Bright & Shiny Exclusive: Interview with Eats Everything

 Since his track "Entrance Song" appeared prominently in Maya Jane Coles' Essential Mix last summer, Eats Everything (real name Dan Pearce) has taken the dance music world by storm. In that same year, Pearce saw his very own entry onto the shortlist for Essential Mix of the year, followed by numerous releases on a list of labels which reads much the same as a list of our favorites might: Dirtybird, Pets, Defected, Get Physical, Nurvous, Hypercolour, Futureboogie, and most recently on Jaymo & Andy George's fledgling imprint, Moda Black.  2011 was a good year for a man who is as down to earth and amiable as his music is smashing, and 2012 is looking even better, with the release of his subtle, Dr. Dre-inspired track "Jagged Edge" still topping charts two months after its release. We had a chance to sit down with Eats Everything this past March following an appearance at the legendary Get Lost in Miami to discuss everything from an upcoming collaboration with Disclosure, to mixing at 118 beats per minute, and male ejaculation.

Bright & Shiny Exclusive: Interview with Art Department

From their very inception, the Canadian duo Art Department have known success.  Individually, the two enjoyed a bit of it throughout the 90's and 00's as figures in the Toronto house and techno scenes.  But it was not until Johnny White and Kenny Glasgow came together to form Art Department that the two experienced the type of success one can only dream about.  Just a handful of months after joining forces, the two found themselves in Resident Advisor's prestigious Top 100 DJ's under their new moniker. [UPDATE 12/6: The RA Top 100 DJs of 2011 Poll has been released, ranking Art Department at 6 in the world.] A year later, their tune "Without You" was listed as RA's number one track of 2010: one of the highest honors in the dance music world.  A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to sit down with the duo following a soulful set at Chicago's Spybar. We talked about the live show they've currently got in the works, legendary prog-rock band "Yes," and the recent shenanigans of a one Steve Angello. Read this and more, plus some bonus Art Department sounds after the jump.

Exclusive B&S Interview with Doorly

We here at Bright & Shiny had the distinct pleasure of chatting with none other than one of dance music's fastest rising talents, Doorly, before his start as a part of the Identity Festival tour in North America. Doorly seems to be a renaissance man of sorts, staying active in everything from residencies abroad like Ibiza Rocks, Wax:On, Metropolis, and Reclaim the Dancefloor, to managing the ins and outs of his own label, Pigeonhole This!, all the while churning out genre-defying productions and continually putting on one of the most dynamic and exciting live performances you'll ever see from a DJ. His talents have certainly not gone unnoticed, as evidenced by his appearances on Pete Tong's legendary Essential Mix and his manning of the Radio One Ibiza Weekend stage for the past 2 years. We were very glad to talk to him about his career thus far, what he has planned for the future, and his involvement with the Identity Festival.

[Bright & Shiny]: First off, thanks for taking the time out of your schedule for talking to us. We all really appreciate, as I'm sure do our readers. Let's start off with the basics, how did you get into dance music in the first place?

[Doorly]: I suppose I got into it by becoming a DJ really. A DJ didn’t show up at a bar I was working at and I had a bunch of cd’s, so I just sort of jumped on and got really into it. That was like 10 years ago, when I was 16.

[Bright & Shiny]: So before you even messed with any production you were DJing?

[Doorly]: Oh yeah, definitely. I only stared the production about four or five years ago.

[Bright & Shiny]: And in that four or 5 years or so, how do you think your sound has evolved?

[Doorly]: Well I started off being into more house, funk type stuff but recently I’ve gotten a lot more into the dubstep sound so that’s a lot more of what I’ve been doing lately. But for me it’s always been about not limiting myself to one particular sound, just doing whatever I’m into at the moment. And I find myself sort of blending a lot of what I’m into together and really forming something entirely new and different, sort of like a bit of everything put all together which I think is really exciting.

[Bright & Shiny]: So you’re on Ibiza right now correct? This summer you’ve been a resident there at Ibiza Rocks.. tell us a bit about that, and if you think it’s different from other nights or clubs on Ibiza?

[Doorly]: It’s been fantastic so far. Ibiza Rocks is really unlike anything else on the island, just because of how diverse the acts and the music they bring in are. And that’s really one of the main reasons I was so excited about being involved there. You know, like this summer alone I’ve played alongside everyone from Fatboy Slim to Tinie Tempah to Chase & Status, so it’s quite a lot of fun and it keeps things interesting for me and theres really nowhere else like it on the island.

[Bright & Shiny]: You have a couple other residencies on the island, such as at Wax On, Metropolis, and Reclaim the dancefloor, right? Tell us a little about those.

[Doorly]: I’ve actually not been doing much of that recently because I’ve been so busy touring. The only thing I’ve really been doing regularly other than Ibiza Rocks is my own night in my hometown of Huddersfield, Afterparty. I just don’t have the time for the other residencies anymore.

[Bright & Shiny]: Speaking of your own night, Afterparty, what is it like to put on your own event vs playing at other clubs or guesting somewhere?

