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Interview by OVERPLAY in january 2008 :

Who are 'CLOSE YOUR EYES AND DREAM ' and how would you describe your music?

"close your eyes and dream " or "close your eyes and listen " is more evocative than jp VIELFAURE which is my real name when I sign the credits of video games and films . my music is imaginative , I always have an idea before I begin to play something on my keyboards , I try to spin long yarns, and try to create atmosphere and soundtracks where any listener can easily find something to connect with.

When were you formed and were you in other bands before?

I play the piano until 9 years old and get some classical studies in conservatory in FRANCE my first instrumental music album was for a musical library in 1981 "transamerican love " I have now released 6 albums on my own . the fifth album is a scary atmospheres cd album special suspense movies and soundtracks " scary atmospheres" . you can listen to some samples of it at http://www.ours-music.com/catalogue.htm the latest one is a special " cooking 120 BPM jingles" made for cooking TV shows with: everything you find in a kitchen , pans knife forks percussions and a taste of salt and pepper . you can listen to some samples of it at http://www.ours-music.com/catalogue.htm

What would you say would be CLOSE YOUR EYES AND DREAM's biggest achievement so far?

my biggest achievement is that I love my job . it s always funny to see the reactions of people asking for your job when you re answering " I am composer for video games and films . I am happy when I read some nice comments from fans who spent hours playing a video game and have pleasure to listen my musics .

Your favourite music album/influences?

an Indian bollywood film : a KARAN JOHAR film "KABHI ALVIDA NAA KEHNA" with a music of SHANKAR EHSAAN LOY and lyrics JAVED AKHTAR I have discovered these productions a year ago and I am at the moment listening almost this style . The composers I have discovered (JATIN LALIT RAHMAN SHAMKAR etc) are very good in mixing many styles .

Last album you bought?

I bought "DEVIKA" at cdbaby.com after a review of "world music" style I made on GARAGEBAND.com last week . it s A collaboration between artists from three countries - India, Pakistan and the US The songs span a variety of different styles including lounge, club, easy listening, Punjabi and film. The goal of the album is to demonstrate the versatility of vocal performance

Favourite all-time film and book and why?

I don t have any favourite film but I watch and listen carefully many TV series and films . I read every month each issue of " computer music "magazine and some notices and "help" of my new plug ins and software I bought to know how to use them . I also spend time to surf on the web to find latest news , tips about recording mixing mastering … because we need to know how to deliver a final project with the best quality .

Will we see you gigging in the future or new recordings?

Under my real name jp VIELFAURE I have just finished the sound design of a new "NODDY " video game, composed a main theme for a SONY PS3 game "ELEFUNK" and am going to begin another onevideo game for the LEAPSTER and MINDSCAPE . I also have a couple of relax and subliminal projects for "close your eyes"

Review and press :

While your average indie popster has a tendency to chronicle the humdrum days, grey streets and funny smelling bus stops of their home town, some musicians occasionally go a little farther afield for inspiration.

This album from Jean-Pascal Veilfaure sees the French composer immersed in the sights and sounds the Bijagos Islands, part of the west African nation of Guinea Bissau.

And across the course of this album, we see that, out of the lush landscape, emerge some distinctly modern twiddly bits.

"Viva" is a suitably proud opener, with a shout of intent and a passionate flurry of drums merging into pulsing beats.

From then on it's a balancing act as birdsong, jungle echoes and rippling crickets play across the delicate instrumentation of tracks such as "Sérénité", "Recueillment" and "Les Oiseaux." Indeed, on "La Nuit Tombe", the insistent throb of crickets conjure up their own commanding beat with the help of very little instrumentation.

Aphex Twin goes safari. Elsewhere, there's more obvious human intervention.

The hard percussion of "La Danse" and the complex "Les Hommes" feed into pounding Prodigy beats and "L'Hippopotame" is forged from a fat, lolloping bassline every bit as big and as nimble as the great beast itself.

Conversely, the lighter, ambient Eno-esque sounds of "Les Femmes" and "Un Beau Voyage" fizz around with the elusive charm of a winning lottery ticket caught in the wind.

There's clearly a feast for the senses awaiting any visitor to the Bijagos and Jean-Pascal Veilfaure does his best to capture as much as possible.

Part documentary, part experiment, it's impossible to judge this by the same standards you'd apply to any normal album. But it's certainly worth the trip.

by overplay

Review and press :

It's a case of continental drifting as Jean-Pascal Vielfaure pops us on the back seat of his synthesizer and takes us on a whistle stop tour of most of the southern hemisphere.

Overall, there's the same expansive feel across 'Reves de Mondes' that gives the impression he's spent a lot of time looking at sunsets - big chords, soft effects, dreamy ambience.

But, within that, each track picks off different cultural elements to present something that is, in every sense, a musical odyssey.

"Reve Africain" is a two-parter that starts off full of widescreen romance and mournful, windswept Sigur Ros or Ulrich Schnauss power chords.

But gradually, the intricate rhythms build and the second part is bursting with vivid beats and skittering drums.

"Reve Asiatique" slows the pace down with some water-lily-tranquil eastern flavours and beautiful intricacy.

But the album's high-point comes halfway through with the ebullient "Reve Hindou." It's another two-part piece, but throughout there's something about the softly joyous synths and glowing rhythms that conjures up the livelier bits of Moby's 'Play'.

"Reve Australien" is the most intriguing thing here and the strange - but effective - mix of strings and didgeridoo has an almost Aphex Twin vibe.

But the jagged edges of this are more than soothed by the ethereal melodies of "Reve Oriental." Subtle and classy, everything quietly dances beneath a fuzzy blanket of electronica.

And, like every track here, we can clearly see that JP likes his passengers to travel first class, with plenty of legroom and everything.

by overplay