Interview with De L'Ivresse
A musical duo from the South of France. It began at a party in the middle of nature — either very late or very early. From Chicago House to Detroit Techno to Nu-Disco, Slow Funk and Indie Electronic. Always evolving. Looking to the horizon.
Before the duo, they had both been active for years — DJs, bloggers from 2008 to 2015, graphic designers, record sellers, radio columnists, event organisers. You name it, they'd done it. From a Parliament Funkadelic concert, to a Devendra Banhart concert, to a Moodymann set. Then they found each other, found a sound, and signed to Paper Recordings Manchester in 2019.
Greatest inspirations or influences?
GaëlA lot of things influence and inspire us — travels, cultures, the people we met, and those moments of pure hedonistic energy spent together. We love the attitude of some founders of the electronic movement: the DIY of an Aphex Twin, with its slightly punk way of managing its image via delusional visuals and a creative process without limits. But also the pioneers of Underground Resistance, with their techno coming from the depths of Detroit and their uncompromising image.
SophieWe always have in mind the melodies and arrangements of Ennio Morricone or Gainsbourg — the rhythms of Nick Mason, the drummer of Pink Floyd, the Krautrock of CAN.
GaëlCloser to home, the pure "love" house of Soul Clap, Wolf + Lamb — or the dirty and sexy touch of Jesse Perez and Dam-Funk. We have a special affection for Sean Johnston (Hardway Bros) who mixed with the late and eclectic Andrew Weatherall in their legendary ALFOS parties. Sean was one of the first to support our music.
SophieEddie Ruscha aka Secret Circuit, Tom of England, Arp — but also the Stone Throw label. J'adore Sampa the Great by Ninja Tune, for its universe, its flow, its rhythms and its musicality.
"We always have in mind the melodies of Ennio Morricone, the rhythms of Nick Mason, the Krautrock of CAN."
Favourite websites and social media?
GaëlSoundCloud is a great communication tool — it allows us to manage our tracks and exchange with our community who come from all continents. We love to hear from Peru, India, or California.
SophieBandcamp and NTS Radio are very nice — to chill at home or freak out in the garden.
How did COVID-19 affect creativity and how you see the future?
GaëlLike many people, in addition to the fact that this virus kills and creates tragedies in many families, it shows us concretely our position as simple inhabitants of the Earth. The Earth is our natural habitat but it does not belong to us. We have a duty to respect it and to ensure that we can always live there.
SophieThis virus highlights the inequalities between us, what we make our environment bear — but also that it is possible to stop the general disorder in which we live and put nature, animals, and our natural well-being at the centre of our lives. We've been destroying our natural habitat for a long time. It's time to take a break.
GaëlHopefully this moment of global pandemic allows everyone to have a real reflection on our way of life and our expectations.
The punk approach to image management — delusional visuals, a creative process without limits, instruments and structures reinvented.
Techno from the depths of Detroit. The uncompromising image, the politics of sound, the idea that music can be a form of resistance.
The melodies and arrangements that never leave. Morricone's cinematic sweep, Gainsbourg's wit and sensuality. Always present, never imitated.
The rhythms of Nick Mason, the cosmic minimalism of CAN. The German tradition of building something hypnotic from repetition and discipline.
Sean Johnston (Hardway Bros) was one of the first to support them. He mixed with the late Andrew Weatherall at the legendary ALFOS parties. Special affection.
The New York house lineage. And the dirty, sexy touch of Jesse Perez and Dam-Funk. Sampa the Great on Ninja Tune. Eddie Ruscha aka Secret Circuit. The Stone Throw label.
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