French five-piece MUE, spearheaded by guitarist and composer Sylvain Jamault, have just released ‘Labyrinthe,’ the first single from their upcoming second album.

Accompanied by a vivid self-directed video, the track finds the band honing their sound with greater depth and ambition. Entirely instrumental, ‘Labyrinthe’ unfolds in three dynamic movements. It shifts fluidly from hypnotic minimalism to the swaying pulse of samba, surges of metal intensity, and, finally, a cathartic release. Each section builds on the last, creating an immersive, slow-burn ascent that grips from start to finish.

Jamault describes the track as a journey of “intensity and release,” an idea mirrored in the visual narrative of the video. With ‘Labyrinthe,’ MUE offer a glimpse of what’s to come — a work that promises to push their sound into bolder territory.

Sylvain Jamault elaborates further: “I’ve always been captivated by the early stages of learning and transforming shadow into light, as well as the violence that comes with it. The video is about mental and emotional confinement, the violence of self-rejection, and then the liberating rupture that enables you to let go and start going forward again. It is very different from the spiritualist and fairly romantic view of inner development.

A masked figure that has been following me for a very long time appears, representing to me a humanized raven. In certain traditions, the raven is a messenger, often a soul messenger, facilitating the shift from one state to another. I’ve made him an ally in the narrative that is being constructed here. Creating this video was a unique and intriguing approach to me. I discovered that between imagining and realizing an object like this, there is a world in which the protagonists’ various sensibilities express themselves together: the actress, the dancer, the cinematographer, the editor, all of these visions blended together to create a rich, raw, rough object that we wanted to be profoundly alive. This is the tale of ‘Labyrinthe.'”

“The relationship between our inner conflicts, their external manifestations, and the impact they have on our lives and choices”

‘Labyrinthe’ feels deeply emotional, almost like a journey through someone’s mind. What inspired you to explore themes like inner conflict and transformation in this track?

This theme has been a passion of mine for a very long time — the relationship between our inner conflicts, their external manifestations, and the impact they have on our lives and choices. It raises the question of what truly guides our decisions: the peaceful part of ourselves or the conflicted one. The decision to use a female character to embody this theme was also very important to me, especially considering the ongoing issue of violence against women. It’s about injury, how we respond to it, and how we help each other through it as positively as possible — when possible. It also touches on themes of sisterhood and the importance of external support in finding reconciliation with oneself.

The raven in the music video has such a striking presence — it feels like it carries a lot of meaning. How did the idea for this character come about, and what does it represent for you?

The idea of this character has been with me for many years, without me knowing why at first. Gradually, its appearance and meaning became clear. In tradition, the raven is seen as a guide — a figure that helps us transition from one state to another. Over time, it became a kind of mascot for me, a mysterious companion that represents the possibility we all have to overcome difficult situations. The character first took shape through a photographic project, and then it was brought to life by the illustrator Guillaume Sorel, who created the cover of our first album.

Your sound is such a fascinating mix of styles — minimal music, samba, metal. Was this blending of genres something that just happened naturally, or did you set out with the intention to experiment?

It really reflects my deep love for music. I have a classical foundation in classical guitar, but I later explored metal, world music, pop, and progressive rock. I’m a music enthusiast, and the core idea behind MUE is to give complete freedom to the musical dialogue — to let it develop without any stylistic constraints. This is why I don’t compose on an instrument. I write everything on a computer, which allows for total creative freedom without technical limitations. The question of “can it be played?” only arises later, when the musicians, including myself, discover the scores. It’s music for the sake of music.

The way the track builds in intensity feels almost cinematic. Did you imagine the story unfolding visually while composing the music, or did the video concept come later?

I approach composition like writing a film. Soundscapes come to me, and I find it exciting to treat composition like designing a painting or a movie scene. In the case of ‘Labyrinthe,’ I had a clear emotional goal from the beginning, but the video concept and imagery only emerged later.

‘Labyrinthe’ is our first glimpse of your second album. How does this new material feel different from ‘Rencontres’?

For this second album, I’m focusing on something much more raw and immediate. For Rencontres, we spent a lot of time rehearsing. Many instrumental parts were technically challenging for us, and the arrangement process took quite a while. With ‘Labyrinthe,’ I wanted to reconnect with a more “plug-and-play” approach — something a bit simpler, but more focused on the clarity of the subject and with a better sense of how it would translate to the stage and interact with the audience.

The interplay between piano and vibraphone is something that really marks your sound. How do you approach writing for those instruments?

I often think of them as if they were a single instrument. I love how their timbres blend — it creates a very harmonious texture. The piano and vibraphone are both highly visual instruments too, especially in live performance. Watching Leo (our vibraphonist) perform live is mesmerizing. The way his mallets dance across the keys is almost hypnotic.

Sylvain, your journey from ABKAHN to MUE covers a huge musical spectrum. Are there any moments from your hardcore days that still resonate with what you’re creating now?

Absolutely. I loved playing hardcore, and I still listen to metal today. Bands like Dillinger Escape Plan had a profound impact on me. I’ve carried a lot of the rhythmic approach and groove of hardcore into my music. There’s a strong connection with power and intensity, especially since I use instruments that aren’t typically associated with that type of energy. I think that contrast creates something really compelling.