When music becomes an astral journey, with ascendant vierge Interview with the duo that brings us closer to the stars, between electro and angelic voices

In astrology, the ascendant is said to represent the outward appearance; it is the element that defines not the self in essence, but in appearance, the one we present to others before revealing our most hidden personality traits. The ascendant vierge, in particular, represents order, humility, observation, analysis, even self-assessment, but also selflessness, devotion to others, and the pursuit of perfection. A definition in which both Mathilde and Paul, the two members of the musical duo ascendant Vierge, found themselves separately, but above all musically. He, king of electro, she, queen of powerful vocals, the mix that makes up the group is everything a Virgo ascendant (myself included) could dream of: balanced, delirious but orderly, harmonious, measured. From astrology to music to fashion, we had the opportunity to discuss various topics with the duo.

If the question “what’s your zodiac sign?” is one of my favorites as a gullible, delusional air sign, you can guess how the conversation started. “The topic of astrology was our first conversation with Paul in the studio. Actually, I didn’t dare ask him his zodiac sign, and then he spontaneously told me he is a Virgo, Virgo ascendant. Being a Virgo ascendant myself, we thought it was a good band name. The decision was made very quickly and spontaneously, and it has never been questioned since; even today, we still like it very much.” explains Mathilde. But the story of this duo that clicked doesn’t stop at this simple coincidence: “At one time, we had a radio show in Brussels where the idea was to go through the twelve zodiac signs and associate each with a song, a story about a song, or a musician. We continued for six or seven episodes, which kept us busy during the lockdown. We didn’t know each other personally at that time, and then Mathilde contacted me to work together, and things fell into place naturally.” This is how Vierge, the duo’s first album, came to be, featuring tracks like Influenceur, Horoscope, and Faire et refaire.

Their first album was soon followed by a second, Le plus grand spectacle de la terre, released in 2024, also composed of 7 tracks. While the foundation of ascendant Vierge’s songs is undoubtedly techno, produced by Paul, Mathilde prefers not to define her singing style. “I’m not an opera singer. I didn’t, for example, go to a conservatory. It’s something I’ve always liked and been interested in, which I approached by mimicking what I could hear, what I imagined. At the time, when I started singing around age 18, that’s what I wanted to touch. My approach to operatic singing is therefore more of a nod. I also use a more rock, pop style. My approach to singing is fluid, it shifts through the songs.”

Paul’s path was also winding before he arrived at the techno that today forms the backbone of ascendant Vierge. While he started with rap and beatmaking, the call of electronic sounds was stronger, leading him through a long stylistic evolution to finally arrive at techno, “hard” music, techno art, trance, casual gabber, and gabber. Yet even after finding his voice, he quickly realized that working with people who write lyrics, creating songs, verses, and choruses, felt more comfortable than making tracks alone.

The creative process therefore happens hand in hand, as Paul explains: “We always follow the same pattern during creation. I send a demo track to Mathilde, she tries toplines and does tests, and from there, we decide what works and what doesn’t; this can take a long time. Then we move to the writing phase, where bridges become words. After that, we rearrange the track into a song, so there’s a lot of back-and-forth.” The contribution is mutual, shared, almost conversational. But the personality and touch of each member extends beyond music, also expressed through a carefully crafted visual identity, which includes fashion.

“Fashion is above all an essential tool of expression and identification that fully participates in building our creative universe. It’s a fantastic playground. Some pieces appeal to us immediately, but we also primarily use fashion to create a contrast or find new ways to express and identify ourselves. Our approach is similar in music, fashion, and music videos: we always aim to not be exactly where people expect us. Outfit choices also vary depending on the moment, songs, or current projects.”

Paul confirms: “We have a lot of fun. We work regularly with some people, but collaborations evolve with the seasons. For example, we have partners like Lemaire who have been with us for two years on tours or videos. These are encounters that make things easier. The main idea is to create, and we can create with anyone. When Mathilde and I started this group, the imagery was already very strong and well developed on her side. It was a discovery; I let myself be guided by Mathilde and our collaborators. It’s really an extension of what we do in music. You have to take the image seriously, but not take yourself too seriously either.”

Regarding their musical evolution, beyond stylistic progress, the duo explains they are currently in: “A period where we finally have the time to look back at our journey, even if we are not necessarily the best judges. What’s essential for us, and what hasn’t changed between us, is the way we approach music and our goals. That initial mindset is something we absolutely want to preserve. What has changed is mainly the perception of others: simply that many more people are following us. We had an independent path strongly influenced by the temporal context. We started working together in 2018, released our first track in 2019, and began performing quietly. The lockdown was a key moment for our group. Our tracks, which were already there, went viral during that period. After restrictions lifted, we returned to performing and barely stopped for almost four years. In a short time, three albums were released. In the meantime, we created our label, 12 Stars, which allowed us to grow and learn to work. We have produced or co-directed almost all of our videos. We also quickly incorporated people who have remained with our team for concerts and the label.”

The duo has indeed not stopped. After a tumultuous start, they also went on tours with major dates in France, Europe, and even a stop in the United States. The peak of this success, however, was in France, at the Zénith: “It represents a form of recognition for a group of our level. We position ourselves at the crossroads of several worlds: pop, underground techno, and the performance universe. Live, what we offer is more of an experience-show than a classical concert. We are very lucky to have reached this level, to have a loyal audience, and to have filled this Zénith with 6800 seats. This fast pace, with two albums released only a year apart, requires a lot of work. We now allow ourselves a bit of rest and to resume music creation more calmly, reflecting on future projects more peacefully.”

Even if the duo admits today to a well-deserved break, the pursuit of perfection and hard work to achieve it remains ongoing. “Nothing is ever perfect. Until we reach perfection, we will continue to work and dig deeper. As Virgo Ascendant Virgos, perfection is indeed our ultimate goal; it is idealistic, but it’s a great source of motivation. That’s why we never rest on our laurels and keep moving forward. In reality, such achievements make us want to work even more and continue. Success gives us strength. We always have projects in mind, but the next steps are now approached a bit more relaxed.”