The composition and pre-production of ''L'Enfant Sauvage
were materialized in the southwest of France (Le Studio des Milans
). Gojira opted for more "power" and density of sound and emphasized more "epicness" in the structures of the songs. It was co-produced and recorded by Josh Wilbur and Joe Duplantier in New York. which tells the true story of Victor of Aveyron, a child who was found alone in the woods with behaviors closer to a wild animal than a civilized human. "We are part of this world. And also there is this idea that an enfant sauvage'', a child that grew up in nature, is not confronted with others, with emotions, with guilt and identity, so it would be a state where you are closer to the essence of things." Frontman, guitarist, and songwriter Joe Duplantier spoke about the meaning of the album by saying, "When you become a musician, you don't have a boss telling you what to do so you have to be very responsible." He goes on to say "With freedom comes responsibility, so I'm asking myself, 'What is freedom? What does it mean to me?' ''L'Enfant Sauvage'' reflects on that. There's no answer though. There's just life and questions." Duplantier expanded on this idea in an interview with
The Quietus, explaining that "Since the beginning, since the very first demo even, I've been obsessed with the human condition, the soul, why we are here and is there an answer to that question - the mysteries of life in general. Are we a body? Or are we more than that? And if we are more, then what are we? I'm full of questions, but there are no answers really, just intuition, and a strong intuition that we are more than just flesh and blood". The song "The Gift of Guilt" was a reflection of Joe Duplantier on the theme of
guilt, passed down from generation to generation. == Touring and promotion ==