Digging for Music: A Journey of Discovery

Finding Your Way in a Record Shop

First question I have for you:
It's about your way of digging. Do you rather check on labels, artists, or maybe covers? Yes, sometimes when I arrive in a record shop, I feel a little bit lost.

"It's a long question and it's going to be a long answer."
No, I'm joking.

You know what? It depends. It goes by cycles sometimes. And I'm trying to say this also for up-and-coming DJs. Sometimes I discover an artist I didn't know of or was not a big fan of, but I found out he had a very inspiring moment.

Seeking Recommendations

• Then I go into the record store and say, "Medic, medic! Do you know about this guy from Chicago?"
• And I'm looking for those records, and he always has them in general.

"So yeah, of course, I have five copies of Na Na Na."
So, yeah, sometimes I have obsessions or mini-discoveries or stuff like this.

The Confusion of Being Up-and-Coming

But to answer your question, I think when you're up-and-coming, it can be a little bit confusing. It's interesting, but a bit contradictory to go step by step and also not to limit yourself.

• If you like songs and hard techno, dig for both.
• You know what I'm saying? Keep yourself curious.

And of course, it's always a good idea to note some names. For example, if there's a producer or remixer whose sound you always like, try and find out more about them or ask the guy from the stores, because they're really great resources for that.

Inspiration from Artists

Sometimes if you find out about an artist who really inspires you, let's take the example of Kirk De Giorgio.

• He's a great techno producer, active and super creative in the Detroit techno scene in London.

But if you dig into what this guy likes, he's a great resource:

• He's a jazz fan.
• A big Sonra fan.

Following his example or his route, digging into his sources of inspiration, can be a great tool.

"As I mentioned in the previous chapter, as an artist, I always loved the idea of having virtual mentors."

So you could take Kirk De Giorgio as a virtual mentor. Not only was he amazing at doing electronica and Detroit techno, but he's also very knowledgeable about modular synths, jazz, and avant-garde music.

The Journey of Preparation

• If you are preparing a gig or a radio show, do you shop and select tracks in a record store?

I always find the best excuses, the most crazy excuses to go to a record store!

• Yes, what happens is if I'm preparing a gig, and this is more for new stuff in general, I will be more attentive to, let's say, techno.

If I'm playing in Trezor, it's really a techno gig.

• And if I'm playing a deep house set somewhere else, I'd be more focused on that style.

Having said this, I'm like any music fan. I'm really obsessed with records. It always happens to me.

The Pursuit of New Music

• I could run, play Trezor, and stop by Milik because I know he received a very hard-to-find Moodymann super deep track.
• Or go to Synchrophone, Techno Import, or Bettino's, another Parisian store, because they just received the latest Carriage Handler record.

So yes, I always keep in mind what I have to record or where I have to play.

"And I'm sure I will ask Milik more about beautiful ambient stuff."

If I'm preparing my radio show, I want to get inspired and I'm always willing to discover new music, so I'll be more connected to that sound.

Attracting Visuals

There are so many beautiful covers in this shop. Which one attracts you if you have to choose one?

It's funny you ask because I was here a bit earlier, and I was really attracted by this one. I don't know the record, not just the colors or the graphic, just something about the cover made me wonder.

• I asked the person working in this store, named Melik, and he said it was actually a very interesting ambient Japanese group that I don't know of.
• The record was as beautiful inside as it is outside.

Artistry in Music

This is an interesting question because, as we said before, some artists pay as much attention to their covers as they do to the music.

"It's a piece of art, the whole package."

If you take the example of house music:

• Sometimes it's just a white label or a simple stamp, something very raw.
• But in this rawness, I find my way.

I love some really raw looking records. I think they're beautiful, like Romanthony or Technotica.

• The visuals are not so complex, but they give you a feeling already.

Just like in the studio with equipment, sometimes you tune your ear to the sampler or the mixer you use; you get this sensibility.

• Same thing with the visuals.

Sometimes friends and I look at a record like this and think, "Well, I know this record, but if I didn't know it, I would think it looks like a 90s New York house record. It could be interesting."

It's not for sure, but we get to have this feeling.