[Doorly]: Well, for one thing you have a lot more responsibilities when you’re putting on your own event, so that can sometimes make it a bit more stressful since you’re constantly running around. but at the same time that can mean it ends up being more fun. Because when you’re putting on your own night you have to be thinking about and coordinating everything all night long, making sure everything is right for all the other artists and managing the staffs and everything, as opposed to playing at another club where you just walk in, play your set and then your responsibilities are done. So yeah, its just a lot more responsibilities. But when I put on my parties it’s usually my friends that I bring in to dj so that can be a lot more fun because you just get to hang out with all your friends all night and have a good time and all that. So when it works out it can be a lot more rewarding, but during it sometimes it can be a bit stressful. It always ends up being worth it though.

[Bright & Shiny]: Yeah I can imagine it’s a lot of work putting something together like that. So you have a new record label, Pigeonhole This!, how did it get started? What are you trying to do with the label or what direction are you trying to take it in?

[Doorly]: Part of the idea behind it was that I wanted a label where I could release really any sort of music I’m into at the moment and not be confined into sort of a box, not be confined by genre distinctions. And I really didn’t see any label like that out there. Then also the idea is that I can help promote artists I’m into at the moment. There’s a lot of really great artists we’ve got releases coming up from, and a lot of them have totally different sounds. For me it’s really about the creative freedom of it, not getting tied to any one particular sound.

[Bright & Shiny]: So the name Pigeonhole This! is kind of ironic, making fun of other labels?

[Doorly]: Oh yeah, totally.

[Bright & Shiny]: What is it like acting as a label boss? What are the responsibilities that come with the position?

[Doorly]: My main responsibility is to just make sure the music’s right and we’re booking the right artists. I think it’s quite important just to make sure that the music is absolutely on point, that everyone wants to hear it, and that all the djs are playing it. I’ve just gotten a lot of really good support from all my peers and all my friends that are playing the tracks, so it’s good to have that.

[Bright & Shiny]: When you’re touring, do you see a lot of differences between crowds in Europe vs crowds in America?

[Doorly]: Yeah, totally. America is just on fire at the moment. There’s no where like America in terms of energy. I’ve been playing in America for a good few years but like in the last year or so, it’s just gone mental. It’s actually kind of hard after an American tour to come back to England because we don’t really mosh out or rock out like you guys do. You come up to England and people just don’t really do that; I don’t know, it’s like people think they’re too cool for it.

[Bright & Shiny]: Yeah other DJ’s have told us the same thing.

[Doorly]: You don’t need to have your hands in the air to be enjoying yourself, you just sort of need to be noddin’ your head and you’re having a great time. But in America you feel like you’re doing something wrong if you drop a track and everyone isn’t like 'AAAAHHHHH!!', losing their shit over it. It’s really good for your ego. It’s the same thing in Europe, especially in places like Germany or Belgium or something, it’s just kind of boring compared to America…but it’s all good, everywhere has its benefits.

[Bright & Shiny]: So speaking of touring, obviously you’re a big part of the Identity Festival right now, which is sort of the thing on everyone’s mind. What is it like to be a part of touring festival?

[Doorly]: Well yeah, I’ve never been a part of a touring festival or anything like this. The last tour I did was with Rusko and it was great; it was very intense and every night was sold out at these massive clubs. But this is even better, the line-up is so good, there’s like 70 people in the festival that I want to watch every single night anyway. If I wasn’t booked for it I’d be looking to get myself a ticket to get over there anyways. But because we had so much fun last time Rusko and I are sharing a tour bus again; we’re not going to do the festival tour bus since there are so many people on there – it can get messy. So we just got our own tour bus on this one so we can relax a little bit more between shows. It’s going to be a lot of traveling, but every time you get to a new city it’s really exciting.

[Bright & Shiny]: What was your initial reaction when the management for ID approached you about being on the bill?

[Doorly]: It was halfway through the Rusko tour; I was playing in New York and I got the offer. At first I didn’t really know who was playing it just sounded like a good thing.. So I said I’ll think about it, though I was pretty sure I was going to do it. Then I looked at the lineup and I saw like DJ Shadow, Modeselektor, Erol Alkan and I was just like wow..sign me up! It’s great, I just feel like it’s going to be a great thing.

[Bright & Shiny]: Do you think this sort of touring festival is going to be something that’s replicated in the future?

[Doorly]: I think so, yeah. The people that run it are one of the biggest agencies in the world, William Morris, so I wouldn’t be surprised. People kind of do it in Australia, there’s the whole Parklife tour and othe things like that. But I’ve never heard of anything like this, this many dates and this many artists in the UK or Europe, or in America. It’s a great idea; you get the acts more gigs, and everyone gets paid, it’s good.

[Bright & Shiny]: What do you have in store for the rest of the year, post ID Festival?

[Doorly]: Loads of gigs really. I've got a bunch coming up, including a mini-tour with fatboy slim and Jack Beats. I've also got a few EP's coming out, and I just released this Foxy Brown bootleg I did recently and new mix. So yeah, I'm gonna be pretty busy, but I love it.

[Bright & Shiny]: Sounds awesome, we're really looking forward to your EP. Well, that covers everything we have. Again, thanks so much for talking to us, and we hope to hear a lot more about you in the near future.

There ya have it, folks. Peep some Doorly goodies below as well, including his latest mix and a nifty Foxy Brown bootleg!  And a big thanks goes to Jonah and all the boys & girls at Infamous PR for setting this up!

