' responsibility, saying, "The Biodiversity loss, extinction of so many species is going to be one of our legacies". His inner conviction has been represented in ''Magma''s "Silvera" lyrics, shown in the line, "No other blood in me but mine", validating that he does not eat any animals. Duplantier is a member of the International Artists Solidarity organization. Duplantier said he was "not a fan" of Greta Thunberg, although he appreciated that she "has no filters"; he felt rather in the same line of action as English singer Sting (musician), Sting, referring to the latter's activist work in the 1990s. In April 2021, in an interview with Zane Lowe on Apple Music 1, he mentioned his intention to launch the band's own Foundation (nonprofit), foundation to develop its activist branch. He has said being sensitive to the deforestation of the Amazon rainforest, and after reflection and speech, he decided to undertake actions to accomplish positive results. During the COVID-19 pandemic, using Zoom (software), Zoom call, Duplantier decided to initiate a dialogue with the Indigenous peoples, Indigenous leader Sonia Guajajara of the Articulation of Indigenous People of Brazil, an Indigenously-owned organization fighting for their rights. Guajajara represents more than 300 Indigenous peoples in Brazil, Indigenous tribes of the Brazilian Amazon. He also spoke with fifteen other Indigenous leaders. In 2021, along with Gojira, he launched Operation Amazonia, an auction to raise funds for the APIB. The charity auction raised more than $300,000 through donations from Metallica, Tool (band), Tool, Devin Townsend, Slash (musician), Slash, Slayer, among others. For several days in late August 2021, Duplantier participated in demonstrations supporting the Indigenous cause at one of the largest rallies of Indigenous people in Brazil. The protests held at Monumental Axis were in opposition to a Bill (law), proposed law initiated in 2007, called "PL490", that would change the status of native people. PL490 would supplant the ''Fundação Nacional do Índio'' and the Ministry of Justice and Public Security (Brazil), Ministry of Justice which decide on the demarcation of Indigenous peoples' lands, thus giving "the last word" to the National Congress of Brazil. The Law#Legislature, bill ("law project" in Europe) being in a favorable environment in 2021, allows the exercise of economic activities on the lands of Indigenous peoples, the modification of their demarcation, and the prohibition of the expansion of existing reserves. The protests also oppose the "federal government's anti-Indigenous policies". An action organized by artists, including Duplantier, was undertaken during the protests in the Praça dos Três Poderes, Three Powers Plaza, in front of the Supreme Federal Court, with the intention of "putting pressure" on it and raising public awareness. The action, led by the Indigenous women of Guarani-Kaiowá, resulted in a performance by Duplantier accompanied by these artists who poured blood on the ground and then mopped it up, shouting repeatedly "Indigenous blood, not a drop more". Duplantier said that it was "A beautiful example of unity and how to turn anger and despair into chanting and dance."


Personal life


Family

In 2010, while Gojira was on tour supporting Metallica in Lithuania, Duplantier met his future wife twice in the same day during a "day off"; then Lars Ulrich invited them to drink wine together at the end of the night. In late 2011, Duplantier relocated to New York at the start of the recording of ''L'Enfant Sauvage''. The couple got married, and their daughter was born during the winter months of 2012. His wife, Vilma, is an artist and animal rights activist. He described Ulrich as having become a "kind of godfather" to their children, Mila, and Orest. Though he lived in the outskirts of Bayonne in southwest France, he now resides permanently in Brooklyn, New York, where he lives with his wife, daughter, and son (born 2014). His children have been raised listening to Billie Holiday, the Beatles, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, and metal to develop their musical sensitivity. Duplantier said he had made a long-planned move to the US because of his dual nationality, and to remain closer to his maternal family and Gojira's management, record company, and lawyer. He is a Multilingualism, bilingual speaker of English and French. In mid-April 2015, he (and his brother) flew back to France after an unexpected abrupt deterioration of his mother's state of health. His mother, diagnosed with cancer, asked the family to organize a "great celebration" and a "huge fire" after her death. On 5 July 2015, his mother died in France. His sister, Gabrielle, is a Photography#Art, fine-art photographer working alongside her father on the family property in Ondres. During the November 2015 Paris attacks, she was barricaded in a room close to the Bataclan (theatre), Bataclan theater's events while working on a photo shoot. Being in New York, Duplantier stated he was unable to reach her on the phone during the mass shooting; he said, "It was horror. There are no words". She survived the attacks on the Bataclan.


Political views

In 2008, Duplantier made a pro-US discourse, stating that the influence of the United States has "a lot of weight in the world, in the world's economy", benefiting from being "a very culturally wealthy country", and has succeeded in "facing the future instead of being in the past". In 2017, he revealed that he no longer believed in politics, saying that "people spend too much time thinking about politicians", wondering "what they can do for them." He added: "I believe in revolution, but the revolution must come from each individual, from within." In 2021, he declared himself opposed to Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro, who accelerated the destruction of the Amazon rainforest and impeded indigenous peoples' rights.


