The French Connection, an interview with DJ Need of Birdy Nam Nam pt 2... continued

Part 1 is here.

First half of part 2 is here.

You played me the main sample from Clifford's Mustach, which happens to be a loop. And you consider Phantaz to be the first scratch album? I'm sorry but it's really nothing more than a scratch nerd's fantasy come true...

N: well yeah it is a loop, but beyond that there is musical composition, and using the term scratch music, can't you have three notes on a piano which are just triggered and then looped and the rest is composed on the tables? Because the table isn't just a new instrument. Well it is an instrument in the sense that it's a tool, but it isn't just an instrument for music in the way a guitar is. The table also allows you to play sounds in sequence much like a sampler. So you can't limit it to just playing solos. A table is a sampler, a sequencer, a guitar, a trumpet and a bass, all those together so I'm not criticising...But it's true that in Clifford Mustach's the background piano isn't played as such on the tables, but that's just... ... and the sample comes from where? N: it's on an album on the City High label, by a flutist... but I can't remember the name.

Is the album done and mixed down?

N: Yeah it's finished, 12 tracks and 3 interludes. All the tracks have been mixed down, but nothing's been mastered yet as we are waiting to hear who will be doing the mastering. We mastered the first 3 tracks for the first single on vinyl, and we are happy with the results. We don't want to fuck up the mastering either as it can change everything. The fact that the LP is done on tables means the sound is a bit ‘flat', it doesn't have the same sound as music you might hear on the radio, we have done our best to make the overall sound clearer, but there aren't many highs for example so it's not going to sound like RnB... Now we got the right order for the tracks, but we haven't yet got all the titles, but we aren't stressing about it so much, the LP won't be coming out anytime soon and so we got the time to think about it. We aren't going to come back and change anything for sure, but there might be an extra track, as we have already started working on some new stuff, and we are thinking some of the tracks we are working on now could end up on the album. Unless it goes wrong the CD version will have PC compatibility to allow people to check tracks we decided not to keep from the time we were putting the LP together, or even new ones... these are going to be the bonuses of getting the CD. But right now it stands at 12 tracks and 3 interludes.

Which track are you proudest of and why?

N: There isn't really a track I'm proudest of, and I think I can speak for all us, especially because out of the tracks we have chosen there are a lot of different directions already: certain tracks are very ‘scratch' minded where it's all done on tables, and we managed to do them so that they are interesting and not too boring even if the background and the beat are all scratched. Then there are tracks which are very much program minded, where we just triggered some elements on the tables sequentially, with straight drums and claps, a very structured composition. There is also a track with loads of ‘audio' tracks in its arrangement, as in it's very detailed with cord progressions and long sounds that are held. It's a track that has an electro feel at the start, well it's actually an upbeat electro track to start with and then there is a half time bridge halfway through. It's the first track we have done with 15 audio tracks at once and in terms of arranging it we really had a ball and we found tons of samples that fitted together and created this kind of crazy atmosphere... and the thing is you can't really hear that, it sounds like there are only 2 or 3 audio tracks playing together but there are 15. When we were listening to it whilst mixing it down, especially the bridge part, we really thought we had been a bit too crazy and gone too far. After that when we listen to the album there are definitely tracks we all like more than others but personally there isn't one track I'm proudest of as such, not really...

Have you got plans for live projects?

N: Well we've got a few dates planned, the first being 22nd of May at Montpellier for the Attitude festival. They split the event in two this year, the world breaking championships are in May and all the other events (skate etc...) will be as usual in August. So we are playing at Rockstore, with Breakestra, the tribute live funk band signed to Stones Throw. We are currently putting the record for this show together, and because it's our first show it's a bit stressful, but we are only going to premier new tracks, even if they won't be tracks that are on the album. We will be presenting the LP to the public though and the first single should be out by then as well. In regards to live work in general I think there will be a before and after the album type deal. In a way because we are in the same situation we were in last year when we did the Batofar show, we haven't got anything more than our tables and some pedals. We are going to try and push it as far as we can with those means, but we are ambitious about what we can do and realise if we had more means, which might happen once we have finalised the LP deal. If the deal can help realise some of our ideas for the live shows that would be great... But for the meantime we are keeping it simple: no musicians, no stage show, no videos... It's also good I think to have this challenge of keeping people interested with only using tables and pedals. So it's really more like a first step, our return to the live scene and a way to defend our music I suppose...