Foxy Brown - Wayooy (Doorly's Pigeonhole This Booty)

PK & Augustus

Exclusive B&S Interview with Aeroplane (Vito de Luca)

After an amazing show on May 25th at U Street Music Hall in Washington D.C., I had the opportunity to sit down with Belgian music outfit Vito de Luca, otherwise known as Aeroplane. With a slew of fantastic remixes and one full length ablum, We Can't Fly, under his belt, Vito continues to top charts and play his music around the world. Even getting a chance to create the 500th Essential Mix for BBC1 Radio, Vito is recognized internationally by famous DJ's and fans alike. His style takes many influences from 80's style pop and disco music and has a unique feel that is sure to get you on your feet and dancing. Here's what the man had to say:


Aeroplane May 2011 Mix by Aeroplane (Official)

[Bright & Shiny Music] How do you feel about playing in the US versus playing in Europe and other places around the world?

Vito: The thing about the US is that I love playing here. The crowds are really open… There is so much music here and the people love to have a good time. But I really do not like this country as a place to be in. It is just so much different from Belgium and Europe, but the crowds are always amazing. I’m in New York tomorrow, LA the day after, Miami… Even people that haven’t ever heard of Aeroplane are just there to drink and have a good time and dance.

[Bright & Shiny Music] So how did you get into DJing and producing?

Vito: Well I was trained as a classical musician for 10 years or more. Then I got into rock bands and we were all making music influenced by other rock bands like Nirvana and Rage Against the Machine. One of my friends, somebody gave her a Homework record (Daft Punk) for her birthday, and she was like: I don’t want this so you can have it. When I played Daft Punk for the first time I was just like… Whoa, there’s something going on here… That’s really when I started getting into production.

[Bright & Shiny Music] I’m a classically trained musician as well and I find that sometimes my musical training, especially in music theory, can be a bit stifling due to all of the conventions that I’ve learned. Do you find that your training can sometimes inhibit your creativity?

Vito: There are so many artists that I love so much like James Jones and others, and at some point their music crosses a line that I cannot cross because of all of the theory that I’ve learned.

[Bright & Shiny Music] Yeah I have the same problem. I have a hard time breaking all of the rules that I’ve learned.

Vito: You can’t break them. It’s like gravity. You always go back to the rules. You have to stick with them. But sometimes when artists go a little outside of the box, that’s where you find a lot of musical genius.

[Bright & Shiny Music] What are your upcoming plans? Are you back in the studio soon?

Vito: I’m working right now on a compilation… and I have a lot of remixes that I’m working on. At the end of September I'm hoping that I can start on the new album that should be ready for February of next year.

[Bright & Shiny Music] So are you able to work on new material while touring or do you have to be settled down in the studio?

Vito: The problem with being a touring musician is that if I don’t have a piano or a guitar or a bass, it’s pretty hard to put little squares in little boxes on a computer screen and expect it to sound like real music. I have to have the actual instruments.

[Bright & Shiny Music] So what are your favorite instruments to record with? How much of your music is recorded from real instruments and how much of it is synthesized?

Vito: I mainly play bass and guitar on the tracks. I used to program a lot, like all the synths used to be midi programmed. I stopped doing that. I just play everything live now. There is a human feel to it. It is much more fun even. Trying to program some piano chords… to make it sound natural, it’s going to take you ages. It’s actually going to you less time to sit down at an actual piano to write a chord progression.

[Bright & Shiny Music] So most of your album was recorded at slower tempos like 105 bpm, which is much slower than standard dance/house/club music. Can you explain why you choose to compose at these slower tempos?

Vito: It is just the tempo that I prefer. It is a tempo that gives me the most, I don’t know… I hate the word groove, but I don’t know any other word for it than groove. I’m not quite sure how to explain it. When you play an instrument at that bpm, it can be really straight, loose…it just works all around. It’s the bpm of all of my favorite songs like Miss You by the Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd’s The Wall.

[Bright & Shiny Music] So a lot of artists have remixed your work, do you have a couple favorites?

Vito: Well my favorite remix of my work is probably the next one coming up that you wouldn’t have heard of yet… And I can’t tell you who it is. I have to say the Rex the Dog remix of My Enemy is pretty big. I really struggled to get the remixes for that single. And I had to really push these two choices that I played: Green Velvet and Rex the Dog. And it’s funny because both of those remixes were exactly what I was expecting from those artists. The Rex the Dog remix is perfect Rex the Dog stuff and Green Velvet is perfect, stupid, repetitive Green Velvet stuff… but so great that it could go on for 12 minutes and you'd still love it. Perfect for people on drugs haha.

11. Aeroplane - My Enemy by eskimorecordings

Aeroplane 'My Enemy' Rex The Dog remix by rexthedog1980

Aeroplane - My Enemy (Green Velvet `Love My Enemy` Remix) by Wall of Sound

[Bright & Shiny Music] What is your favorite country in Europe to play in?

Vito: I’d have to say Belgium is pretty good. I played in Ghent last week with Moby, which was pretty random. It was the opening of a gallery and afterwards there was a party where Moby and I played. I have to say it was pretty much the best gig this year. I really love Belgium… It’s like a bit of the UK, a bit of the US… everybody is drunk but they know how to drink so they know how to party. We have a lot of dance music culture in Belgium. A lot of dance music was actually born in Belgium. But it’s always pretty great to play there.

