Na BassTrap live! se řítí Mr. Bagetka – dijonský producent Isotroph

Asi před rokem a půl doplachtilo na můj mail promo od do té doby neznámého labelu F4T Music od do té doby neznámého projektu Isotroph. Jak jinak to okomentovat, než že po poslechu After the Moon jsem šel na prdel a nebyl jsem sám! Slovo dalo slovo, slova dozrála v činy a Isotroph za pár dní přistane na letišti, které nenese jméno Václava Havla. Trochu francouzské atmosféry v rozhovoru už teď a tady, Iso se nicméně omluvil za angličtinu, takže jsme se ani moc nerozjeli… Užijte si to!

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Where do you live right now. Tell us something more about „your place“… And do you think it affects your sound in kind of way?

I live in Dijon, it’s a beautiful city with a lot of historic sites, good wine and food. It don’t affects my sound because no artist of this city has influenced me. We have a lot of good djs but we are just 5-6 producers of bass music.

Sure, but you never know… If there is just a cheap wine and fast food, maybe your music wouldn’t sound as nice as it sounds to me, hahaha

Haha. No ! You know I like too bad food and cheap alcohol. It’s not my source of inspiration.

And similar question concerning your producer name. You’ve choosen this one because of the meaning or you just like the word? Is the expression somehow connected with your music?

Isotroph comes from the physical process “Isotropie”. It concerns the propagation of light. But it’s just a name among many other…

How would you describe your music? You have quite a range of styles among your production: ambient minimal, dubtechno, dubstep and other bass music, … I’ve heard autonomic type of dnb aswell. Does your music have something in common in your eyes?

From 120 to 170 bpm, my music is not focused for just one tempo. I want to make techno, dubstep, drum & bass inclueded dub or deep techno elements, dark or lovely ambiance and atmospheric soundscape. Type of production depends of my mood, my feeling or lot of cause.

Now, when I write this interview, I want to make dark music.

This sounds really nice to me! I think music is still a kind of art even its quite “cold”, made by computers and not by the virtuous masters. And for me… the art of these days is to melt your emotions into your sound and send it via your tracks to another people’s ears… so they can catch a bit of your mood and emotions. What do you think?

Yes, me too. I like the cold and synthetic sound. I think I create my music for people and not for myself. When the listeners take pleasure with your music, i think creative process is accomplished. It’s the best reward for a producer.

Tell us more about Dijon – how is it with music in your city?

Dijon have seen born big names of electronic music: Vitalic, Laurent Garnier…
But the scene of bass music is not really dynamic. People are not interesting by this style and Dijon is between Lyon and Paris, two big city with lot of bass music night.
With my crew we organize one of electronic music festival, Festival Resonances Electroniques (http://www.festival-resonances.fr/). We have booked big names as Noisia, Headhunter, Loefah, Camo&crooked, Popof, Eric Prydz, Alix Perez…etc
Also, the dub scene has a really good skill with the coming of sound system. The young people in Dijon like that. More than dubstep or good drum&bass.

So you have a part in organizing a festival, nice one! Who would you invite into your dream lineup if you have all the money in the world? And who do you want to invite for young people in Dijon in real - with the money you actually have?

We would like to book Plastikman. We love Richie Hawtin but now he is very expensive (with the big light and visual installation).

We haven’t start the line up of the next edition…

I loved Plastikman a lot, but to be honest I was a bit disappointed when I saw his “show” on youtube. Music turned to be more easier and straight, even faster so kids can dance on big raves, no more explorations of deep space.

Maybe…but its utilisation of new technology is very interesting.

Concerning your Festival Resonances Electroniques what kind of music do you try to promote – what musical stages do you have? Do you need to put some mainstream stars on the lineup to make the people come (and pay the festival) or you do not have to do things like this? I mean some promoters have to do this kind of things…

We promote all type of electronic music, from experimental to mainstream.
It’s an interesting question because I dont have the answer! In our festival, we mix mainstream stars (Eric Prydz) and underground producer (Drumcorps). But it’s very difficult to make the people come. In 90’ Dijon was a big city of electronic music but not now. Maybe it’s cyclical.

And what about your musical roots? Do you have any classical musical education?

When I was a child, I learned piano but quickly I prefered synthetizer. I do not consider myself a real musician.
Later I have started to write critical review about dub scene.
One day, I installed Fruityloops and started my first patern. It was shitty hardtechno. :)

I think my principal roots are Rhythm & Sound from Berlin. The first listening of R&S was a revelation. The minimal sound of dub with techno minimal beats, lost chords, and lot of white noise and parasite sounds. Moritz von Oswald is a genius…

Name just a few guys from your vicinity you recommend us focus our ears on. Any interesting & still widely unknown talents or just your personal tips?

I’ll just recommand all artists from my labels (Airflex labs, Echodub and F4Tmusic)
My flatmate Abec7. He produces hip-hop, dubstep and drum&bass. I think it’s a future new talent.
Mouch from Italia. This guys has a nice skill in future garage.
And many others…

Hmm, thanks for tips! Do not forget to bring their tracks to my flat in Prague! Do you personally play your friends unreleased tunes and stuff?

Yes when I can!

How does your dj setup looks like? And studio setup? Do you have kind of own studio?

My dj setup: Midi controler + Ableton live

Studio setup: Ableton live + lot of VSTs (Massive, Reaktor, Predator, L3…etc) + Krk Monitor + Shure 940 headphones

Now, my home studio is a mess…you can find beer bottle, ashtray with a mountain of butt.

Hahaha, so maybe it should look like this if you feel comfortable, hm? What kind of beats do you write these days, dubstep, dubtechno, or…?

These days, I produce dubstep. But it’s not a really good period in my head for make good beats.

You are fine just with software plus VSTs? Whats your relation to the hardware?

Yes I have good combination with different VSTs. I know 25% of the possibilities of the software I use. So why complicate the process with hardware ?

Maybe one day…

Is there any plan to make a liveact or you’re not attracted to play your material live?

Yes, I want prepare a liveact but I need to produce more and more… It’s a lot of hard work.

The first and the last questions are always the same: What should Prague expect from Nicolas Couval aka ISOTROPH on BassTrap live! party on 17.02. in Crossclub? Three words max… :-)

Just two words: Techno / Dubstep

Ptal se Abu

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Isotroph (Echodub, F4T Music, FR) na svém výletě do Čech zahraje:

16.02.2012 na Radiu 1 od 23 h v pořadu BassTrap.

17.02.2012 v Praze na dolní stage v Crossu na akci BassTrap live!, support: Elektrabel live si připravil dubtechnový živák šitý Basstrapu na míru, Kredenc z Bashment soundu akci příjemně rozjede a Abu si tradičně ujede!

18.02.2012 v Liberci ve Stereo Cafe na Influence night, support: šéfík Mooris za Influence night plus Shotgun festival & Abu za vocásky.

links:
http://soundcloud.com/isotroph
http://www.discogs.com/label/F4TMusic
http://www.facebook.com/isotroph
http://twitter.com/Nicolascouval

http://www.crossclub.cz/

http://radio1.cz/basstrap
http://www.subbass.cz/category/bass-trap
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bass-Trap/28469002850

http://www.shotgunfestival.com/
http://www.facebook.com/groups/134417280000664/