This week i interviewed Indiscreet, a name that has been featured on the blog a few times with his tracks. Indiscreet is from Lyon, France and with a few tracks out there already and his EP “The I” he’s been drawing a lot of attention on him! So, I am hoping and will try to find out what’s next in line for Indiscreet and what else we should expect by him in the near future.
01. Hi Nathan! Would you mind introducing Indiscreet to the readers and how would you describe your music?
Hi Metalectro! First of all, thanks for giving me some of your time for this interview. I’m 24, based in Lyon and Indiscreet is an electro project that i’ve been carrying out on my own for the past 3 years. With time, this project has become more and more focused and now i really know where i’m heading. I want to create a whole world, not only music. In my book, when music lies within a more global scope of aesthetics, more value is added to music, semantically and emotionally. It’s quite hard for me to describe my music because i’m far too immersed in my personal impressions. I think it probably reflects the music i love. Something you can really dance to but most of all complex and intellectual enough to listen to at home or in the underground. Basically, music for the body and soul!
02. You grabbed our attention with your track “Reveries Past” (feat. Kid A) from your EP “The I”. A track that stands out in my opinion and a personal favorite. How did you come up with the idea for this track?
I’m surprised by the impact of this track. Before the EP came out, i thought people would’ve focused more on “Vanish”. I guess people prefer Kid A’s soft voice to mine (laughs)! In fact, i had a real clear idea about this track thanks to the scenario of the EP. “The I” is a story told on a reverse time-scale. The last track of the album, “Reveries Past”, is the narrative basis on which the story is told. I wanted a girl to sing to evoke the gentleness of a past world and nostalgia but a violent and fatal approach was also necessary for this track. I started to work on the instrumental and then I met Kid A in 2009, during the Nuits Sonores in Lyon. She instantly understood what I was aiming at and her voice is simply amazing. As a matter of fact, i stongly advise you to check out Agoria‘s last album, featuring two tracks with Kid A and Spitzer’s EP.
03. What are your influences/music background and what or who might have played a role in shaping your sound?
I have absolutely no musical background but I do have many influences though. Progressive rock (like Pink Floyd) nourished my youth and I only discovered electro much later in high-school, through trip-hop. At that point in my life, I listened a lot to Ninja Tunes (especially Bonobo) or even RJD2 and Dj Shadow. I wasn’t much into the French Touch at the beginning of the millennium and didn’t really know much about it (I grew up in the mountains with a bad quality internet connection!). I moved to Lyon in 2004 and that’s when music slapped me round the face! It was like I discovered everything in one go. But what i did discover was that you could make clever dancefloor music. The stuff i created at the time moved towards this bpm, this exhilarating energy which in my book conveys glee. Someone also counted a lot for me, an older friend who introduced me to CAMat the very beginning. Without him, I wouldn’t be where I am now. Funnily enough, he’s now the one who asks me for advice!
04. Do you prefer writing original tracks or remixing and why?
Well, because i like doing both so much, that’s a question I often ask myself. I do enjoy remixing but what i really love doing is composing. I guess i like composing so much that i’d rather devote myself to the original tracks, as it’s total freedom. Nevertheless, remixes are shaping because of the constraints they involve and sometimes i can be more inspired by a remix.
05. Apparently you have been working a lot with vocals and have had a few collaborations already. If you could pick anyone, whom would you pick for your next collaboration?
Feist. I love that chick!
06. Are you involved in any other projects or do you produce music only as Indiscreet?
I’ll soon be involved in new projects but nothing official for the moment. Still, i do produce music on top of Indiscreet, in different styles, instrumental and directed at sound illustrations. I really enjoy working on music made for visual image.
07. What would you say is your biggest music achievement/highlight so far?
“The I”. I devoted my soul to that.
08. Back to your sounds, I will assume here that you’ve had your share of rock/metal music in the past. Did you ever play in a rock/metal band or have you always been into electronic music?