[Bright & Shiny Music] Speaking of Moby, I saw both of you last September at Electric Zoo in NYC. How was playing that festival for you?

Vito: Umm… It was actually fucking awesome.

[Bright & Shiny Music] Will you be going back this year?

Vito: No, I’m not going back this year. It was kind of a nightmare situation before the gig actually. My plane was delayed, I landed late. Once I was finally ready to leave the airport the girl picking me up wasn’t picking me up… then she was. And then we had traffic jams, and I arrived half an hour into my set so I only got to play for one hour. So it was pretty shitty to fly in and out of New York for one gig.

[Bright & Shiny Music] Do you have a preference to playing at a big music festival like Electric Zoo as opposed to a club setting?

Vito: Electric Zoo was great. But I definitely prefer a crowd of about 150 to 200 people in a club. I love when you can’t hear the club and you can just hear the music. I hate when the bass drum resonates in the room and you can hear the sound of the club more than the music. If it’s a smaller club then I feel like the bass really hits the people and it’s a great feeling.

[Bright & Shiny Music] So what is your most memorable gig? Not necessarily the best, just something that stood out.

Vito: A lot of them are really memorable for reasons that I cannot really expose in an interview haha… So I’d have to say this one gig I played in Belgium for the anniversary of this really big club. It was total anarchy. People were going nuts. I could have played anything, and I mean ANYthing. Everybody was just partying and screaming and throwing champagne. There was a naked guy walking around… but then I found out that he is there every weekend and is always naked haha. That was one of my biggest gigs of all time.

One of our first gigs in Glasgow, we played in a room in a school. It was a math club… for people who love math and do math together, something I will never understand. So we get there and there are about 80 people and it was really quiet. They told us we were on, so I put on my first record and they asked us to crank the volume. All of a sudden it was like animals coming out of trees… the whole dance floor was nuts, I can’t explain. Girls were taking their tops off. I remember when one person asked for the Soulwax remix of MGMT. That was the first time we ever played it and I really thought the whole place was going to collapse. People were hitting the walls, throwing shit… I’m telling you girls were taking their clothes off haha. Some guys even started taking their pants off. People pouring out from everywhere… All in the math club.

[Bright & Shiny Music] So Aeroplane used to be a duo… How do you think your sound has evolved and matured over time since the breakup?

Vito: Ah dude that’s a big question for 2 am. Well since we’ve been working separately, you can definitely tell who was bringing what to our music. The way the sound has evolved now has not been because I’ve been trying to do something differently, it’s just that I’ve learned and experimented. For instance the Friendly Fires remix that I did was mainly luck. I just messed around for a while. The first time I played it in a club they had to stop the music because there was this weird bass frequency playing just below the track. It was like 15 or 20 Hz. I don’t even know how we did that. It was like we just put one single sine wave throughout the track haha. But yeah… I have no idea how or why my sound has evolved.

[Bright & Shiny Music] So you’re not really conscious per se of how your sound has changed?

Vito: No, you can’t really be conscious about it. You just wake up in the morning and you have something in your head and you just try and replicate what you’re imagining. Most of my inspiration comes from classical pop music like Fleetwood Mac and Pink Floyd. My only goal is perfection because these guys were sounding perfect. I am not really sure if I attained my goal with the album, but I can only hope that other people enjoy what I make. But yeah… it’s been about two and half years since I recorded the album. There are actually some tracks on it that I don’t really like.

[Bright & Shiny Music] Which ones are you referring to?

Vito: There are some tracks that I’m disappointed with what they are versus what they could have been. Like for instance Fish in The Sky… It’s there, but it’s not exactly where I wanted to take it. And it’s sort of upsetting because I have to listen to it for the rest of my life and not necessarily feel satisfied with it.

[Bright & Shiny Music] Do you feel that way about a lot of the stuff you’ve done in the past?

Vito: Well I don’t think it’s a natural feeling of an artist to not be happy with their work, because when I do something I like, I know it. It’s really difficult because I’m a composer and a “sound engineer”. Sound wise it’s hard to get to the point I want to be at… because I’m writing all the harmonies and arrangements and creating the sounds.

We Cant Fly by Aeroplane (Official)

[Bright & Shiny Music] So is listening to the album now a totally different experience than when you first recorded it?

Vito: I don’t listen to the album anymore. I’ve listened to that fucking album for three years… I think I’m done with it. You listen to any album for three years and you’ll get sick of it.

[Bright & Shiny Music] Yeah I’m sure you get sick of playing ‘I Crave Paris’ at every gig.

Vito: Yeah I did this thing on twitter where I was like, are you guys ok if I stop playing ‘I Crave Paris’? And I had people hating me and freaking out. It is like my own version of ‘Satisfaction’ by the Rolling Stones. I have noticed though that in Europe it goes down not as well as it did last year. So that's good.

I Crave Paris by Aeroplane (Official)

[Bright & Shiny Music] Haha maybe it’s on the outs.

Vito: I would love that actually haha. It’s not that I don’t like the track, I’m just over it. Most of the tracks that I play in my DJ sets last for a month and a half, two months max... Then they are replaced by something else. Paris is the only track that lasted for like…four fucking years. I’ve gotten to a point like Kurt Cobain where he couldn’t handle playing Smells Like Teen Spirit anymore.

