The Obelisk Questionnaire is a series of open questions intended to give the answerer an opportunity to explore these ideas and stories from their life as deeply as they choose. Answers can be short or long, and that reveals something in itself, but the most important factor is honesty.

Based on the Proust Questionnaire, the goal over time is to show a diverse range of perspectives as those who take part bring their own points of view to answering the same questions. To see all The Obelisk Questionnaire posts, click here.

Thank you for reading and thanks to all who participate.

The Obelisk Questionnaire: Jean Green of Indigo Raven

—

How do you define what you do and how did you come to do it?

Hi there, I’m Jean and I play bass in Indigo Raven. First of all, thanks for having us. I would define what we do as a patchwork of influences brought together by the different things the three of us have been listening for quite some time now.

Ben and Julie started the project as a duo and they kindly asked my to join them for this last record. To be fair it has been one of the best things of these weird times for me. I love these two fuckers deeply and they welcomed what I have brought to the cake with open minds.

Describe your first musical memory.

My first musical memory is Beethoven’s ninth symphony. My parents were books and music kind of guys… No TV. They played classical music and Pink Floyd quite a lot. I loved it very much.

Describe your best musical memory to date.

I was 13 and I was living with my gran in San Francisco for a few months, I knew fuckall about heavy metal but I new I wanted to try because of some videos I’ve seen on Headbangers’ Ball. I went to Tower Records (yeah I know I’m old) with 10 dollars and I asked the guy to give me something metal… He gave me Metallica’s Garage Days cause it was one of the few things I could afford. I will never forget the feeling I first had listening to that lousy K7… It changed my life for real.

Yeah… I know but I was an innocent French kid in the US.

When was a time when a firmly held belief was tested?

When my dad died… I thought I knew life but I was just a little punk.

Where do you feel artistic progression leads?

I couldn’t imagine life without music, I play in other bands too. I’m a lousy lazy musician but progression, in my case, enables me to tame stage fright… Just a little bit.

How do you define success?

Success is watching our tiger cubs playing with empty bowls of cocaine in our Flying V shaped pool.

What is something you have seen that you wish you hadn’t?

Lars Ulrich.

Describe something you haven’t created yet that you’d like to create.

I would love to write a book but I definitely suck at even trying.

What do you believe is the most essential function of art?

I’d say that art is as essential as breathing in this fucked up world.

Something non-musical that you’re looking forward to?

Dudes on Mars.

https://www.facebook.com/indigoravenband
https://www.instagram.com/indigoraven.band/
https://indigoraven.bandcamp.com/
www.argonautarecords.com
www.facebook.com/ArgonautaRecords

Indigo Raven, Looking for Transcendence (2021)