Hi! Thanks for talking to us, how are you doing?
Hi there, thank you so much for having me! I’m doing really well and I’m always super excited to have an opportunity to discuss music.
You are known for your progressive melodic techno sound, why is this the genre/style you choose to produce? What about it that resonates with you?
That’s a great question! I really like melodic techno because depending on what you decide to make or play, it can be the perfect hybrid between emotional melodies/vocals and driving techno. And I like both equally so I basically don’t have to choose – it’s the best of both worlds! And you can even add a progressive touch to it, which makes it even more special. All these genres are quite intertwined, so possibilities to create your own sound are endless. That’s also why some tracks are quite difficult to categorize nowadays. But anyway, who needs or wants to fit in a box!
Take us through a day in your life, from a possible morning routine through to your production work and otherwise, please.
My typical day is actually a workday, as I don’t think there is any other way to make it in any discipline you are in. Since I’m also a data scientist and I’ve been based in the San Francisco (SF) Bay Area for the last 4 years, mostly working with Europe, I tend to start my days very early (at 6 am), and finish work early/mid afternoon. At this point, I take a short break to reset my brain and then start on either producing, practicing an instrument, or DJing. It can be really exhausting, but something way bigger and stronger than me keeps me going.
There have been quite a few amazing electronic music artists to emerge from France like yourself, what was it like growing up there and who were some of your local heroes?
Growing up in France I was exposed to French House music like Daft Punk, Justice, Stardust, and many others. But I was still a bit too young to have local heroes at that time. My first true hero appeared right during my student years in Montreal, Canada, before she became the famous BLONDI:SH! I was always going to see her play in underground clubs in Old Montreal. I was such a groupie! She was already so good and exuded such great energy. You are making me nostalgic now! Ha!
Who did you look up to and why If you were a tour-guide for nightlife in San Francisco, what would be the clubs you’d take the people to see and what local DJs do they need to hear?
I would especially recommend connecting with Headroom Collective SF, a collaborative hub for electronic music producers. It was launched by Ryan Michael Robbins, a techno producer/DJ from San Francisco Bay Area. I really love these folks – they’ve offered me a really warm and genuine welcome pretty much immediately after my arrival in California, and let me join one of their DJ groups. But there are many other cool collectives like Neon Owl, who are not only super supportive of up-and-coming artists, but also give back to the community by supporting animal charity work, as well as more recent ones like Deep & Dope, more on the progressive house side – just all-around great humans to connect with.
Regarding clubs, I really enjoyed playing at Audio SF. Their sound system is out of this world and their team is amazing to work with – especially their lights/visuals guy, Erik Kolacek, is a genius.
The DJ I’d love people to hear live is Emanate – they’re the first DJ duo I went to see when I arrived in SF. They’re a couple and I won’t deny that I love seeing a woman mixing so well and really “owning it” behind the deck. They are also known for organizing really cool underground parties!
And finally, if you can venture a bit outside of San Francisco, I would highly recommend visiting Humboldt and going to one of the shows organized by Arcane Artists, led by Joey Ostini. I promise you, you won’t regret it – this team is beyond amazing!
What’s your creative process when in the studio?
I don’t really have a single way of working on my productions. I can start a new track sequentially on the intro, first break, etc., or I can start with the main drop by choosing all the main elements and then go back to the beginning of the track. However, in general, I often get an idea from a real-life event and then start working on creating the bassline, the kick, the drums and so on. I would then look for the right melody by sometimes creating some chords that I might not even end up using in the project later on, and find the right vocal samples to go with it.
Good sound design is extremely important to me; I sometimes spend days just creating my presets and drums so when I start a new track, I can quickly get to professional sounding results with my new ideas.
Are there any artists that you’re really enjoying at the moment or would like to collaborate with?
At the moment, I’m really enjoying Mind Against, Adriatique, and Fideles. Coincidentally, they are all male duos. Beyond their sound, I also like watching their sets, observing, and learning from their mixing style, and I love their synergy and the vibes they exude between each other and when they connect with the crowd.
Do you have any forthcoming projects or live events that you could share with us?
I’m now building a new set, which will be filmed in a very special location. I’ve been working very hard to make it as unique as possible. It will be my first set made up almost entirely of Elegie’s new tracks, remixes, mashups, and edits, and I plan to release it mid-year. Stay tuned!
What are your three essential tracks at the moment?
Here’s a few tracks I really like playing right now:
01. The Dualz – Vision
02. Freedom Fighters – Beyond Belief
03. 19:26 – Consequence
What would be your dream gig to play?
I think my dream gig is not so much about the name/location for me but rather having reached that point where you have a packed show of let’s say 50,000 people coming to see you, and being surrounded by your team/friends who supported you since day one in this adventure, and also being able to the end the show by giving some of the profits to animal charities.
What’s a book you’ve read or film you watched that has left an impact on you, and why?
After all these years, my favorite book of all time remains The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, with the central theme that everyone has a personal legend and you might decide to pursue it or not. My favorite movie is A Beautiful Mind, which shows the fragile relationship between mental health and genius.
Apart from music, what makes you happiest?
English bulldogs and animals in general. I feel like I have this deep, spiritual connection with them. I hope to eventually use the proceeds from my music to support charities and other types of animal rescue work. Thank you so much for your time! We wish you all the best for the future.