[Bright & Shiny Music] Alright well we have to get going now but thanks a lot for talking to us and giving us the opportunity to interview you.

Vito: Thanks for talking to me, take care guys.

Bonus mixes (free downloads):


Aeroplane April 2011 MIx by Aeroplane (Official)


Aeroplane March 2011 Mix by Aeroplane (Official)


Aeroplane February 2011 Mix by Aeroplane (Official)

Be sure to follow Vito via... everything, for news and updates about Aeroplane:
Website
Facebook
Soundcloud
Twitter
Myspace


Love, Patrick

Exclusive B&S Interview with Yelle

I had the great opportunity to interview Yelle before their show in Carrboro, NC on April 26th. For those of you who don't know, Yelle is a French band consisting of lead singer Julie Budet, main producer and percussionist Grand Marnier (Jean-François Perrier), and keyboardist/producer Tepr (Tanguy Destable). Their fun brand of electro pop is extremely infectious and has brought them around the world. Currently finishing off their fourth US tour, they will be off to play throughout Europe, Australia, and South America. Make sure to check out their tour dates to see if you can catch them in your part of the world. Here's what they had to say:

Safari Disco Club by YELLE

[Bright & Shiny]: Was it a big transition coming to the US from France? Are the crowds noticeably different?

Julie: yes, the French crowd is definitely different.
Grand Marnier: French crowds are different from all other crowds. In France, the people understand the lyrics so it is not just about dance and energy. Here it is about the energy and the dancing. Some people here understand the lyrics but not many. In France, everybody understands... so they first understand, then dance. It’s pretty progressive during the set. But here it’s like boom! (does a little dance). It is very nice for us to look at people singing in French when you are actually in France and to know they understand what we’re saying, but it’s also really nice to see people just having fun here. So it is a different mood, but both are good.

[Bright & Shiny] Yeah I feel like the general consensus is that the US is notorious for people loving to dance and have a good time… all the time.

GM: We see it also in Canada and Australia. And even in South America, people are really crazy there.
Tepr: We do party in France as well, but it’s not the same. It’s not like going crazy. Everybody is concerned with how others are dressed and things like that.
GM: There are a lot of laws in France about noise levels. Even in Paris music is getting very buried. Like you have to stop the music at 2 am.
Tepr: There are no underground parties anymore. You don’t really go out to have fun, you go out to be seen. It’s a different energy.

[Bright & Shiny] Is this a more recent development?

GM: This is something more recent. It is also something political. France is not really fun, it’s just ok. It is not the coolest country in the world like some people think. The best time to be in France has switched to the summer because of the festivals. We have a lot of music festivals. But during the year it’s not very exciting.


A cause des garcons (Tepr remix) by YELLE

[Bright & Shiny] Have you found music festivals in the US like Coachella to be similar to French music festivals?

GM: Coachella was similar to French festivals but bigger and nicer because of the weather, the palm trees…
Julie: Summer in France can just be rainy and not very good for festivals.
GM: But it can also be perfect too. The sun seems to always be out here in the US, especially in California.

[Bright & Shiny] So this is your fourth US/Canada tour, what stands out as your favorite US venue?

GM: Well each tour has gotten bigger and bigger. The first was three shows, then eight shows, then 20, now this one is 28. As for our favorite venue, we really liked Washington D.C. and the 930 Club.

[Bright & Shiny] The 930 Club gets a lot of great reviews from artists.

GM: We also loved playing in New York and LA.
Julie: The last tour we did we played at a little club in Salt Lake City. It was not sold out, but it was really good, and that was the first time I went stage diving.
GM: It was always very happy and everyone is in a good mood here in the US.
Tepr: Being able to tour here and have Americans know and sing our lyrics is great… So this transition for us is a big deal.
GM: People in France just don’t believe. We have to show them. We have to bring someone to film us for them to believe that we have fans here.

[Bright & Shiny] You have a really great aesthetic, especially fashion wise. How did you develop the look for Yelle?

GM: We started to perform and then we met people really quickly. So basically when you start to perform and play this kind of music, girly kind of electro pop, you always have connections in the fashion industry. You meet lots of cool people and designers and you keep good relations with them. It is important for us to have everything matching.
Julie: There has definitely been an evolution of sorts. At the beginning I would just buy stuff for shows at American Apparel, but today it’s really great to be able to work with designers to collaborate and invent something with them. With Jean Paul Lespagnard it was like that, you know? It was all about the music and what we wanted to portray to our audience and fans.
GM: Jean Paul Lespagnard designed the outfits that we are wearing on the cover of our new album.
Julie: The outfit that I’m wearing in that picture is crazy. It is made of plastic and it’s beautiful but it is very hard to move in it haha.
GM: At this point many designers just send us outfits and things to wear.


Ce jeu by YELLE

[Bright & Shiny] What are your musical backgrounds? Did you start at different styles and sort of evolve into your current sound?

