Contributing WriterHey WLAD, great to meet you, we’re big fans at Mi4l! How is everything with you right now? And how are things in Paris and France currently?
Hi, first of all thank you for the invitation and thank you for your interest in the label. At the moment in Paris and in France things are getting much better. Since the beginning of July all the clubs, bars and restaurants have been covered. Initially, the closed club gauge was 70% of the capacity and 100% outdoors. Since August, the French government has implemented the mandatory health pass, which means that to access cinema, restaurants, bars, discotheque, train, planes, shopping centres … everyone must be fully vaccinated or present a test of less than 48 hours. So to say that almost everyone is almost completely vaccinated and thanks to this all the parts can take place without any problem.
What does being French mean to your music – does it give it a certain characteristic or sound?
In fact not really, even if I am of the “French Touch” generation, I do not have the feeling that it is felt in my music. In fact, being of oriental origin, I am very open musically to world music and I can get my inspiration from it. I don’t know if we can really say that there is a characteristic in French music as in Latin music for example apart from French pop!
Where does the impulse to create something come from for you? What role do sources of inspiration like dreams, other forms of art, personal relationships, politics etc play?
Ah, great question. It is true that inspiration is a very important thing in creating any art. For my part, I draw it from family weekends. In the countryside, on vacation, on a trip. I need to totally disconnect to come back full of energy and full of new ideas. Good emotions are very important for creation, at least for me. I’m a project boy, so every new project must have a break. In order to take a step back and find other ideas, motivations and especially this resource because this pumps a lot of energy to produce something unique that will appeal to as many people as possible and at the same time be constantly present on social networks. Clear your mind and my way to find the best inspiration!
For you to get started, do there need to be concrete ideas – or what some have called a ‘visualisation’ of the finished work?
So in fact I’m very bad at it. I know everyone would say take a track as a reference but I never do that. For the good and simple reason it’s that it completely blocks me in my work flow. The only thing I do is sample a kick, snare or hats that I like from my vinyl collection. After I work like this, I have a basic Ableton live template and with each project I change it. It keeps me from getting bored when I have spent several dozen hours on the same projects. Once again, this is my way of doing things. Some people prefer to keep the same technique so that we can recognize their style but for my part I get bored quickly, I always have the impression of doing the track. So sometimes I make myself a minimal template, sometimes a House template that changes every 16 bars. This is how I can start with fresh ideas and visualize where my project will go.
You have an upcoming remix of Sidney Charles on your label hedZup, how did that come about?
Oh yeah, probably my best remix. It’s already supported by big names and I’m really happy with it. Actually Sidney and I are good buddies and collaborated on a music project last year. I naturally suggested to him if he was interested in releasing an Ep on my label and he accepted straight away. Sidney is really talented and while sometimes we ask artists to send us back music when we get a demo because not all tracks we like, with him the first package was the right one. This release after our album at the start of the year will be the best of the year on my label HEDZUP. The official release is scheduled for September 3rd and we can’t wait.
And what further plans do you have for the label? Any exciting releases or showcases in particular on the horizon?
Oh a lot, a lot. The end of the year is going to end on a high note with artists that we have wanted to sign for a very long time and that we have finally been able to have. On the showcase side, we started performing internationally and we have several dates in Europe to come and even further afield. After our monthly residency in Paris for a few years where we played Archie Hamilton, iO Mulen, Diego Krause, Dj Steaw and many others, we were keen to export this format outside our country, France. At the start of the year, my label partner Mancini and I signed with a large agency that manages the showcases, including the famous “Visionquest” crew who now take charge of the HEDZUP showcases. We have a lot of demand abroad, especially across the Atlantic. The first dates will be announced soon.
And for you, what’s next, what else are you working on for the rest of the year?
For my part, I have a lot of projects. I completed 2 Eps before going on vacation which will be released by the end of the year in October and November and of course my next HEDZUP vinyl which should be released between the end and the beginning of next year. As I mentioned above after a long and beautiful family vacation and my first summer dates, I came back to the studio with lots of ideas. So I started a big project for 2022 but I can’t talk about it at the moment. I can’t wait to share it with you 🙂
Pre-order Sidney Charles “Singularity (WLAD Remix)” on hedZup Records Here
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