No, not really. I went through a very short metal period, I didn’t listen too much of it. I listened more to indie, garage and punk rock. Like I said earlier on, I have no real musical background and never played any instruments. Electronic music was a wonderful form of expression for me.
09. Do you prefer working only with computers/sequencers or do you get your hands dirty playing and recording instruments? Do you use samples and what’s your opinion on sampling and copyright?
Always the same problem! Had I known how to play an instrument, I would have really gone for it! So now I just allocate my time to refining the art of CAM. Sometimes I do, however, record musicians. The only instrument I play with is my voice. For the time being, I only work with a laptop and a sequencer, but my dream is to work with analog equipment, just as much for the synthesizers as well as for signal treatment. At the moment, I do everything myself, mixing and mastering. I do my best but I’m really low on equipment. With regards to samples, I clearly distinguish one shot samples and track sampling. I don’t sample tracks but I often use snares and kicks to develop my rhythmic. In the case of copy left samples, I sometimes do work with sample banks and samplers such as Kontakt. With regards to the other stuff like inserting the sample of a whole track as a base or a leitmotiv of my own track, well I don’t do that but I’d have no qualms in doing so. I think it can be part of the creative process. Recycling is a common thing in art, as found in a remix or bootleg. The public is big enough to appreciate genuine creation and differentiate it from plagiarism. I think guys, who find Justice and Daft Punk lame because they use samples, don’t understand anything (or they’re just jealous!).
10. If your studio was on fire what would be the first thing to save?
My computer, without any doubt. I have everything in it, my old and new tracks. And if i still have my computer, I can make money playing live and go out and buy new equipment.
11. What is music for you and what do you think about the way the music industry is changing?
It doesn’t scare me because music isn’t just a past time for me. It’s always been essential for man, whatever the era, whatever the culture. Music will never die and those who produce it will always be appreciated. It will always make money because people need music.
12. Do you believe that an electronic music artist can earn his/her living from music nowadays?
Of course! And that’s what I intend on doing. Earlier on, I spoke about all the different ways of producing electronic music and how to pull through (productions, arrangements, sound design, etc).
13. You’ve been playing quite a few live shows with some big names as well. What would you say is the most memorable on-stage/backstage moment and why? Whom would you dream of sharing the stage with?
The most memorable one was no doubt the Nuits Sonores, facing 5000 people. The soundsystem was so intense that my laptop jumped at each kick. I’d love to do a gig with Siriusmo, the guy’s so mysterious…
14. What are you currently working on? Should we expect to listen to an Indiscreet release during 2011? Give the readers something to look forward to…
I’ve just finished a remix for DW which will be released soon. I’m also working on an opus made of remixes of “Reveries Past”, starring Redial, and also on an auto-remix but i don’t really want to reveal any more about that. Just bear in mind it’s going to be a killer!
15. Are you signed on any label at the moment?
My first EP was released by Electrolarge.
16. What other plans do you have for 2011? (live shows, releases, remixes etc)
For the time being, I’m going to finish the work on “The I”, especially on the comic and if we find enough time and money hopefully turn it into a video clip. I have very clear ideas on that project and it’s really frustrating not to be able to put them into practice. I should be doing a tour with Redial towards the end of the year. He’s also given me the opportunity to work on a track with him.
17. What are you listening to lately? Any tracks/artists you recommend?
I go through different phases and right now it’s Siriusmo.
18. What do you like to do when not in the studio producing music?
I have a full time job which doesn’t leave me with a lot of free time during the week. But when I do have some I enjoy life, go to the cinema, out to eat and travel.
19. What do you think about the Metalectro blog and the music featured on it?
It’s a great blog where i can discover interesting stuff. Unlike other blogs which always go on about the same artists.
20. Something else you’d like to mention and we forgot to ask?
I went through a pretty tough year and had little time to allocate to music. But this is all going to change after September, so listen out, I could be more productive than ever!