THE BEAUTY OF GEMINA: “Wanting perfection can be dangerous”

The Beauty of Gemina – music between dark beauty, passionate and touching melodies, and earthy folk. Fantasy and reality on the club stage.

The fascination of The Beauty of Gemina lies in the “dark elegance” of the music. In other words: in the charisma of songwriter and singer Michael Sele. With his impressive voice and passion for telling stories through music, he has won a firm place in the hearts of listeners worldwide.

With the new “Songs Of Homecoming” tour, the artistic journey now continues and the grandmaster of melancholy has once again impressively proven that he and his band are among the leading artists in the Swiss alternative and indie rock genre.

On February 21, The Beauty of Gemina will perform in Control Club in Bucharest, and we’re happy we could share a few words with Michael Sele. Event booked by OneDay.

Hi, and thank you for your time! I’m sure fans would be interested in knowing more about your backstory. How did you start the band?

Michael Sele: It was actually in 2006 and the first single was ‘Suicide Landscape’, which became a No. 1 hit in the Global Gothic Charts. That was of course a brilliant start. The debut album “Diary Of a Lost” was then released in January 2017 and the journey began.

For newcomers to your music, if you had to pick one track that shows people who you are as an artist, which one would it be?

That’s difficult, as I’ve already released over 100 songs in the last 18 years. But I would choose two songs from the current album “Songs Of Homecoming”, which is probably my most personal album. The two songs ‘Veil Of Rain’ and ‘Countless (There’s No Home)’ say a lot about me.

Is there a specific philosophy or worldview underlying your music?

As a songwriter, people with all their stories, hopes, and dreams, but also fears and defeats are at the center of my work. My songs are melancholy, but there is always courage and confidence in them.

How do you think your sound has evolved over the years? Did you always have in mind to sound the way you sound today?

It has been a long journey and as I have changed, so has my music. For me, life also means being curious and searching. That is and was very important to me, especially as an artist, to keep leaving the comfort zone, the familiar, to try out new things.

Take me through your sound design process. Does the conception come first or do the songs evolve naturally – do you have a clear idea of what it will be before you start to make it?

It doesn’t always work the same way. But I am someone who likes to work conceptually. When I start writing new songs, I already have a whole album in mind and think about the theme, the title, sometimes even the design, and the entire visual world. For me, it all belongs together, it inspires me and I then start working on it on all levels. The lyrics play an important role right from the start.

There are many descriptions of the ideal state of mind for being creative. What is it like for you? What supports this ideal state of mind and what are distractions? Are there strategies to enter into this state more easily?

For me, it’s a deep, almost meditative flow. It works best when everything is quiet. Calmness and emotional distance help, while stress and distractions make it harder.

In how much, do you feel, are creative decisions shaped by cultural differences – and in how much, vice versa, is the perception of sound influenced by cultural differences?

Music is universal, but culture shapes how we create and hear sounds. Different backgrounds bring different emotions and rhythms. I enjoy playing with these contrasts.

How do you know when a track is ready? Does it ever become difficult to refine ideas or stop perfecting?

For me, a song is ready when it feels complete when nothing is missing or too much. Wanting perfection can be dangerous—you have to let go at some point.

Do you have certain rituals to get you into the right mindset for creating? What role do certain foods or stimulants like coffee, lighting, scents, exercise, or reading poetry play?

When I used to smoke, tobacco was my constant companion in the studio. I’m glad that I don’t need it anymore. But, indeed, all my senses are particularly heightened during the creative process.

Guilty pleasure time. What would you say are some of your current most guilty pleasures? All is fair game, food, books, video games, whatever floats your boat. Let us have it.

Sweets!!! And of course a good single malt whisky or a glass of excellent red wine.

What other creative outputs do you engage in that we may not suspect?

Perhaps this output is more of an input after all. But what many people don’t know is that I’m a big opera fan.

To wrap it up, what do you hope to do with your art in the future?

I would like to take this opportunity to say thank you. It is still a great gift for me and not at all a matter of course that my music and my songs are heard all over the world. I have been able to give concerts in 25 countries and I am really looking forward to the first concerts in Bucharest and Sofia. I’m sure it will be two magical concert nights and an unforgettable journey.