Part 2

Tell me about the space of your current studio/workplace and how you've set it up to optimise creativity.

Like I said before, I only need a MIDI keyboard (a small one) and my computer (mainly), so I can produce music anywhere, very easily.

I’m lucky to have a good quality of life thanks to my job, and my apartment is honestly a really (really) nice place to live. I don’t think I could imagine a better place to make music than being at home—with my partner, my cats, my comfort, and the good vibes of my apartment.

Late producer SOPHIE said: “You have the possibility with electronic music to generate any texture, and any sound. So why would any musician want to limit themselves?” What's your take on that?

I have a deep admiration for SOPHIE’s work, and I can really imagine her saying something like that, considering the kind of music she was able to create. But I think it doesn’t really apply to me and my own music.

What I produce—most of the time—is more like a continuation of what others have been doing for over thirty years in deep house. Even if there are already strong codes and the genre is well established, I think it’s still possible to create and enjoy tracks that follow those rules.

That said, my answer is very centred on myself and how I see the quote. But in my everyday listening, and when I build DJ sets, I’m very inspired by artists and labels that really push the boundaries of sound—just like SOPHIE did. I admire people who go far with rhythm, texture, or genre-blending, like Simo Cell, Minor Science, Ytem, or labels like Scuffed Records and Hessle Audio.

I also love ambient textures from artists like Pendant or Holy Porter, or even new genres like “ambient trance” with producers like Lorenzi or Tryce.

From the earliest sketches to the finished piece, tell me about the production process for Moving into Jazz, please.

My latest release, Moving Into Jazz, on Last Year At Marienbad, was produced over a period of about two years. Before that, I had released two EPs on Pont Neuf Records—one was more downtempo, and the other had more club-oriented sounds.

With this new EP, I wanted to go back to something closer to my roots: house music, and especially deep house.

[Read our Thomas Prunier interview about Pont Neuf]

Inspiration is not always easy to find, but once I have the core of a track—like a nice bassline, drums, keys or a good sample—then the rest usually comes together quickly. The hardest part is finding those first elements that really work well together.

For the EP, the track “Moving Into Jazz” was made in just one day. Everything came very naturally. I found a sample and some percussion sounds that basically make the whole track, and the rest was just a pleasure to put together.



The same thing happened with the last track, “A Trance To Remember.” I found the base of the track very fast—it was actually inspired by a song I really love: “I Know” by Junkie Sartre, which I find beautiful.



After listening to the loop many times, I started humming a melody in my head and thought it could be interesting to add vocals. It’s actually the first time I recorded my own voice on a track. Of course, you can’t recognize my voice at all, and I had to face new challenges like singing in tune, using the mic, finding the right tempo—things I had never dealt with before.

But in the end, the track came together quickly again, because the base already worked so well.

“Those DJs” and “Iced Lemon” were much more complicated. I went through many versions—changing drums, bass, melodies—until I was finally happy with the result. I usually make tracks one by one, based on my inspiration at the time. When I feel like I have a few that sound good together, I start thinking about labels.



Oath immediately loved “Moving Into Jazz,” and we picked the rest of the tracks together. In the end, I’m really proud of the EP—I think it sounds consistent while also bringing something new to my discography.

Tell me about your aesthetic preferences for picking effects like reverb, delay, compression, chorus etc … - what was the role of these effects in the production of your current release?

As I said before, I only have a bit of basic theory about music production, so most of the time I go by instinct and just try things. I test a lot of different settings, and if I like what I hear, I keep it. It’s really about feeling more than technique.

Honestly, I wouldn’t be the best person to give production advice—and I think if a professional saw how I use effects like compression, chorus or delay, they might be shocked! But somehow, it works for me.

Have you used AI or generative music tools for your own productions? If so, in which way and what did they add?  

I tried Synplant 2 when it came out because I thought it might help me recreate some of the sounds I hear in other producers’ tracks.

When I watched videos, it looked easy and almost magical. But in the end, I never really continued using it.

We can watch videos on production, take producer courses, and exchange deep insights on gear forums. Amidst these options to improve one's chops/skills, how do you keep things playful?

I think the best way to keep things fun in music production is by experimenting yourself. Whether it’s with hardware or on a computer, nothing beats turning the knobs yourself and hearing what it does to the sound.

Personally, I use online tutorial videos to better understand some VSTs or to learn new techniques that I can then try out in my own workflow.