Stunning new album from one of the brightest stars on the planet
Interview by Dan Prince
Chloé welcome to DMCWORLD, where in the world are you today?
“On a Eurostar Dan travelling from London to Paris.”
September saw you unleash a stunning array of remixes of ‘Idle Eyes’, the support poured in! We were all over the Roman Flugel’s rework though…as Dixon remarked…”a masterpiece”. How much influence on choosing the remixers did you have, and what one remodeling of your your song did you rate the highest?
“It’s always a collaborative effort, but ultimately I get final say. I’m always spoilt for choice and this case was no exception. How could I rate any one over the others? They’re all totally amazing and completely different. I love them all, and that’s no cop-out.”
How did the hook up with Fiona Garden and Ben Ashton happen, loved their work as The Fashtons for your video…
“Via a friend through Facebook. It turns out Fiona and I have led somewhat parallel lives. It’s super weird we haven’t met before. It was like reconnecting with a long-lost sister and right from the start we were on the same page re the video. The set Ben built was spot on too. Exactly how I imagined it (ie. a big, colourful vulva). We had so much fun. I hope the humour translates.”
October is obviously a monumental month for you as your new album ‘My Friend’ sees the light of day. “C.A.R.’s music sits on her own edge, between realism and dreams, pure pop and acquired taste” shouts your press company! Please talk us through some of the songs and lyrics you are proud of on your new long player…
“I’m definitely proud of the Idle Eyes lyrics. I originally penned them for Gesaffelstein and it was one of those moments where the song wrote itself (barely any scribbled out lines in the notebook and a hook I didn’t have to think about). A lot of the album stemmed from some pretty dark stuff, and I think that’s reflected in a lot of the other songs – My Friend D, HIJK & Sophomore being prime examples. Glock’d was the first song I wrote for this project and I think it sits with Angelina, in so much as it feels bright, but there’s an underlying coat of melancholia. I used a load of hobo slang in the latter. (Angelina is ‘a road-kid acting as a hobo’s companion’. At some point, I made a conscious decision to move away from all this doom and gloom. Sickly sweet Ten Steps Up is the result. And I can’t seem to shake that 80’s pop thing. Last year Ivan Smagghe lent me a Poly 800 and Spitfire was the result. It’s one of the few times (so far) I was really inspired by the synth. Normally the melodies or lyrics come first and I build the sounds around the song.”
Okay let’s rewind for a moment. You grew up in Vancouver on the west coast of Canada and it sounds like music was all around you from an early age, any mother who plays Joni Mitchell is cool with us…?
“Haha! Yeah my ma and her entourage are definitely cool. We had Kraftwerk and Yello stuffed in amongst the Leonard, Lennon, Joan & Joni, jingle jangle too! But I was more surrounded by visual / performing artists. I got dragged along to art openings and parties, not so much concerts.”
Was a career in music the only thing you ever wanted to pursue, was there ever anything else that interested you?
“Oh gosh, yeah! When I was very small I wanted to be a circus clown and then for years, an actress. I did youth theatre but was really timid and a bit odd, which made auditioning for the sort of made-for-TV, super squeaky clean sorts of things they shot in Vancouver, a bit tricky. That’s not to say I didn’t try! I just became well-versed in rejection at a young age.”
The band or singer you idolized growing up…
“When I was wee, Truth or Dare Madonna. Totally. But by the time I’d wised up and became a precocious teenager, I dunno…I started going to underage discos when I was 11 and was more about rave-culture. I think I looked up more to someone like Harmony Korin. ‘Kids’ came out when I was 13 and I remember thinking, wow…this guy’s so cool.”
True or false? You have an obsession with whales?
“Whaaat?! Have we met before?!!! Hahahaha! Not sure I’d go so far as to say obsession but they do fascinate me. But not in a dolphin-love kinda way, more a scientific, giant wonder of the deep blue, way. It’s a heart-breaking read, but Philip Hoare’s Leviathan is still one of my favourite books.”
What has been your biggest record of the summer?
“Manfredas ‘Square Lights’ (Zongamin Remix Take 2) or Boot & Tax ‘Fusci’.”
And the biggest 3 tunes in your record box this weekend…
“Ermmm I’m not really that type of DJ but as I’m playing the radio and not the dancefloor on Saturday, I can’t get enough of Perfume Genius ‘Grid’, Plaisir de France, ‘Chanson d’Adieu’ and will be pulling out ‘Sweet Surprise’ by Chris & Cosey and The Eurythmics.”
Your favourite ever festival moment…
“Shiiiiiii’ who remembers their best-ever festival moment?! Hahaha! I’ve had some good-ones though. And I’ll never forget watching The Puppet Masters interview Keith Tenniswood (aka Radioactive Man) at a Deadbeat Festival some life-times ago. Hilarious.”
After the album has dropped, what are the next studio plans for you?
“Well I’m already half-way through writing the next album so I suppose get that finished. Thor who I play live with is dipping his toes in too. I’ve also been doing some work with other artists. I’m super excited about some vocals I did with Red Axes, as well as a song for Manfredas. So I think I’d like to continue more collaborative stuff. Exercising my ego with the solo project is fun, but I do really enjoy working with people.”
It’s your birthday, who are the 3 DJs you ask to come and play for you and what singer do you ask to sing you happy birthday?
“Ivan Smagghe (of course), Alfredo, Lena Willikens…but I’d have to bring Nina Simone back from the grave to sing me Happy Birthday…”
When was the last time you wanted to kill a DJ in a club?
“Oh gosh no, I just walk away. Killing should be left to the professionals.”
The record you wish you would have made…
“Wow there are quite a few but at the moment, Perfume Genius, ‘Grid’.”
Not many people know this, but Chloé Raunet is really good at…
“Well you already know about the whales so that cancels out any animal trivia…how about arts and crafts?! I make a killer Christmas card and don’t get me started on scrap books.”
And finally, the obvious question. What can’t you always resist?
“Myself, right?”
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Full album details here : http://therestisnoise.co.uk/c-a-r-my-friend/
Pre order : https://itunes.apple.com/fr/album/my-friend/id917556744
Further information :
www.killthedj.com
www.c-a-r-music.com