GM: I started playing the drums at 10 and I was really into Nirvana and RHCP and Rage Against The Machine and Beastie Boys. So basically I am coming from a rock and rap scene. Haha I even listened to a little Limp Biskit back in the day.
Tepr: I also came from rock like Nirvana. So when I was younger I just bought a guitar. We all come from small towns so we didn’t have all that many people to play with, so I bought some equipment like a microphone and a computer and began to get into different music and produce my own music. I had my own side projects. Eventually I met Julie and Jean-François and they invited me to join them on stage.

[Bright & Shiny] Yeah I’ve noticed that your guys’ music that you produce by yourselves, specifically Tepr, tends to differ from what Yelle produces as a group.

GM: Yeah when we all play together it’s a collaboration so you need to be able to share your ideas and trust what other people are going to do until you have a complete product, so no regrets. As for composition/production it is me and Tanguy (Tepr)... and Julie does writing. I am sort of a round-a-bout because I am involved in both.

[Bright & Shiny] Who were some of the first artists that influenced you to get into dance music?

GM: Actually if you listen to some bands like Rage Against The Machine, you can really dance to them. I mean, dance music doesn’t mean forming ‘kick music’. It’s just about moving the body. Every band is really trying to get people to dance, even if it’s a hardcore band from New York City. It’s all about head banging and dancing. So it’s natural for us to like songs like that and compose songs in that way. It’s natural for us to love music that has great lyrics and a good melody, but also music that makes us shake our bodies.
Julie: When we were teenagers we had the radio, and much of it was dance music in a sense like Prince.. Cindy Lauper…
GM: Yeah, mainstream music was pretty cool when we were teenagers. Not anymore. It’s a lot of R&B. I mean we love Rihanna and artists like that but on French radio, it’s a lot of R&B artists trying to copy American artists so it’s not that original.
Julie: Back then radio was more unique. You could listen to Cindy Lauper and Rage Against the Machine on the same station, now it’s all more classified.
GM: There were not taste makers back then that dictated what would be played. Now they just play the same songs over and over and they are like, ok people like this so this is all we are going to play now. It is not about discovering new music anymore.


Cooler Couleur (Crookers feat. Yelle) by YELLE

[Bright & Shiny] How did you make the decision to tour with French Horn Rebellion?

GM: We discovered them on a Kitsune compilation. We decided to try them as an opening act in New York City six months ago and they were really cool people and it’s important for us all to get along during our tour. We wanted to get Katy Perry but... haha

[Bright & Shiny] Didn’t you guys to an official remix for her?

GM: Yeah, we did a remix for her song Hot N’ Cold. We actually opened a few times for Katy Perry during her UK tour. It was definitely good exposure for us, because the UK is such a mystery. It is really different from here and everywhere, and we were playing in front of tens of thousand people.

[Bright & Shiny] So I guess let’s talk a bit about how your write your songs. When starting out do you tend to focus on one aspect of a song first? What is your creative process?

GM: There is no rule about that. I mean, a song will just come from an idea we have in mind. We might come up with it while driving or something. Once we have a good idea we start to develop it. An idea might be a loop, a melody, a rhythm, a sentence. It can be from Tanguy, Julie, or me. It is never quite the same process. But finally we are all in the studio and contributing to the end product.

[Bright & Shiny] So do you prefer writing originals to doing remixes?

GM: Remixes are fun, but it’s not something from nowhere. It’s not original. I feel like originals are more respected.

[Bright & Shiny] Yeah I agree, remixes are played for a month in the clubs and then they’re gone.

Tepr: Yeah. Originals are much longer lasting.

[Bright & Shiny] (At GM and Tepr) So you two both DJ in France. Do you prefer playing in a band as opposed to djing in a club?

GM: Djing is just a way to not get as involved as an artist. It is cool to dance and drink, and you can also dj while you dance and drink. And you are paid haha… and the girls can see you hahaha. It is the biggest joke ever. But there are some DJs that are huge and they deserve it and they make DJ history.

[Bright & Shiny] Yeah it’s gotten to a point where as long as you have a computer all you have to do is download Traktor and bam, you’re a DJ.

GM: Haha exactly. If you have a name, you can be a DJ. Everybody. I mean, a lot of DJs are just so bad. There are so many DJs that just have a name and maybe an EP, a lot of cool friends, and then they just get paid a lot of money for shit.
Julie: We need and love to have a connection with the crowd as a band.

[Bright & Shiny] I feel like playing as a band with instruments is much more organic.

GM: Yeah we really feel like we’re making something on stage.


Je veux te voir by YELLE

[Bright & Shiny] So what can we expect in the future from Yelle? Are you going to take a break after your US tour or are you going to immediately start working on new material?

GM: We have a few summer festivals to do in Europe after this. We will not have a break from touring for at least another year… or more. We will be doing a Europe tour, Australian tour, then we have a South American tour, Europe again… then we can begin recording again next year.

[Bright & Shiny] Are you able to focus on writing music while touring or is it too hectic?

Julie: We can maybe do one song or a collaboration
GM: But it’s a different thing to focus on something like a new chapter. It’s difficult to start a chapter when you’re still stuck in the present chapter.
Julie: Before out latest album we had been touring for almost three years. We took a three month break and after that we were ready to start recording again.
GM: We are not one of those rock bands that can come up with a new song during sound check with just three chords. We have to have a place to focus… But now we really need to get food before our show. Do you have any good places for us to go?

