Interview with Freak You

I’m very proud to present our first interview of 2009. As you can see I’ve had the chance to try to shoot some interesting questions to one very special French artist, making music under the name Freak You. First of all I want to thank him for taking the time to answer these questions. Thanks Freak You!!! You’re awesome!

Here we go:

Hi Mr. Freak You! First of all I’m really curious how you got in this electronic music scene? Why you decided to start making music? What’s your history?

Hi, since I was a child I was very attentive to radio music and to what my parents listened. My father is an audiophile; he was a real geek on sound system stuff at home. It was usual to find a new machine in the living room. I had a big tantrum to my parents for having piano lessons, guitar lessons; Indeed, I was a “pain in the ass” child!!
So when the first dance music appeared, I knew that music will be more and more present in the future. I had my hip hop time like everyone, I started to make some awful tunes and I was totally into it, craaap!!! A good friend who has a good vinyl underground shop gave me some materials and I bought my first turntable. I discovered Aphex Twin, Vitalic, Squarepusher, and D’Arcangelo … and I thought “wouaw! That’s the real music, so personal, creative, really not old and overage.
My love with the clubbing and this kind of IDM/Breakdance/electro forced me to try something between these two different styles. I tried but I finally chose the dancefloor.

I’ve been reading your myspace and in a small bio. It said you own your record label “On The Fruit“, producing kick-ass electro music of course and also you apparently run your own wine shop. How do you manage to do all this?

It’s complicate yeah, but I’m such an hyperactive person, I can’t stay one minute and doing nothing but now the label job is growing everyday and I’m searching for solutions to easily grow On the Fruit, now I have some people who are helping me. The wine shop is my real job in the real life and incredible too, sometimes working in wine stuff is quite similar to making music.

Is it true your mood kind of influences your melodies when producing your music? Because that’s what I hear when I listen to your music. I can recognize a certain mood/emotion in your melody and sound. Is that something you think about?

Yeah definitely that’s why it’s difficult for me to find my own sound, I can do a track today but for sure the next one can be very different, faster or slowly. I’m really happy that a lot of people recognize it in my music, because when I made my tracks I just do it and when it’s finished, I can know how I felt at this moment.

I couldn’t find any gigs you’ve planned? Do you play? If not, have you ever considerate to play?

Oh I played on some several parties but I took a break. The label and the wine shop give me some amazing stuff, but I have some demands in many different places. I need one year to organize all this crazy hobbies and I’ll start a tour. Can’t wait !!!!!!!

I can’t wait either!

You’ve done a couple of really nice remixes lately. Any exciting plans coming up we should know about?

Yeah I love making remix because I consider it like a gift for the remixed artists, it’s not having something more or improving the original track, in fact I love taking just the voice and restart the track like I never heard the original one before. I’m working with DIGITALFOXLOVE in this moment; it’s not a remix, more a featuring. I love this artist, he’s very nice and he knows using sounds!!!

I totally get what you mean! I’ve had comments of people talking about someone ruining the original track by remixing it. While I think the remixer has made a completely different track around a certain sound or vocal. Which can be really interesting to see how the remixer interpretes the original track. Thanks! I’m glad you think the same way.

Can you describe how your iPod tracklist looks like? What do you like listening in your spare time (if you have spare time at all)?

My track list is huge but I have favourites:
Aphex Twin – Vordhosbn
Symbolone – Love juice (Moulinex remix)
Board of Canada -Roygbiv
Sebastien Tellier -Divine (danger remix)
OCHRE -midsummer nice on a dream
D’Arcangelo -Diagram
Lifelike -Adventure
And of course all the On the fruit rooster!!!!!

Something completely different… How do you think the blogworld regarding promotion or creation have found their effect on the electronic music scene?

The big question… some people and artists are mad with this new mood, but I’m totally into it. We all know we’re never rich with the download business, and the blogworld is a very good way to discover new artists.
Example I discovered Le Castel Vania recently, they are so much good artists, famous or not famous, I can’t stay on Google or on myspace everyday and searching them. Blogs do that for us, thanks!!!
And when I want to play a track I download it on Beatport, it’s definitely the best quality to play, I can’t imagine some DJ playing 128k MP3 !!! It’s a crime for ears!!!!

Anything else you’d like to share with our dear readers? Maybe your favourite type of wine?

Yeah of course, the wine I like are the natural and organic ones, I try everyday to eat and drink good foods and good wines, I don’t want to die young!!! We will see in 30/40 years!! 50 % will regret their life and what they ate everyday, for sure!!
My favourite wine is:

AOC Côte du Rhône
Domaine Gramenon
“La Mémée” 2001

That’s the real life and the real good stuff!!!!!

Oh, and the track I give you will be on my future EP with 3/4 others, this one is very personal and is definitely an emotionally one for me.

Thanks a lot! I’m in love with it already! Wonderful sound, really emotional indeed. Now give him some love guys!

[audio:/0209/Freak You - Ballad For a Diskjockey.mp3]
Freak You – Ballad For A Diskjockey