We catch up with Matteo from the electronic music trio Chinese Man, ahead of a solo set he will play at a festival called MYSA in the middle of the Western Ghats this weekend
Matteo
How far would you agree that there is nothing called indigenous French music, and that Frenchmen have only been influenced by other sounds, from Africa and America, for example?
I don't know if we have to agree or not, but we just created our own music with our sensitivity and desire to make a tune. And the thing is, as Chinese Man, since we are three people, we've got three influences from different stories, families and visions.
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What do you think led to the "French touch" in the electronic music of the '90s?
I know that somewhere, the "French touch" meant using samples to produce house music in the '90s.
In what ways are your solo sets musically different from that of Chinese Man?
I play a lot of different kinds of music, and I try to mix and create an eclectic vibe between hip-hop, soul, electronic, Balkan, Turkish, etc. I also play tracks from Chinese Man. But when all three of us are playing, we play our own tracks only.
What are some concerns that you might have about the way electronic music is produced and consumed these days?
Things are going really fast right now. It's a bit extreme, but it's like that. You may focus on one or two tracks and find a way to release it. And now, you can discover a lot of artistes, and that's another way to produce and listen to music. I think that our role as DJs is to listen to and find good music, and that holds the same for a producer. But we need to find creative solutions on ways to release tracks. And in a certain way, that's really exciting, because it means spending more time finding new ideas!
Can you describe all that you experienced in India the last time you were here, in 2016?
We were here the last time to record some artists for our album SHIKANTAZA. It was perfect; these kinds of conditions are ideal. I mean, creating a link between artistes is one of the most exciting things. Plus, we have some really good souvenirs.
On: January 17 and 18, 10 pm onwards
At: Forest Hills at Tala, Raigad.
Log on to: insider.in for tickets
Cost: Rs 1,920 onwards
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