[Bright & Shiny] Haha ok well thanks a lot for the opportunity to interview you guys. I can’t wait to see the show tonight and I hope you play well. There’s a great food market right across the street with pretty much anything you guys would want called Weaver Street Market…

Here is a video of the crowd that night that should give you an idea of what the crowd reaction to their awesome set was...

Que veux-tu (Madeon remix) by YELLE

Be sure to follow them for news and updates on Yelle:
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Love, Patrick

Bright & Shiny Interview with Sticky K

Before he had even graduated from college, Californian producer Sticky K was already signed to Dubsided Records, the label of UK house titan Switch (1/2 of Major Lazer) alongside heavyweights like Herve and Sinden. Three years later, at the age of 23, he's remixed everyone from Crookers to Larry Tee and released multiple high quality original productions that show he's one of the most exciting young talents emerging onto the dance music scene right now. Based out of San Francisco, Sticky K has made a name for himself both in California and on a global scale with performances at major festivals like Los Angeles' HARD Haunted Mansion and killer tracks that have been supported by big name DJs across the world including everyone from Diplo to Foamo. He played in Santa Barbara earlier this year alongside Destructo and I was lucky enough to get to meet and talk to the man himself, and I can say he's one of the chillest and humblest DJs you'll meet anywhere. He was good enough to answer a couple questions for the Bright & Shiny nation, so check them out below along with some of the dude's best tracks.

[Bright & Shiny] You've enjoyed a lot of success recently, such as your inclusion in the lineup at the 2010 installment of the legendary HARD Haunted Mansion, but I want to rewind a bit and talk about your roots. I'm a student at UCSB, and I know you graduated from here not too long ago. How did being in Santa Barbara help craft where you are as an artist now?

[Sticky K] I can't say if Santa Barbara in particular was important in my development as a producer, but I think more generally just being in college and having a bullshit easy major that I did made it easy to find time work on beats. As far as DJing though, because of the social lifestyle of Santa Barbara, it did lend to more house parties and chances to try stuff out and get shit crackin'!
Larry Tee - Let's Make Nasty (Sticky K Remix)


[B&S] How did you get into electronic music in the first place?

[Sticky K] My roots in electronic music are deep in Warp Records, like Boards of Canada, Autuchre, Jimmy Edgar, what was considered at the time as "intelligent" dance music, whatever that means. At the same time I was listening to this kind of music I was really into bay area hip-hop and this was the peak of the hyphy movement in 05' and there was a lot of weird crazy drum machines and synths. This was important because I first started making hip-hop beats and then started making house tracks.
Crookers feat. MC Leka - Para De Gracinha (Sticky K Remix)


[B&S] How do you think your sound has changed since the early days of your career? I remember hearing the Willowz remix you did as well as the Maru one (two of your more recent releases), and being extremely impressed because they were really good and they also seemed to have a different feel from most of the other stuff I had heard from you. Is there any particular direction you're trying to take your sound right now?

[Sticky K] My number one rule for making music is to never force it...so no matter how bad I need to make a club banger, if I feel like doing something more deep than so be it. I'm not really in control of the vibes they kinda control me...
The Willowz - I Know (Sticky K Remix)


Pance Party - Maru (Sticky K Remix)


[B&S] 2010 was obviously a huge year for you, between playing at HARD Haunted Mansion alongside some of the biggest names in the game, and your inclusion on Beatport's favorite Electro-House of 2010 list. What can we expect from you in 2011?

[Sticky K] In 2011 I have a bunch of new singles coming out. "Prince of Persia" came out on Dubsided on March 15. I hope to break out a bit more this year, just to have the general awareness of my music increase a little more and hopefully do some more touring... You never know though... you can't plan these things.

Sticky K - Prince of Persia [buy on Itunes or Beatport]


[B&S] What's your studio setup like? Any one piece of equipment you couldn't live without?

[Sticky K] My studio setup is can be considered a perfect example of wabi-sabi. No, but seriously I don't like to tell people what I use because it doesn't matter what you use. I just have a computer/midi keyboard and some small M-Audio monitors. Modest, but gets the job done.
Sticky K - The Weirdo (Original Mix)


[B&S] What's your creative process like when you sit down to create a track? Do you go in with structured plans of what you want to accomplish or do you have a more free flowing approach? Is there a different process when you do remixes vs originals?

[Sticky K] As far as my process of making music I have to be a bitch and quote "to try and talk about music is like dancing about architecture." I cop out like this because in reality I have really no idea what hell I'm doing most of the time.

[B&S] Haha fair enough. Obviously the electronic music scene is totally exploding right now, with loads of great stuff coming out in all of the different sub-genres. What artists do you look at as being particularly inspiring or innovative?

[Sticky K] There are so many good artists out there right now it's mind blowing. Makes it harder for me. Some of the favorite guys out there right now are Savage Skulls from Sweden, along with another Swede, Tony Senghore. From France you have the Club Cheval crew and if you haven't heard of Canblaster go to his soundcloud page right now!

[B&S] Finally, if you could play any venue in the world, what would it be?

[Sticky K] If I could play any venue it would have the Social Club in Paris. It's small, but has character.

Sticky K - The Reason I Love Life (Original Mix)


Well there you have it. Thanks again to Sticky K, and be sure to head over to Itunes or Beatport and grab some more of the man's filthy beats.