Equipment

When playing with Gojira in 2009, Duplantier's equipment was listed as the following: *Charvel Joe Duplantier Signature San Dimas Style 2 *Charvel Joe Duplantier Signature Pro Mod San Dimas Style 2 *Jackson SLS Guitar *EVH 5150 III amplifier head *EVH 5150 III 4x12 Cab *Boss TU-2 Chromatic Tuner pedal *Noise Suppressor pedal *Dunlop .88 millimeter tortex picks *DiMarzio ClipLock black strap


Discography


Gojira

;Demos * ''Victim'' (as Godzilla) (1996) * ''Possessed'' (as Godzilla) (1997) * ''Saturate'' (as Godzilla) (1999) * ''Wisdom Comes'' (as Godzilla) (2000) ;EPs * ''Maciste All'Inferno (Gojira album), Maciste All'Inferno'' (Gojira) (2003) * ''End of Time'' (Gojira) (2012) ;Studio albums * ''
Terra Incognita ''Terra incognita'' or ''terra ignota'' (Latin "unknown land"; ''incognita'' is stressed on its second syllable in Latin, but with variation in pronunciation in English) is a term used in cartography for regions that have not been mapped or do ...
'' (2001) * '' The Link'' (2003) * '' From Mars to Sirius'' (2005) * ''
The Way of All Flesh ''The Way of All Flesh'' (sometimes called ''Ernest Pontifex, or the Way of All Flesh'') is a semi-autobiographical novel by Samuel Butler that attacks Victorian-era hypocrisy. Written between 1873 and 1884, it traces four generations of the ...
'' (2008) * ''L'Enfant Sauvage (album), L'Enfant Sauvage'' (2012) * ''
Magma Magma () is the molten or semi-molten natural material from which all igneous rocks are formed. Magma is found beneath the surface of the Earth, and evidence of magmatism has also been discovered on other terrestrial planets and some natural sa ...
'' (2016) * '' Fortitude'' (2021)


Empalot

* ''Brout (album), Brout'' (demo, 1999) * ''Tous aux Cèpes'' (full-length, 2002) * ''Empalot en Concert'' (live, 2004)


Cavalera Conspiracy

* "Sanctuary" (single, 2008) * ''Inflikted'' (full-length, 2008)


As a guest or session musician

* ''Eros & Thanatos'' by Manimal (band), Manimal (on "Dead Meat") (full-length, 2004) * ''Through the Absurd'' by Trepalium (on "Sauvage") (full-length, 2004) * ''Contraires'' by MyPollux (on "Coffre à Souhaits") (full-length, 2006) * ''Demi-Deuil'' by Aygghon (on "La Terre Dolente") (full-length, 2006) * ''All Seeing Eyes'' by Klone (on "All Seeing Eyes") (full-length, 2008) * ''For Death, Glory and the End of the World'' by Kruger (on "Muscle") (full-length, 2009) * ''7th Symphony (album), 7th Symphony'' by Apocalyptica (on "Bring Them to Light") (full-length, 2010) * ''Deconstruction (Devin Townsend Project album), Deconstruction'' by Devin Townsend Project (on "Sumeria", alongside Paul Masvidal of Cynic (band), Cynic) (full-length, 2011) * ''w^w^^w^w'' by Car Bomb (on "Third Revelation") (full-length, 2012) * ''The Old Believer'' by the Atlas Moth (on "Blood Will Tell") (full-length, 2014) * ''Damballa's Voodoo Doll'' by Trepalium (on "Damballa's Voodoo Doll"), alongside Matthieu Metzger of Klone (full-length, 2015) * '' Meta'' by Car Bomb (on "The Oppressor") (full-length, 2016) * ''MCID'' by Highly Suspect (on "SOS") (full-length, 2019) * ''Heavy Steps'' by Comeback Kid (band), Comeback Kid (on "Crossed") (full-length, 2022)


As a producer

* '' Meta'' by Car Bomb (full-length, 2016) * ''Badder Than Brooklyn'' by Decatur (full-length, 2017) * ''The Legacy of Shi'' by Rise of the Northstar (full-length, 2018) * ''NYNX'' by McLoud (full-length, 2019) *"SOS" by Highly Suspect (song, 2019)


Notes


References


Sources

*


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Duplantier, Joe 1976 births 21st-century bass guitarists 21st-century French singers 21st-century French male singers Cavalera Conspiracy members Death metal musicians English-language singers from France French bass guitarists French environmentalists French heavy metal guitarists French heavy metal singers French male guitarists French multi-instrumentalists French people of American descent Gojira (band) members Indigenous rights activists Living people Male bass guitarists Musicians from Brooklyn Progressive metal guitarists Record producers from New York (state)