Clément Denys - Fractal Universe - Interview + Video Premiere

Clément Denys is a drummer from France that plays with Fractal Universe, Exanimis, SCIAN, and, more recently, Nightmare.

I’ve been lucky to tour as main support for Evergrey back in October 2022. This year has been great, too, as I toured Europe with Nightmare, playing the 70000 Tons of Metal with Fractal Universe and having lots of shows with other bands.

SDM: How old were you when you started playing?

Clément: It’s been something I wanted to do since childhood; unfortunately, I had to pick trumpet first. At 11 years old, the need to play drums became stronger, so I asked again my parents to play, and I got my first drum kit for Christmas; it was a Magnum.

SDM: Did you play in a school band or any drum corps?

Clément: We don’t have drum corps in school here, but I had a very nice music teacher who created a band, and we played a show in the school chapel. It was a Catholic school, and we played Korn and other metal band covers. Was fun!

Fractal Universe – Autopoiesis – Drum Play-through Video Premier

SDM: Who are your top 5 metal influences?

Clément: I would say, Joey Jordison, Mario Duplantier, Jonas Ekdhal, Daniel Moilalen, Navene Koperweis

SDM: Who are some of your other favorites?

Clément: I m watching a lot of drum content all the time; in any genre, there are so many great drummers… I would pick Eric Moore, Jojo Mayer, Gavin Harrison, Thomas Lang, and of course, Virgil Donati!

SDM: Let us know 5 bands in your current personal rotation.

Clément: Katatonia, Whitechapel, Evergrey, Decapitated, Animal as Leaders

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SDM: What do you do to warm up before a show?

Clément: I try to wake up my body; I don’t have a specific warm-up routine; I try to feel relaxed playing the pad, especially on single strokes. It’s basically playing singles, doubles, diddles, and other sticking combinations. I also do a bit of double bass on the ground and stretching.

SDM: Do you read music? Regardless of answering yes or no, please tell us how it might have affected your playing.

Clément: Yes, I do. When I started being a drum teacher, I wasn’t good at reading. Now I can record songs I discover just by reading the chart in a few minutes (depends on the complexity too). I would say being a good reader helps you to push your limits by understanding new drum ideas and also to understand and recognize more easily what you hear. I would say with reading; you can go beyond your comfort zone in a more structured way.

SDM: Can you tell us about the gear you use?

Clément: I m playing a Tama Starclassic Maple, 10,12,14,16,22. My snare is a Mapex Sledgehammer 14*6,5. I m lucky to be endorsed by Murat Diril Cymbals, Los Cabos drumsticks, Kaptor Triggers (to all metal drummers, give a try to those triggers, they are game-changers), and a French drumhead brand, which is HEATS. For the double pedal, it’s a Pearl Demon Drive.

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SDM: If you could give one piece of advice to younger drummers, it would be…

Clément: Work hard on your instrument. You can’t imagine the amount of time great drummers practiced to get where they are. Personally, I feel like a beginner on the drums. After all these years of practicing, touring, and recording, I always think I still have thousands of things to improve in my playing.

SDM: Who gave the best live performance you’ve ever seen?

Clément: This year, I saw Katatonia for the first time, and really Daniel Moilalen is incredibly groovy and tight. One of the best drum performances I saw was Mario Duplantier; he puts so much energy and strength into his playing, huge inspiration.

SDM: Aside from drumming, what else do you like to do?

Clément: I take care of my dog and my cat, and I play sports. I hang out a lot with my friends too!