Since their formation in Nantes in 2019, Birds of Nazca have been crafting immersive instrumental journeys that defy simple genre labels. Comprising Guillaume on guitar and Romuald on drums, the duo creates a massive wall of sound without bass or vocals, blending Stoner, Heavy Psych, and Doom with hypnotic riffs and ethereal atmospheres. Following their critically acclaimed debut in 2020 and the exploratory EP “Héliolite” in 2023, Birds of Nazca return with “Pangaea,” an album that takes listeners on a profound journey across earthly landscapes and elemental forces. We spoke with Guillaume and Romuald about the concepts, the recording process, and the vision behind their latest
work.
“Pangaea” is inspired by the idea of the Earth in its primordial unity. How did this concept shape the writing and composition of the album?
Romuald: “Actually, it was more as our tracks were taking shape that the title Pangaea seemed ideal for the whole work.“
Guillaume: “And Pangaea refers both to the organic side of our music and to the duo format of Birds of Nazca. It forces us to achieve real symbiosis between guitar and drums, to form a unity , just like the single continent of Pangaea.“
Your music has been described as hypnotic and immersive. How do you approach building these vast instrumental landscapes without vocals?
Romuald: “In a “classic” lineup, the voice is very often the listener’s main thread, with the musicians accompanying the singer. For us, without that vocal line, the way to capture attention is through structures, riffs, and rhythms which, even if repetitive, include details, changes, and patterns that enrich the compositions. This invites the listener to let themselves be carried along and guided by our sounds, following the path of their own emotions and thus traveling through their inner worlds, without limits.“
Guillaume: “Each track evolves over time, we let ourselves go without the constraints of structure. We like to give space for atmospheres to settle in. We don’t think too much about structure, we simply do what feels coherent in the moment.“
Each track on “Pangaea” seems to reflect a specific place or legend. Could you tell us how the landscapes like Batagaïka or Gang Rinpoché influenced your compositions?
Guillaume: “We always start with a musical idea, a guitar riff. Then I give the piece a name. From that point on, unconsciously, we try to stick to what each landscape evokes for us. For Batagaïka, this Siberian crater that has been opening continuously for years ,it began as a small crack and now stretches several kilometers, we translated that into
music as a long repetitive pattern that gradually thickens. Simple notes that eventually turn into a wall of sound. And then the ending riff, looping endlessly with the drums shifting, gives the impression that it could go on forever. For Gang Rinpoché, the dreamy, psychedelic middle section of the track echoes this sacred mountain for several religions. For Hindus, for example, it is said to be the dwelling place of Shiva. So musically it needed something deeply psychedelic.“
Romuald: “Each place mentioned on the album symbolizes the power, the strength of the elements, and the grandeur of nature with all its mysteries. Captivating and conducive to personal exploration of the world and of oneself.“
The duo format without bass is quite distinctive. How do you achieve the depth and density of sound that the albums convey?
Guillaume: “I play simultaneously through two guitar amps and one bass amp. That thickens our sound. Then it’s a matter of balance , the length of calmer moments, the silences, the builds, the really heavy passages. Above all, it’s about the balance between guitar and drums.“
Romuald: “Exactly, some tuning adjustments and gear combinations without electronics allowed us, after many trials, to create our powerful sound.“
Doom, Stoner, and Heavy Psych all converge in your music. How do you balance these influences while maintaining a unique voice?
Romuald: “We work on our structures to create several “songs within the song,” in a way. And we rehearse a lot to let our starting ideas evolve into more complete structures, without overthinking—keeping it natural, raw, instinctive.“
Guillaume: “I think our identity comes primarily from our sound. When you listen to a track, you know it’s Birds of Nazca. As for balance, it’s all about the feeling during composition. It remains a fairly spontaneous process.“
On “Héliolite,” you explored longer, crescendo-driven tracks. Did this approach evolve further on “Pangaea“?
Guillaume: “We’re still in the same vein, but pushed further. Our music has a “post-rock” aspect, in the sense that it’s a constant evolution rather than a succession of verses and choruses. I like the idea that listeners perceive each track as a painting or a photograph. If they take the time to look into the meaning of the tracks, it helps them understand what
we were trying to achieve on the album.“
Romuald: “It’s the instinct of the moment that unconsciously guides us toward longer or shorter formats. On Pangaea, our tracks still don’t have a radio format“
Your recording process for “Pangaea” captured the duo live. How did recording live affect the album’s energy and dynamics?