Stay Classy,
Augustus

Exclusive B&S Interview with Avicii

Photo by Eric Reiner

Swedish producer and DJ Avicii burst onto the electronic music scene in 2008 at the young age of 18 with his track "Lazy Lace" (Strike Recordings), a remix he did of the theme song of "Lazy Jones" for the Commodore 64. From that point forward, Avicii spent hours in his home studio intoxicated by his craft, cranking out smashing tune after smashing tune. Later in 2008, Avicii entered Pete Tong's Fast Trax competition and won in a landslide victory with his track "Manman" receiving 70% percent of votes. The release of "Manman" on Pete Tong's label Bedroom Bedlam afforded Avicii quite a bit of visibility in the industry. Shortly thereafter, he was contacted by numerous labels, promoters and booking agencies the world over, firmly launching his career as a unique producer of melodic tracks and pounding beats.

Two weeks ago, I had the pleasure of seeing the Swedish savant spin at the Mid, Chicago, an experience I will not soon forget for its euphoric sounds, masterful mixing, and the absolute madness Avicii incited in the hearts of the crowd. I was fortunate enough to get to sit down with the man himself and ask him a few questions just before he took the stage. Here's how our conversation went:

[Bright & Shiny] The first song of yours I ever heard was "My Feelings For You" and I immediately knew you were a different kind of talent. How did you come to forge such a unique sound for your productions in a genre which is notoriously full of generic, uplifting tracks?

[Avicii] [Laughs] Well, I’ve just been working my ass off with my manager who’s been guiding me the whole way and he’s given me tips on production as well as everything so I guess that’s kind of where we found my sound.

[B&S] How did you get into DJing and producing?

[Avicii] I heard this track, you know Zombie Nation by Kernkraft 400?

[B&S] Yeah, of course.

[Avicii] I heard that track and I really wanted to remix that, and a friend of mine told me about FL Studios. And yeah, I just downloaded it and tried remixing and I just ended up getting stuck with it.

[B&S] What is your process behind producing a track once struck with inspiration?

[Avicii] It’s different every time. It all depends on what kind of track: if I’m doing an original track or if I’m doing a remix, or what kind of original track I’m doing… So, it’s different every time.

[B&S] Speaking of which, do you prefer remixing or producing original tracks?

[Avicii] No, I love both its just two different ways to approach a track. Usually if I get a remix I try to start off with just one element, like a vocal or a hook or whatever, and then just move on from there and try to make a completely new track out of that one [part]. And then when doing an original it’s almost the same thing, but I make up the part, so I make up a melody, a hook, whatever. So, no, I love it just as much.

[B&S] What's it like to play in front of hundreds of dancing people every day?

[Avicii] It- it’s amazing! I mean it’s why I got into it in the first place; why I chose to do it, to fight for it professionally. I wanted that, that… The kick you get out of that you can’t compare it to anything else.

[B&S] What has been your biggest break thus far?

[Avicii] Biggest break? It’s probably “Bromance,” I think, my solo track.

Tim Berg - Bromance (Avicii's Arena Mix)



[B&S] What is it they're putting in the water in Sweden that makes your people so inexplicably adept at making incredible electronic tunes?

[Avicii] Well, I think it’s a mixture between just Sweden being a really cold place for 8 months out of the year, so you don’t really have anything to do, so it’s easy to put all of your effort into making music. But then I also think it’s because there’s been so many successful producers in general from Sweden, like Swedish House Mafia or even pop producers, like Max Martin, there’s just so many. So I think they inspire all the new ones to feel like “Ah, I can make it as well in this industry!” So people actually take the time to produce, et cetera.

[B&S] What are your top 4 tracks of the moment?

[Avicii] My top 4 tracks… I would have to say its Axwell and Dimitri Vegas’ remix of “One Look” by David Tort. Then I would say Steve Angello, AN21 remix of Pendulum’s “The Island,” one of my new tracks which I haven’t named yet, and, still, “One” by Swedish House Mafia, to be honest. I mean, it’s killing it everywhere I am still almost a year after it was released.

David Tort - One Look ft. Gosha (Axwell vs. Dimitri Vegas, Like Mike Remix)



[B&S] Yeah, we were there when Swedish House Mafia first played it at Ultra last year and the crowd response was absolutely phenomenal. Are you playing any after parties at Ultra this year?

[Avicii] Yeah, I am. I’m playing Ultra on Friday, Saturday, and then I’m doing Ultra official after party on Sunday.

[B&S] What’s coming up for Avicii in 2011?

[Avicii] Oh, lots of stuff. There’s lots of stuff coming up. I think I have like 8 or 9 tracks this year that should be coming out.

[B&S] Alright, thanks so much for taking the time to speak with us.

[Avicii] No problem, it was a pleasure.


Thanks again to Avicii and his management for the opportunity, and to Avicii for an absolutely amazing set, as usual.

And be sure to check out Avicii's soundcloud for previews of what he'll be working with as hear tears Miami apart next weekend at Ultra Music Festival!
PREVIEW Avicii - "ID" by AviciiOfficial

Bonus
Robyn - Hang With Me (Avicii's Exclusive Club Mix)


SIR REAL