Musician, producer and future singer, Dim Sum is an almost all-round artist who lives music to the full. He talks to us about his third EP “Stay”, released on 27 October, and also looks back on his journey and the various remix opportunities he has had, such as Christine And The Queens or Julien Doré’s Coco Câline.…
Lots of people listen to your music, but few really know you. How would you describe yourself to them?
I’m a French musician and producer and I live in Paris. I started the Dim Sum project 4 years ago.
Originally, Dim Sum was a band. Are you now going it alone?
Yes, I launched Dim Sum as a duo with my friend Thierry. We pretty much learnt music and production together and we had already formed a band before, the two of us. Thierry lives in Rouen and I live in Paris, and gradually our schedules became harder to line up, so I carried on with Dim Sum solo.
Did it all start with rock?
Yes, originally it was bands like Nirvana that made me want to buy a guitar and get into music. Then I naturally opened up to all styles of music, electro in particular.
On 27 October, you released a third EP, which we’ll come back to. For this first solo project, did you head in an artistic direction you would also have taken with a band?
I think we were more of a producer duo than a band in the rock or pop sense. So yes, the artistic direction could have been similar. On the other hand, solo I have to own every artistic choice and it’s sometimes hard to step back from your own work. So the result is inevitably even more personal.
Personally, I discovered you through your Christine And The Queens remix. Did you have any idea that by doing this cover, you had just taken on one of the singer’s biggest hits?
No, not at all. When I got the chance to remix “Saint Claude”, the original wasn’t a massive hit yet and Christine & The Queens’ album had only just come out. I really liked the track and I felt we could make a slightly different, fun version of it.
As it turned out, this remix played a part in the band’s growth…
Yes, absolutely! “Saint Claude” became a huge hit and the remix that came out on Because Music’s Soundcloud was really well received and got played a lot. Radio FG also played that version a lot.
Is she an artist who has inspired your music?
I admire her work and her originality, but no, I wouldn’t say she’s a direct influence on my compositions.
Since “High Love”, which did nicely, your tracks have been giving off more and more emotion. Is that something you work on a lot?
Yes, I started Dim Sum with much more Nu Disco, party tracks like “Coucou Disco” and “To The Top”. “High Love” already had a slightly more indie pop touch. On the new EP I really wanted to work on somewhat deeper emotions. To make tracks you can dance to but also sit back and think to.
You’re 35 if I’m not mistaken, do you think that maturity affects the way you produce?
You’ve done your homework. I’m not really sure maturity matters for producing or composing music. The main thing is to have things to express and the desire to do it.
So you’ve just released a new EP: “Stay”. Tell me about it.
It’s my third EP after “Coucou Disco” in 2014 and “High Love” in 2016. It’s the first one with only original tracks and no remixes.
What was your production process on this EP?
I start by producing instrumentals, which often come from a chord progression or melodies written on the guitar. Once I have instrumentals I like, I do recording sessions for the features. And the ideas the singers bring often inspire new arrangements. Sometimes I keep only the vocal and rewrite a whole new instrumental around it. Sometimes I keep just a few words and play around with them.
The lyrics on the different tracks are in English, do you write them yourself?
On “Right Track”, Nina Lili J wrote the lyrics. On the other tracks it’s me, together with Julia, who already sang on “High Love”, and a friend.
Speaking of which, on the first single “Right Track” featuring Nina Lili J, you hear this line on repeat: “Are we on the right track?”. What would you answer now?
It depends on the day, that’s kind of the idea of the track. Some days you feel good and in the right place, and the next day you wonder what you’re doing there and you want to drop everything and go far away.
Among your remixes, you recently did one for Julien Doré. Have you met him?
No, not directly, it was his record label that got in touch with me. But I know he really liked it and he shared the remix a lot, which made me very happy!
Would you like to collaborate with him?
I really enjoyed doing the remix, so yes, that would be very cool.
To wrap up, you’re already preparing a fourth EP for early 2018. What should we expect?
Yes, I’d like to release a new EP fairly quickly. I already have quite a few tracks I’m working on. I think it will still be very melodic, and I’d also like to work with male vocals, so maybe I’ll take the plunge and sing a bit.