Guillaume: “Our music is composed in the rehearsal studio at live volume. That’s the simplest way for me with all my amps. It allows us to really feel the thickness of each part. So logically, we record live to preserve spontaneity and energy, and also to keep our bearings and capture exactly what we want.“
Romuald: “Playing our tracks together, without technological trickery, is essential to instinctively convey the power and energy we want to express, just like in a concert!“
Many of your tracks convey a sense of mythology or natural memory. How do you translate these abstract ideas into riffs and rhythms?
Romuald: “Perhaps with associations of motifs that might seem unlikely at first?“
Guillaume: “As I mentioned earlier, we start from a main idea and develop it. Then I name the piece based on what the first sketch evokes for me whether it feels massive or rather airy, for instance. After that, we compose almost unconsciously around that theme. I have a lot of track titles set aside that I would have liked to use, but they didn’t quite fit the mood of the songs. For example, Dallol a volcano in Ethiopia with acidic hot springs, salt columns, and so on. A landscape with very vivid colors and extremely hostile conditions. Or Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland, with its 40,000 basalt columns forming a kind of paved path through erosion.“
Comparisons have been drawn to Pelican and My Sleeping Karma, yet you cite early Queens of the Stone Age as an influence. How do you reconcile these inspirations with your own sound?
Romuald: “Actually, we listen to a lot of music from different styles and eras, which inspires us to create structures, rhythms, and melodies that inevitably bring us closer to the famous bands you mention and that we’ve obviously listened to a lot. In particular Kyuss and the early Queens of the Stone Age, who are still a reference in the genre.“
Guillaume: “We don’t want to copy the sound of any specific band. We’ve tried to create a sound of our own, and then of course we compose with my influences and Romu’s influences. Sometimes I’ll write something heavy and Romu will play something lighter than I imagined. It’s really our different musical backgrounds that shape our sound.“
Can you share a moment during the writing or recording of “Pangaea” that was particularly challenging or surprising?
Guillaume: “Probably the moment when, just a week before entering the studio, we decided to completely rewrite the drum parts for a track!“
Romuald: “On the second day of recording, after waking up early, we started a session. I simply couldn’t play. My body felt stiff and my memory erased, even though the track had been rehearsed countless times. A terrible feeling of incapacity in the studio, which I had to manage carefully to avoid getting dragged into a paralyzing spiral of stress!“
How do you envision the listener’s journey through “Pangaea”? Are there specific emotions or states you aim to evoke?
Guillaume: “Our aim was to create an album that feels coherent as a whole. The title Pangaea emphasizes the theme of the tracks: Earth as a constantly evolving entity. And that what may seem inanimate isn’t necessarily so.“
Romuald: “The power of the Earth, its revolution, the elements, nature (so gentle but sometimes so violent) creation, evolution, gravity, weight. And hope!“
Live shows are a key part of your identity. How will the tracks from Pangaea translate to a live setting?
Guillaume: “The songs are written with live performance in mind. The Pangaea tracks will make up a large part of our new set. On stage, we’re looking for energy above all else. That’s why in the studio we avoid adding extra layers we wouldn’t be able to reproduce live.“
Romuald: “Exactly the same way as on the album! Heavy, loud, dynamic! We don’t change a thing… unless we mess up!“
Looking ahead, do you see Birds of Nazca expanding your instrumental palette further, or will the duo remain your core approach?
Romuald: “For now, the duo suits us because we’ve worked hard on our sound, with fine adjustments and careful management of the sonic spectrum. Every attempt to integrate a bassist has failed quickly, since they couldn’t find their place in the way we write our songs and fill the space and silences (which they always want to fill! Ahah). We’ve also
been approached by several singers who wanted to add vocals to our creations. We believe that would drastically change our project, which is meant to be immersive and introspective for listeners—precisely thanks to the absence of vocals. But anything remains possible!“
Guillaume: “We don’t know what the future holds, but for now we’re staying as we are : a duo.“
We would like to thank Guillaume and Romuald for sharing their insights and letting us dive into the world of “Pangaea.“ With this release, Birds of Nazca continue to assert their singular voice in the European instrumental Stoner scene, crafting music that is both powerful and meditative. “Pangaea” was be released on October 3, 2025—an invitation to experience a sonic journey shaped by the Earth itself.
Purchase new album “Pangaea” on Bandcamp: https://birdsofnazca.bandcamp.com/album/pangaea
Lineup:
Guillaume / Guitar
Romuald / Drums