INTERVIEW WITH THE REACTIVITZ

One of the fastest rising new stars on the techno circuit, The Reactivitz is one of those artists whose skills and perseverance has quickly allowed him to reach the wide support of the electronic music community. Despite his young age, The Reactivitz has already scored several charting hits and released on world-renowned labels including Suara, Intec, Filth On Acid and 1605 to name a few. His sound, characterized by dark atmospheres, loud drums and groovy basslines, has been highlighted by many producers worldwide, With support coming from the likes of UMEK, Jay Lumen, Alan Fitzpatrick, Sasha Carassi and many more today is our pleasure to have him for an interview

Hi Jonathan, a very warm welcome to Techno Mood. Great to have you with us for the first time.
Please can you introduce yourselves to our Techno Mood readers?

Hi guys, thanks for having me! I’m happy to have a chance to answer your questions for this interview. For those who don’t know me, I am a French DJ and producer living in Lyon, France. I started producing music under the name of « The Reactivitz » around 8 years ago. At the beginning I was producing different kinds of tracks. Therefore, it took time to find my own style as I always enjoyed many genres of music. I have the chance to live in a city where a lot of underground events are organised, so I started to go to a lot of parties showcasing techno artists. From that moment, my style evolved significantly and I knew that I wanted to have my proper trademark style, now characterized by dark atmospheres, loud drums and groovy basslines. Today, I can say that techno is part of my life!

How has your 2019 been so far?

The year has started really great and the best is yet to come! I made my debut in the US two months ago in St Petersburg, Florida where I had an amazing party. I also performed at different parties in France alongside Roberto Capuano, Timmo and more. Regarding my releases, I think that 2019 is a milestone in my career. I am so proud to finally have released on two of the best labels worldwide, Coyu’s Suara and Carl Cox’s Intec.

Congratulations on the release of your Early Reflections EP on FORM Music. Can you talk to us about the record and the creative process behind it?

Thank you! I really like this EP because all 3 tracks sound different from each other. On this project, it was important for me to produce two types of tracks, a melodic one and a driving one, so people could enjoy different types of techno. The main track – “Early Reflections” – has been produced really quickly, probably 2 working days in the studio. First, I created the instrumental part. I wanted the kick and bass to stand out from the track (I do this in almost all of my tracks). Then, I found the melody and the vocal. I spent more time on Tension, probably a week, especially because I was looking for the perfect “industrial samples”. They give a special groove to the track when they are positioned at the right place. Also, I spent a lot of time on the mixdown and mastering.

This is your second EP release on POPOF’s imprint, following your Seth EP in 2018. How did the introduction to POPOF / FORM Music come about?

As a big fan of POPOF, it was obvious for me to produce some music for his imprint FORM Music. Last year, I sent a few demos to FORM Manager and they came back to me saying that they wanted to sign my first EP on the label. Recently, I decided to contact POPOF directly and I sent him some new demos. He liked a few of them and asked me to release the second EP. Today, I am really proud to be part of FORM Music as it is managed by an amazing team of people.

We’re also loving the remix from Filterheadz — did you personally approach the guys for this or was it the label?

I am loving their remix too! To complete the EP, FORM asked me if I had a remixer in mind. I thought directly about Filterheadz as I am always playing their tracks in my sets. I personally know the guys but FORM contacted them directly and asked them to remix “Early Reflections”. I am really happy that they accepted!

What are your favourite pieces of studio equipment right now? (Please name at least three)

– Beyer dynamics DT700. This is probably the most important thing in my studio. These headphones provide an incredible sound. That’s perfect for the people who wants to work on a good mixdown. I really improved the quality of my tracks since I use them.

– Arturia MiniLab MkII. I love the design of this MIDI controller. The pads are great and it’s really easy-to-use.

– Pioneer RMX1000. I use this device in all my sets. It offers many sampling capabilities, effects, roll and many more. It’s definitely one of my favourite pieces of studio equipment.

What’s the music scene like where you live right now? Do you go out a lot?

As I mentioned before, Lyon has a great music scene. We can find many underground events each weekend in different clubs such as Le Sucre, Le Petit Salon, Le Diskret, Le Bellona…We have one of the biggest festival happening each year – Les Nuits Sonores – which is a crossover of genres, cultures and venues. Obviously, I go out really often to enjoy with my friends even if it is difficult to find time with my job
Who or what were your biggest musical influences growing up?

My biggest musical influences were Deadmau5, Carl Cox, Umek and Jay Lumen to name a few. I have been listening to their tracks for many years. For me, these artists have adapted their sound through the years and are still on top today. They are all different from each other, personally and musically, but I am always impressed by their work!

Top 5 favourite records you love to play out at the moment?

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What have you got planned for the rest of the year?

I have some amazing shows coming in Finland, France and the Netherlands. I will attend the ADE in Amsterdam on October. I am really looking forward to meet a lot of good friends there and enjoy at great parties! I have also planned some releases on Form Music, Misfit and Octopus in the coming months. I will share the news soon on my socials!

Any final words for our Techno Mood readers?

Thank you for having taken the time to read this interview. Stay connected on my social media for more info!