On ne se lassera vraiment pas de ce mix dont nous a gratifié le légendaire Paul Mac ! Pour aller un peu plus loin, on s’est permis de lui poser quelques questions. Petite interview des familles avec un dj au background musical plus que diversifié. Il nous y parle de l’évolution du monde électronique, de ses dernières sorties sur son label Stimulus, du Berghain mais aussi de ce qu’il trouve de plus paradoxale dans ce mouvement musical qui est le nôtre.
- Hi Paul, thanks for answering our paradoxical questions! You’re one of the electronic music producers that we respect the most. You’re in the scene since 1995 as a producer and maybe before as a Dj. What have changed in electronics in this period of time?
Well, I began dj’ing in around 1987 so obviously things have changed an enormous amount since then. When I began the use of a computer wasn’t even really thought of at all for dh’ing and hardly ever used at all for production so the way things are now is a huge difference.
- I guess you also experienced a change in generations of House/Techno fans. Are they interacting with electronic music the same way as back in the days ?
I think so the only real negative now compared to years ago is people insistence to interact with their phone more than people but other than that things aren’t so different.
- Your current productions are still released on vinyl but your Stimulus imprint is only focused on digital at the moment. What has motivated this change of releasing medium?
Simply a financial choice my own label no longer sell enough units to break even. The label has always been about fun for me and it’s not fun losing money haha
- Talking about your Stimulus label, last releases were your Archive EPs. Can you tell us more about this concept?
The Archives Ep’s came about as I have always tended to be quite prolific in terms of the amount of music I make so I tend to have a lot of material lying around at anyone time and the tracks on these EP’s just felt relevant now so I thought I’d make them available to buy.
- In the Vol6 of your archives, there is an IDM influenced track, with a destroyed beat structure, that hooked our attention. What’s your relation to that style artistically?
It’s just something that I have always enjoyed listening to on occasion and enjoy the challenge of making every so often as well. That particular track came out of a studio experimentation that just kind of morphed into a finished tune that I really liked.
- Lately, you seem to use almost exclusively software for your productions where as you were an analog producer back in the days. What do you find more attractive in the digital world when it comes to produce Techno?
Actually the revers is true in the last 18 months or so I have been drifting more back to the analog world that started when I finally made the jump to a modular synth. After that I bought a few Drum Machine etc as I’d forgotten just how much fun it was to be tactile with the machines. That being said I do really like the precision of the computer also and I personally like a combo of both mediums to write and record music.
- You’ve been a long time partner of the Techno icon Ben Sims. Your last collaboration project to date is your “Hardgroove Mastering” platform. Can you tell us more about this project?
That came out of my own obsession with engineering and with mastering in particular. I’ve always strived to try and make better sounding records and in researching and experimenting I became pretty obsessed with Mastering generally and decided to fully go into that realm. As a business it’s been running for around 6 years now and has grown quite nicely. It’s a place for me to be a full on studio nerd which I love to do 🙂
- You’ve performed you live PA at Berghain few years ago. Do you share the same very special feeling about this place and its atmosphere as most of the artists who played there?
Yeah it’s a special place of course everyone knows about the sound system and the space but it’s really an incredible vibe created from all that and the staff the resident dj’s. It should be on every Techno fan’s bucket list.
- Which artists or labels drew your attention on 2015?
Lag, UVB, Killawatt, Mønic, Nikola Gaia, Ansome, Jose Pouj, Dronelock, Kamikaze Space Programme these are just some of the people. 2015 has been another very good year for music it’s way too much stuff to put in a list if I’m honest.
- Do you have any connection with the techno scene in France? What do you think about it?
I haven’t played too many times in France over the years but overtime I have done it is always a lot of fun. It’s a knowledgeable crowd who really know and love the music so you can really play some varied sets without having to rely on bangers and hits.
- What other kind of non-pure electronic music are you listening to?
I’m still a big fan of Funk , Soul , Jazz , Disco , Reggae , Hip Hop and lots of other things whenever I get the time it’s a pleasure to just unplug and listen to good music.
- As you may have noticed, life and humans are full of paradoxes! What would you describe as paradoxical in the evolution of electronic music?
For something that evolved out of people wanting personal freedoms and expression it can on occasion throw up some pretty crazy closed mindedness.