words: MICK WILSON pics: KATIE PALMER TECH In The Studio With Breakbot
It goes from Hall & Oates to Michael Jackson, from Bobby Caldwell to Mike Post, from Chic to Justice, from disco to disco. It is home-made, naive and somewhat melancholic.”
How come it took you so long to release your debut album? “I wasn’t aware that people were expecting it, I just took my time, to be sure that I recorded the best record I could. It had to be special, I had to do my best for this chocolate record.”
Describe the style and sound of the album? It seems to draw inspiration from the disco scene of the ‘70/’80s... “Yes, round and sexy! I listen to a lot of things, and I draw a lot of inspiration from the records I listen to. There are so many artists and bands that I truly love, like Michael Jackson, Prince, Pink Floyd, Queen, Supertramp, Todd Rundgren, Hall & Oates, Chic, Daft Punk, Snoop Dogg, Jay-Z, Biggie, Rza, Jackson and his Computer Band, Mr Oizo, Justice, and many more... It’s a varied selection.”
You’re currently touring the album, how will the transition from the studio to ‘live’ work? “It’s a cross-over between a DJ set and a live show. I sometimes play the piano while Irfane sings. I like to include other elements as well, there are lots of old and new tracks which I’ve remixed which are included in the show. We are also working on some video loops synced with Ableton, which provides a visual aspect to what we do. “I like to keep things simple in the live set-up. I use a Mac with Ableton Live and a Behringer BCR2000 midi controller. I also use a Pioneer DJM mixer for EQs and effects. I use the Nord Lead keyboard to play piano and synth sounds during the set. And of course there’s a mic for Irfane. It’s quite a tricky thing to do, we remix everything and try to make it sound different but still as good as if you were listening to the actual record.”
BreakBot Science
Thibaut Berland is the man behind the chocolate-loving Breakbot, Ed Banger’s newest and brightest star. We tracked him down to XOYO in London at his recent album launch party to discuss his long- awaited record, ‘By Your Side’, and keeping all things disco, musical and simple…
B 070
reakbot’s music career spans an extensive list of remix credits longer than your arm, combining French flair with a discerning ear for creating
well-crafted pop-style dance tracks that have a definite musical song-based architecture. This means ‘By Your Side’ as an album sits nicely on the dancefloor, but also has a radio-friendly character that makes listening to Breakbot’s long-awaited debut an aural pleasure. It definitely raises a smile on the face as the myriad of influences wash up to the top and take the listener on a musical journey throughout some of the classic disco tracks and acts of days
gone by. Moved by a simple ethic to keeping the recording process simple and letting the music do the talking, Thibaut Berland’s new long-player is a masterclass on how not to get too carried away with masses of studio production, and just let good essential sounds and techniques lead the way in the studio...
‘By Your Side’ is your new album, released on Ed Banger Records. How did you go about recording the record, and what were your musical influences? “It was a fantastic journey through love and despair, pain and joy, mistakes and redemptions.
www.djmag.com
How did the relationship with Ed Banger and Irfane come about? “It came naturally from mutual interest and friendship. I’ve known the Justice boys for a while, and that might have helped in the process. I met Irfane through a mutual friend, Krazy Baldhead, who had already made a song called ‘Sweet Night’ with him. I instantly fell in love with his voice!”
How do you work in the studio? “The album was basically made with a laptop, Ableton Live and a midi keyboard. I usually try to find chord progressions on the keyboard, and then add layers little by little. When I’m satisfied with the music I then give it to a singer to add some vocals (Irfane did the vocals on five of the tracks for this album). At this stage this is usually the part where a simple track develops and becomes a pop song. I like to keep the studio process simple, get the music going on, then add bits when and as they are needed. I don’t want the music-making to get too complicated. I like to let the musical elements do the work, that’s why I write music the way I do. I play the piano till I have something interesting, and then build around it.”
How do you get such a polished sound from such a basic set-up? “This is interesting you know, it’s not that hard to get a good sound when you keep things simple. It’s pretty easy to get a clear sound when you’re using just a few instruments on the record — you know, bass, drums, piano, voice — so I can do
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78