A real Swiss army knife of the scene, KarlK sees things on a bigger scale. Making an EP, launching his own label: 2016 has been anything but restful, and yet he has no plans to stop there, with an album due in 2017. We met an undeniable artist of French house whose thoughtful humour gives him…
Have you been back in the studio a bit?
To be honest, I’ve never stopped producing, NO, NEVER, OH NEVER EVER! It’s true I haven’t released many tracks these past few months, but I have two arguments to defend my drop in productivity!
The first is that I’m working on an album that should come out in 2017.
The second is that I’m ill… I’ve got “started project, never finished” syndrome! A real plague, a nasty piece of work, I swear! Producers reading this interview will recognise themselves, I’m sure, and that reassures me a little!
I honestly must have around fifty projects on the go… It’s very frustrating. Luckily, there are several medicines like the “remix”, the “rework” or the “collab bro?” that can prove effective. I took the “rework” recently, and it worked pretty well on the Narcos soundtrack!
Tell us a bit more about this Narcos rework.
When I heard the Narcos theme, I literally shouted “Wow!”, put some trousers on and galloped off to the studio, leaving my girlfriend to watch the first episode on her own. You have to make choices in life (laughs). Mathilde, I love you, there, done!
More seriously, remixing this track felt like a no-brainer! It’s totally my thing: guitar and Latin rhythms, an extraordinary vocal, I love it.
Between Charles from Supermind and KarlK the DJ/producer, do you manage to juggle it all?
Yes, well, I think so. I do think KarlK could be more productive if I focused on it 100%… But I feel the need to do something else alongside it, and running a label is honestly so cool! Supermind takes up 80% of my time. I mainly handle the artistic and admin side (and that’s plenty, I promise you).
I’m looking for up-and-coming artists from different cultures who have a fairly original touch to share with the wider public. By the way, if you’re one of them, feel free to send me your demos: music@supermindmusic.net. I take the time to listen and I even reply to your email! That’s rare these days, I promise you!
Rumours spread fast, and word is you’re working on a nice collaboration with Riptide Record’s latest little protégé. Can you tell us about it?
Whoa, there’s a snitch around here! (laughs)
We are indeed working on a collaboration with MIKU at the moment. I was left speechless listening to his latest track, “le couple”. Two things went through my head as I listened: “Blimey, this guy is talented” and “Blimey, I can just picture a Latin guitar and percussion on one of his techno rhythms!” That could make for a cocktail in the vein of “Porto” by “Worakls”! Right?!
We won’t let you down, that’s a promise.
Quite honestly, what do you think of all these new producers?
They’re popping up like mushrooms, it’s crazy! With easier and easier access to music production, recording and sampling software, etc… Anyone can become a producer overnight! However, a lot of them neglect the mixing and mastering work on their productions, and yet it’s ESSENTIAL! I’ll say it again for those who didn’t hear: ESSENTIAL!
I say that from experience: my first productions were unlistenable, but I was just starting out, just like them… You learn a huge amount over time. There are lots of talented producers who deserve more than some of the artists you hear on the radio 24/7. It’s a shame, but I’m here to dig them out and introduce them to the wider public!
“To you, young artist: persevere, never give up, your turn is coming soon, hard work always pays off in the end!” KarlK. Classy, right?
We do have a really great French house scene, don’t we?
Oh yes! For me, we have the best electronic scene (house, deep house, chill) in the world right now, no joke!
The Avener, Feder, Fakear, Jain, Petit Biscuit, Synapson, Broken Back, Møme, KarlK (lol), and the list goes on!
We hope to see you again very soon!
I hope to see you soon too!
To be honest, I don’t have many dates planned at the moment, but I hope that will come! Either way, I will never stop composing, NEVER!
