A scorching new tune ‘Missin’ from the cool Parisian duo
Tony, Guillaume welcome to DMCWORLD. A massive new tune scorching into The Buzz Chart this week ‘Missin’ coming out on Toolroom. Talk us through the history of the track…
Guillaume: “When Tony first showed me his loop of the sample I instantly felt that it could become a great track. We wanted to create a different sound, a French House/Electro production with a classical song structure, only with micro samples instead of a leading synth and bass. The idea was to create a production that kept the elements of the original version. This way, the pieces of the sample give the impression of a karateka who is singing while doing his exercises .”
Tony: “I spent my youth crate digging and have always been a fan of Chicago Soul and finding rare gems from this era. I found this particular sample many years ago in a record store in Paris. Missin’ was made during one of our first experiences with Ableton Live’s time warping function. Until then, I had worked with a sampler, which is why the samples are chopped and sliced the way they are.”
How did you first meet and how did the idea for a partnership happen?
Guillaume: “We met in Paris in 2009, and at first we had no plans to create a band. However, we couldn’t seem to stop talking about music and finally we thought; Tony, you are a Hip Hop aficionado and a turntablist, I am a music composer (I was doing Pop at the time), why not join forces? And here we are…”
Who were the artists that tuned into dance music at such an early age?
Tony: “At this age I was living the Golden Era of Hip Hop and was completely submerged into the New York scene. However, the sample culture did open doors to other musical genres and with time I found my way into Dance Music. Producers like Daft Punk and Cassius also helped create that bridge.”
Where did you first start playing out at?
Tony: “I used to follow my older sister around, sneaking into clubs and parties until I could mix for the first time in front of an audience when I was 15. Then it was mostly student parties, but when I moved to Paris at 18, I started playing at clubs like “Régine”, “Studio 287” and “Milliardaire”.”
Who were your early DJ heroes?
Tony: “I’d say that DJ Cash Money, DJ Premier, DJ Jazzy Jeff and Q-Bert were all important influences to me. Also, I grew up in the west of France where we have many great DJs that are famous for their technical abilities, such as World DMC Champions C2C.”
What is your favourite memory for opening up for Busta Rhymes, Method Man and Redman?
Tony: “It must be when Method Man made fun of my old school headphones haha. What can I say? When I like something I stick to it.”
Guillaume, who were the artists that you see as influences when you were growing up?
Guillaume: “Wow…many producers and different genres of music influenced me, from soundtracks to Pop music, from Hip Hop to Hard Rock. If I have to say one, I’d say Max Martin. This guy is a chameleon. It’s crazy! I have a lot of respect for his career, everything he touches turns into gold. Hans Zimmer, Trevor Rabin, and later Scott Storch, R.Kelly…there are too many to count, star producers as well as producers who work in the shadows of the studio.”
Was the idea always to become a musician, did you hail from a musical family?
Guillaume: “I did Music Conservatory from the age of 8 to 17. I studied Music Theory for 9 years and classical guitar for 8 years. When I ask my father why I started the Conservatory at such a young age, he tells me – ‘one day you were in front of the TV and you saw a Hard Rock guitarist and you said I want to do that!’ – I didn’t have to tell him twice haha. He signed me up at the Conservatory the next day! I think that my dad, who has always had close friends in music, didn’t want me to lose the opportunities that he, unfortunately, was not lucky enough to have.”
How would you describe your live stage set…?
Tony: “I feel that it’s important to let people discover new music when they go to a club. That’s why we try to play a lot of our own remixes, mashups and bootlegs, and not just the newest tracks that you hear everywhere. We also like to renew our sets often, so that we can offer something new to the audience and avoid falling into a routine.”
Guillaume: “I think you’ll have to come and see for yourself!”
Can you remember the first time you plaited your first single “Stoop” out and realised you had a huge tune on your hands?
Guillaume: “For my part, I was sure that it was going to be a great track. I remember Tony saying to me that he was not sure, but I was sure for him!”
Tony: “It’s true haha. I tend to lose perspective when I’m in a creative flow. However, I always liked it. The loop in itself was an artifact; a Synth/Pop track from the early 80’s. The rhythm of the lyrics inspired me straight away. This was when the Big Room style was taking over EDM and we wanted to do something different. Like the French philosopher Edgar Morin says, “true innovation is always found in the return to the source”.”
What is coming next from the Punky Blaster studio?
Tony and Guillaume: “We have a lot of great stuff on the way. We’ve been locked inside the studio the last months, working on some solid tunes.”
What is the current top 10 you are spinning?
The Bloody Beetroots – Rocksteady
Chromeo – When The Night Falls (Savoy Remix)
Surkin & Todd Edwards – I Want You Back
Noisettes – Winner (Louis La Roche Remix)
Jacques Lu Cont – Underground
Miike Snow – The Wave (Thomas Gold Remix)
Jack Beats ft. Diplo & Example – War
Sebastien Tellier – Cochon Ville (Dabruck & Klein Remix)
Afrojack – Rock the House
WhiteNoize – Insecure.
Who brings what to the studio, who excels in what department…?
Guillaume: “In general, Tony listens to a lot of vintage music, so he chooses samples and cuts them into little pieces. After this he produces many loops and gives them to me to match and rearrange or add some instruments. After this, we get together and do the finishing touches, and that’s it, the track is done!”
What has been your summer anthem?
Tony: “I’ve truly enjoyed Madeon’s work this summer.”
Who are the producers from around the world that you are giving high fives to at the moment?
Tony: “I’m really impressed with the D&B scene at the moment. Guys like Sub Focus, Netsky and Xilenth are doing solid stuff right now.”
Best club you have rocked in 2012?
Tony: “We’ve been laying low on the live front, lately and put a lot of focus on studio work. Otherwise, we enjoy playing everywhere. It’s the crowd that makes the gig fun, not the club in itself.”
And finally, what is the record that changed your life?
Guillaume: “Daft Punk’s “Rollin’ and Scratchin’. Please don’t ask me why!”
Tony: “The first vinyl I ever bought, which was “Livin’ Proof” by Group Home.”