Talking about other people's music, what is your take on the rest of the scratch related releases?

N: I still haven't seen Knitting Factory. The Bastrd Language Tour, I have only listened to what is available online through p2p networks, and I found it a bit boring. But it's true that this might be something you need to see live more than anything and I don't even know if what I heard is the official release...

And Fuga Da Voi is looking like it's going to be even better...

N: True, when I was speaking to D-Styles about what he was listening to when he was over, he said he wasn't really listening to a lot at the time but that Fuga was one of the things he was listening to most, and I also found bits on the net which I liked...

On the BLT DVD there are actually samples of it in good quality that sound real good...

 N: I'm quite eager to hear it, especially as I thought Dirty Soap was bad, and I'm still listening to that. Dirty Soap really is something I can listen to in my car, while I'm skating and I can appreciate it in different contexts. It's heavy, and Fuga should be as interesting but in a different context.

Regarding the net, have you got plans to work on a site?

N: Yes because you can't go without it today, but it will be more like a way to get in touch with us and find info I think. It won't be a big site to start with, we will put some video, but there won't necessarily be a lot of writing in it, tons of pages and a forum. More like a way to contact us, news, dates for live stuff. I'm hoping putting videos up won't be a problem. Ideally do something which catches you, but right now our focus is on other things, seeing as how the LP isn't coming out soon, we are looking at working on the site and getting it up for the album release. For a while we were considering it strongly again, as I had this idea of redeveloping something online as we didn't know what to include in the CD booklet, and so we thought of doing something really simple with it. The development of it would have involved people coming online and using a password to unlock a whole bunch of stuff. Visual interpretations of all the tracks, which you could look at while listening to it but in the end it was too long and expensive to develop and so we binned the idea. But it's definitely a really interesting medium, but we won't be putting too much into it I think, even communication wise, because even though the online world is big the people we are most susceptible of connecting with using our music aren't that many, even internationally. So we won't be spending time on forums, beefing with people, we ain't on the same tip as Nicks for that. What he does is cool, the messages he puts up are interesting, but we aren't Nicks(s) we are Denis, Nicolas, Michael and Thomas, but we know we want to do something online, but we aren't working on it yet, so I can't say when it will be up.

And what do you think of Hand Control?

N: I think it's good that there is a forum taking over where djneed.com left, because it was missing in a way. I didn't have the time to do it and didn't meet anyone who could have helped me build something and once the forum got closed down a similar place for people to come and chat and find information was missing. With hand-control, some of the people are coming back, there is a nice atmosphere again. But now you need it to be active, and take initiatives with info, updates, interviews and exclusive stuff that keeps people coming back and makes it worth checking.

Is there something you want to say but haven't the occasion to yet?

N: What I like with our LP is that it's an album which is feasible technically to the people who hear it and know how to scratch. By technically I mean the manipulation, because apart from a few bits on there, which are more linked to our way of making music personally, the technique involved isn't complex, it's just the structure that you have to get at. Someone's brain might be more inclined to do this and someone else's to do that, but that isn't what's complex about it, what's interesting with our LP is that people like you, like those on the forums and those in today's scratch world have the technical abilities to do it and the difficulty of it lies somewhere else. That's what I like about it and which I think might bother some people at times, because it isn't a useless technical showcase from beginning to end. If a little chirp or some cuts aren't useful musically we don't do them. We only do it if it adds to the music. Each sample people hear on the album was put down and recorded as is, nothing was added at the end of a session and slotted in the middle with a mouse. All the drums, hi-hats, long drawn sounds everything. Well actually no, because there is a vocal which comes from a CD and so it wasn't possible to play it as is. But 99.9% of the rest of it is played and recorded as is and so the difficulty lies more in finding the samples, fitting and mixing them together when they haven't got anything to do with each other and come from different places and records. On one hand people might criticise us on that, and we are waiting for it, but on the other hand we haven't got any issues with certain tracks sounding like they are programmed. You won't necessarily be hearing the characteristic sounds of a scratch track or scratch music.

