Sunday, September 27th, the latest French electronic sensation, Superpoze takes over Le Bain's sunset.
LE BAIN: You’re only 22 and your first album ‘Opening' is getting rave reviews…It seems your music belongs to the more ‘intelligent’ side of electronic. Do you think there is silly electronic music and smart electronic music?
SUPERPOZE: There is no 'silly' or 'smart' music. But historically, there has always been 'art music' and 'pop music'. One of my favorite composers is Bela Bartok. His main work was to build bridges between popular music and art music. On my album Opening, I tried to keep the right balance between melodies from my pop culture and textures from my love for experimental music. I always try to do something that's about musical feeling and theoretical research at the same time.
Superpoze Unlive
You studied music and percussion at the prestigious French school of music, Le Conservatoire, for seven years. What’s the most important thing you learned during those years?
As a percussionist, you sometimes have to play one little bell sound in a fifteen minute movement. I've learnt the importance of each sound, how to use silence, and the importance of the 'event' in music. I love when a sound, a melody or whatever, just comes one time in a piece of music.
"When people talk about the Big Apple, I see a Philip Glass head."
Tell us about the city of Caen, in Normandy. How would you say it has had an impact on your music?
I'm based in Paris now, but I spent the first 20 years of my life, which is actually 90% of it, in Caen. It's really beautiful, near the sea - really quiet and calm. In 2009, I went to a party in an underground parking lot under the castle of Guillaume Le Conquérant. I saw Dorian Concept, Débruit and Fulgeance. Fulgeance lives in Caen. He's a beat music producer. I started trying to imitate him, playing live beats with an MPC. With a high school friend, I started a local radio show, I created my record label Combien Mille Records, and we were quickly called "a local scene." It all began in Caen.
Superpoze Overseas
You’ve been a big fan of rap and wrote a ‘little bit of rap’ before producing electronic music. Any rap lyrics you would share with us?
(Laughing) In high school, I was into French rap acts like NTM, IAM, Fabe, etc. I wrote like 10 songs and recorded 5 of them. It sounded like that : "Du haut de mes dix-sept ans / J'me dis peut-être qu'il s'rait temps / De faire bouger des choses avant qu'le vice s'étende" ("From the top of my seventeen / I'm telling myself it might be time / To move forward before vice takes me down"). And then I stopped. Good choice, right?
(Laughing) In high school, I was into French rap acts like NTM, IAM, Fabe, etc. I wrote like 10 songs and recorded 5 of them. It sounded like that : "Du haut de mes dix-sept ans / J'me dis peut-être qu'il s'rait temps / De faire bouger des choses avant qu'le vice s'étende" ("From the top of my seventeen / I'm telling myself it might be time / To move forward before vice takes me down"). And then I stopped. Good choice, right?
It’s hard to define your style, but there is a contemplative side to it. Do you consider yourself an introspective person?
I'm not an introspective person at all, but I'm sensitive - I like to take time, and I like when the music takes the time to live. When I recorded the album, I was in a strange period - everything was moving around me and I guess I tried to build a stable place for me. This is why I called the last track of the album "Home Is Where I Am".
About New York: what personal mythology do you associate with the city?Superpoze Home Is Where I Am
For me New York is Philip Glass. Yeah...when people are talking about the Big Apple, I see a big Philip Glass head. Is that strange? Anyway, I can't wait to come for the first time.
Sunday September 27th, Le Bain presents Été d'Amour Sunset featuring a DJ set by Superpoze. Doors 2pm. Party starts at 5pm. The Standard, High Line.
