Social Meets Music: Inside a Studio Morning with The Psychotic Monks and Their Guests!

In Saint-Ouen, on June 17, 2025, The Psychotic Monks invited us to Mains d’Œuvres, a cultural center that provides rehearsal studios for everyone. The center describes itself as a “space for imagination, experimentation, and artistic and civic creation” on its website.

During this warm summer morning, the band begins their last rehearsal session with several autistic artists from specialized institutions in the Paris area: Étienne on keyboards, Markus on drums, Jean as a vocalist, and Thierry Dupont, singer of the band Ron Pon. The only absent member was Enkhjin with her Mongolian harp. “It’s a pity, she brings a softness… Now, it will be more hardcore!” jokes Christophe L’Huillier, guitarist of Astéréotypie, who is heavily involved in this project.

This initiative is part of Colis Suspect – an event curated by Christophe – and is supported by the association Futur Composé, which promotes cultural activities between young individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and established artists.

“Christophe approached us and we were immediately excited,” shares Clément Caillerez, drummer for The Psychotic Monks. “We’ve been big fans of Astéréotypie… The goal this year is to engage more in cultural activities, to blend social interaction with music, and to move away from the typical career cycle of ‘album-tour-album-tour’.”

“Listen and Adapt”

The aim for the musicians gathered this morning is to perfect the set they will present on June 27 at Ground Control. This is the culmination of four months of swift composition work – a process where “we didn’t overthink things. It was straight to the point!” Clément smiles. “Everyone brought their own universe and all we had to do was listen and adapt.”

This approach was evident in the sweltering studio, as the diverse musical styles unfolded before us. Ambient drones, post-punk, techno bursts, a blues riff here, industrial tones there, Italian screams, operatic flights… During this hour-long set, the collective fluidly transitioned from one style to another, taking us on a captivating auditory journey.

With a supportive presence, The Psychotic Monks gave their guests ample space to confidently own the stage. They were very attentive: When Étienne hesitated at his keyboard, Paul – playing trumpet, bass, and synthesizers with the Monks – guided him. When Jean forgot his lyrics, Martin, the band’s guitarist, whispered them to him. When Thierry sang with such fervor that sweat dripped down his forehead, Clément aimed a fan to cool him off.

On Stage at Rock en Seine

The significance of this collaboration grows as the team from Rock en Seine has invited them to perform this set again at the festival on Saturday, August 23. “This will be my first time on a big stage…,” Thierry shares as the rehearsal concludes. Far from succumbing to stress, he has his techniques.

“Let me share my secret. I find a quiet corner, ignore the noise, and listen to the birds. I close my eyes, meditate, and start visualizing the evening. I draw it in my mind, like a painter… I see the keyboardists, the trumpeter, I sketch the drummers,” he describes.

He continues, “Each instrument has a color. The guitarist is red. The keyboardists, kind of purple. The drummers, brown. And me, I’m the sparkle!” Everyone laughs. Artie adds, “It seems your way of expressing is very visual; you even said that when you write, it’s more like paintings or drawings in your head.” The singer nods in agreement.

The Start of a Tour Together?

In his mind, Thierry harbors numerous dreams, including touring with The Psychotic Monks. “I want to travel with them, have them take me around the world: to the USA, Canada, or maybe China. I’m still working on my lyrics. I have so many ideas in my head that I’m keeping in reserve. We’re talking about a tour…,” he reveals.

While nothing is set in stone yet, Clément assures that this collective “will allow us to invite people on stage in a future tour of the Monks.” He adds, “I’m really happy, truly, to have met them. Both the artists and the educators, the people who accompany them… It creates a great team that is very heartwarming at the moment.”

The prospects are exciting for Étienne, Markus, Jean, and especially Thierry, who is not shy with his ideas. He enjoys fantasizing: “Imagine if one day we play in a castle, that could be quite something! A castle like Versailles… I’d love us to play in the Ice Palace.” We would too.

The Psychotic Monks + guests, live on June 27 at Ground Control, Paris, and on August 23 at Rock en Seine, Saint-Cloud.