And what about upcoming projects solo or as BNN?

N: For the moment we are still in it as BNN. Personally I haven't really got any projects. I had ideas, and when I do I write them down, so it's never lost. Even if the LP is finished we are still in it together as we are putting our live records together. It's all a long process, and so even though the LP is over, we are still working on stuff to do with it. Speaking about solo stuff, we developed the whole thing together, and I know I will never do this type of music on my own, for tons of reasons. I can't do it on my own, and I don't really want to anyway. With BNN we are happy with the music we make together as a group, we like each other so it's all cool.

If you could sum up each member of BNN with one word, what would it be?

N: Ohhhh... I can't, it's impossible with only one word... And it's not precise enough... On what grounds? As a human? Musically? No I can't it's too hard. One word is impossible.

What are your views on Gunkhole?

N: I only know of them through what is available online but I like the way they go about it. I'm looking forward to seeing them live, as I think it will be good anyway.

I know you tried to use vinylgrabber who offer to press up records in small units. What's the verdict on it?

N: I did one with them, and the result for me anyway was really good. I heard negative stuff about them, but I would say that's probably due to the mastering, which is the most important thing anyway. When you press the record if the sound is too loud, the record will skip, and you can't do anything about it. But in relation to the tool and the price it's really fuking good. Even though it's slightly worse than a real record (the sound is weirdly muffled on it).

Since our last interview you seem to have got back into skating, but not just to go round on it. Since you started again what's the best trick you've landed?

N: I'm not really into a frame of mind where I have to better myself each time, as in I won't be trying a big trick over the biggest number of steps I can find or on the biggest rail. I do a lot of flat stuff, and to answer your question I'd say switch flip front and switch heel flip.

Truckers' cap, wooly hat or both?

N: I'm a hat man but not necessarily wool.

What's the playlist of tracks which are bumping in your Ipod?

N: - Fred who's a friend of mine, and who makes pop music and his album is called "Sauter du nid" (jumping out of the nest) - The last Keziah Jones, an acoustic CD which is really good. - A lot of Bjork stuff - Dizzee Rascal, Boy in Da Corner LP, it's fucking crazy and I like it. - Harlem Pop Trotters, the next thing out on KIF, a lot of Rhodes on it, it's a really jazz-funk type thing. It's nice armchair listening, a bit love boat at times, but excellent musicians. - The last Norah Jones LP even though it's quite commercial. - A lot of Gainsbourg

No electro?

N: I try not to because I realised that recently I was listening to too much Jazz. I try to diversify my listening by going back through a lot of rap. So I look into electro stuff, but it's generally a long process before music gets to my Ipod.

Any last words, big ups?

N: Thanks for the interview and long live hand control.

That's a bit weak really...

N: Well sorry, I don't know.

A last word, something funny?

N: I don't know!!! I'm not a funny guy me...

Around 2h49am: "good night!"

Many thanks to Sam for his contribution, and Need for his time. Be sure to check out the hand-control site for more info on the French scene in general and related scratch banter. The full site is coming up soon, but in the meantime the forum has plenty to offer, though speaking or understanding French does help. You can purchase the first single of the BNN album, Jazz it at Home, through French online stores, or in specialist UK shops. The second single, Engineer Fear, will be out by the time you read this. One track off the single is available for download at hand-control. Tune into www.turntableradio.com to hear some of the tracks from the album as well as live footage. Interview conducted by Samsascratch for www.hand-control.com, re-published with permission.

Translated by Laurent Fintoni.