- Tell us a little bit about your music background. What came first: producing or DJing? When was the first time you got in touch with music you are so passionate about today? - I started with DJing around 1994. At this time nobody around me was producing music, and I was more naturally attracted by decks and records. There also was a question of money, as all the machines were relatively expensive. Being a good DJ takes time, as much technically as artistically, and the road to reaching maturity is rather long. At the same time I used to have fun with Cubase which allowed me to get my first basic knowledge. We exchanged tips with my friend Maxime (aka S3A) who started producing music around that time too. But only a little bit later did I actually start buying some machines: my first sampler (an EMU ESI 4000 as far as I remember), a mixing table and later a Novation Drumstation – all this being controlled via Cubase. I also used to have some synthesizers that I could not manage to keep due to lack of money, big regret today ; -). I ‘attacked’ the musical production seriously only recently, once I finally got properly equipped to make music I wanted to do. I love to spend my time in the studio, to work on the new live set which will give rise to new tracks, it is very exciting! I have to say everything I make today comes from my past years: I was 10 or 13 years old when my parents bought a record by Tangerine Dream called “Rubicon”, and I was fascinated by this music with synthesizers and futuristic effects. I was reading science fiction and listening to this record. But it was even later when I started listening to much more of this stuff, after a concert of Front 242 that definitively plunged me in this music. You already know how it ended up : -) - Your label Construct Re-Form represents music released by both yourself and some friends of yours. Is that some kind of a 'family affair' for you personally? Tell us how the idea of having your own label has emerged. - With the label, I try to create something different from what I see around me - and it’s not only applied to music, but to something more general. The society pushes us more and more towards individualism, mistrust… On the contrary, Construct Re-Form is a point of meeting and exchange. In the beginning, I didn't know the artists that well and they didn't know each other, but today we became real partners and friends. They are meeting, helping each other, listening to each other’s work in progress… There is no competitive spirit there. This spirit is very singular, and I am very proud of that. Of course, I adore their music : -). I hope to meet other guys like them in the future. There is a very strong intention behind the label. Launching it before would have been a mistake, I didn't feel mature enough to do this, although I’d been thinking about doing that for a long time. Everything came up at the right time, with much support from my distributor, Syncrophone, and more precisely from John and Didier without whom nothing would exist. - Speaking about Construct Re-Form, it seems like the visual identity of the label plays a role as vital as the music it puts out does. What are those futuristic buildings/objects pictured on the labels? Who is responsible for design duties? - Yes, for sure, the visual identity is very important, and it is a part of the global project as much as the music is. The purpose of Construct Re-Form is to create a point of intersection between the past and the future. These buildings and futuristic objects were designed in the beginning of the 20th century and were drawn by a Russian constructivist architect. All the drawings were made between 1920 and 1930, and I see some kind of a modernity apogee in them, despite them being created almost a century ago. It was the perfect image to support the musical matter and the idea of the label. That said, even if I participate in creation if the artwork, I do not have that much talent in that respect, so the credit returns to this genius architect. That could also have been Fritz Lang's Metropolis, but Jeff Mills had already walked there before me : -) - From the outside perspective it seems like the Parisian scene nowadays is healthier than it has been for several years before that. What is your impression on this? What factors/events/personalities contributed to the current state of local scene? - Of course, I am very happy with a prolific French scene. The main factor contributing to this is obviously the emergence of many young promising artists like Antigone, Voiski and Birth of Frequency : -). The same goes to the guys like S3A, Polar Inertia, John Jastszebski, DSCRD, Professor Inc, Percyl, Marcelus, François X, Mush, DJ Steaw… There are also many good labels: Deeply Rooted House managed by DJ Deep (one of the most talented French DJs, I think), Syncrophone, Phonogramme, Ars Mechanica (my new label), Nowhere, Latency, Dement3d, Concrete, Technorama… Event-wise, Concrete became rightly famous nowadays, Sonotown does a great job with "La Machine du Moulin Rouge", the Rex club, the Showcase, Technorama, Bloc or Katapult parties, it’s difficult to be bored currently :-) I think that everything is inter-connected, and each and every element of that chain is a key to the scene’s healthiness. Artists, labels, distributors and promoters all contribute to feeding local dynamics, and the most important: the public which moves in mass and buys many records - without them it just wouldn’t be possible. Many other people are doing good things as well, but they are not always seen : -) - What is the idea behind your Addicted podcast? You told us it was rather special sound-wise... - I’ve been showcasing a dancefloor side of me that has more to do with my DJ sets lately. With this podcast, I wanted something more aesthetic, I wanted to impose a strong feeling, a journey to rough lands. The tempo is also very slow: I have always liked playing techno with unusual tempo. The result is very special, and I think I’ll apply the same approach to the next club gig of mine. I also tried treating the sound in a very particular way which contributes to rather mental environment of this mix. The only thing I regret about is this mix being a little bit short :-) Tracklist: 1. Yoav B - Peace [Syncrophone] 2. Atom Heart - Acid On [Logistic] 3. Fishermen - Anchor Buoy [Skudge White] 4. DJ Qu - Party People Clap (Levon Vincent Remix) [Deconstruct Music] 5. Atom Heart - Untitled [Logistic] 6. Specter - Pipe Bomb [Sound Signature] 7. Fanon Flower - Part Four [Studio Sounds] 8. Yan Cook - Rhomb [Ann Aimee] 9. Trus'Me - War Dub (Ben Klock Remix) [Prime Numbers] 10. Third Side & Virginia - Shit On Me (Ra.H Remix) [Restoration] 11. Shifted - Bloodless [Mote Evolver] 12. Jeff Mills - Things To Know About [Axis] 13. Shadow Runner - High Tactile Sensitivity [Subnet Records] 14. Sleeparchive - A1 [Tresor] 15. Shifted - Trouble [Mote Evolver] 16. Redshape - Neon [Music Man] 17. Developer - Gaining [Modularz] 18. Zenker Brothers - Davin [Tresor] 19. Jeff Mills - The Exchange [Axis] 20. Zadig - The Whisperer In Darkness [Construct Re-Form] 21. Dario Zenker - Chris de Slurgh [Ilian Tape]