Ten questions for Julien Chaptal

To mark the launch of a new Ketoloco podcast searheaded by Julien Chaptal, we asked the Frenchman ten questions...

Indeed, whilst he is strictly a Frenchman, Chaptal is more closely associated with the Dutch tech-house revival. Labels and artists like 100% Pure, Remote Area, David Labeij, 2000 and One have all been offering what sounds like updated Chicago jack for the last 18 months or so, with Chaptal's own tracky, groovy productions and sets right at the heart of it all. What's more, these Dutch sounds have had us dancing more than we ever did during the drip-drop minimal years, and for that we are truly grateful.

Julien plays for rave rebels Ketoloco at The Light Bar this Sunday alongside Alex Niggemann, Shonky and Craig Torrance (as well as at the afterparty at 333 Club) and has served up a typically rich and colourful house mix which ducks and dives through all manner of diced-up house and tech; all sorts of electronic music's moods and motifs, and it's available here.

So, put it on, then read this interview in which we ask the man about his mix, his views on the digital vs vinyl debate and find out what influence the French house scene has had on him...



Can you tell us a bit about the mix - how did you approach it?

I often listen to podcasts when coming back from a party with friends or driving somewhere, so I thought i'd put together some tunes I like to listen to at these moments of the day. Mostly easy going vibes but also more dancefloor oriented tracks. Some of the tracks in this mix I have played in sets for a year or more and I just can't stop playing them. I also found a lot of great new tracks recently that I wanted to fit in this set as well. It’s a sort of snapshot of what I'm enjoying listening to and playing at the moment.

How and where was the mix recorded?

It was recorded at the studio where I produce after coming back from a beach party last weekend. Traktor going straight into 2 channels Allen & Heath mixer. I knew more or less which tracks I wanted to include but I decided to do it on the fly as it mimics more what I do when I play. After that I added some vocal samples here and there and made a couple of edits to shorten the set in Ableton Live. Often I make podcasts entirely in Ableton Live because I enjoy making edits of the tracks I play and add loops etc on top but I thought i'd try another way this time.

Is the 'how' important? IE are you strictly vinyl, digital only, a keen fan of gadgets like FX boxes etc etc?

I stopped playing vinyl for about 2-3 years now, to me it really doesn't matter what DJ's use to play music. In a way the vinyl/digital discussion is a bit like comparing audio sequencers and their sonic qualities or saying that a Mac is better than a PC.

Whatever works!

Having said that I have finally opened the old vinyl boxes and setup the turntables in my studio again and I've been playing with them quite a bit recently. Although they mostly don't sound as open and full as the digital tracks I have in my collection playing vinyl is great fun and I take some around at gigs every once in a while.

I love FX boxes and hardware gear but I only use them to produce with. When I DJ it’s usually 2 CD players, Traktor and a controller to select tracks and make loops.

And for a normal set in a club - how much preparation goes into each one? How much planning do you do or are most of your sets done on the fly?

My sets are done on the fly but I spend some time before every gig to make a selection for the party based on what kind of crowd/vibe I expect to see at the club. Often I will try to get a better idea of what to expect from chatting with the promoter when I arrive somewhere and update selection in the hotel room before a gig.

Traktor is really great to manage virtual crates of records, so I make full use of that. Sometimes I use a crate I have used for another party and add new tracks to it. Every crate is archived with a date and the name of the party/club, it sometimes helps me remember things that worked well together for example.

And how long do you spend looking for new music each week to play at the weekends, and where do you look (in stores, online etc)?

I spend some time every week listening to promos and new music, online mostly. Actually, often I spend 1 full day listening to new tunes and the rest of the week I make music, but it really depends. I hate routine, nothing bores me more. So sometimes I don't listen to promos for a few weeks and then I’ll spend a whole week collecting new tracks.

And what must a record make you think/feel before you include it on one of your sets?

Well, there are no strict rules for this. If I like it, I usually play it. A record has to have a warm feeling for me to select it. It's a bit difficult to define a warm record I guess, but I am very sensitive to certain sounds and vibes and I can get a negative feeling quickly when listening to a tune if I don't like some elements.

I select certain tracks because I love the groove, some of them because I am into the melody or theme, some tracks because they will tear dancefloors apart. One thing is certain; it always has to make me move when I first listen to it.

I used to also be very specific about the sonic qualities a track needs to have to play it. Ideally it should sound full, wide and punchy with tons of low end. But lately I have been playing a couple of older tracks that just don't sound so big but are absolutely great musically. Often I will re-master these in the studio before playing them.

So for a French man you’re closely associated to the Dutch tech-house scene - how and why is that? Is/was the French fuzz/filtered house scene not an inspiration to you?

Well, I've been living in Amsterdam since 1999 so I guess it makes sense for me to be associated with the scene. This place is home!

French filtered house has been a huge influence for me; I think you can hear that in the music I produce. When growing up in Paris I was listening to loads of these tracks and that's also what I was playing when I started DJing. In 97 that's all you heard in clubs, on the radio, in shops… And I loved it. Daft Punk's ‘Homework’ is still my absolute favourite album to date. I really love disco and house, so that style is really something for me.

I have not followed the second wave of French fuzzy house stuff that became really big the last few years with Justice, Kavinsky etc. I think it’s a different sound and its usually a bit harsh and pushy for my taste.

How did you hook up with the Dutch crew and labels like Remote Area etc?

I met Dylan (2000 and one) and Shinedoe at Dance Valley festival around the time when Dylan decided to re-launch the 100% Pure label and get back to producing, I think it was 2004 or 2005. We got along instantly. He had heard some music I was producing with Le Clic at the time and asked me to send him some tracks for a new label he wanted to launch in the coming months called Remote Area. I was already working for years as a sound engineer in a club at the time where guys like David Labeij and Lauhaus also worked. We all knew each other for years before anyone started releasing records. David was the first one of the bunch who was really into minimal sounds, micro house and the whole new wave of music coming from Germany and so he kind of introduced us to it and we took it from there. We all went on to make the music we make now and are still a big influence for each other.

You’re playing 2 sets for Ketoloco - what can people expect from you?

Partytime! Partytime! Partytime!

What else are you working on in 2010?

A new EP for Remote Area is coming out this week, and I am now busy with a couple of remixes. I decided to limit the number of remixes I make this year as it takes me a lot of time and its often more fun to work on original tracks. I will hopefully release 1 or 2 more EPs this year and focus more on a side project I’m busy with at the moment.

I've made a few bootlegs and edits the last few months that are quite big on dancefloors and with the DJs I send them to so I thought of pushing that further and maybe playing with these ideas live as well. It's all work in progress so I don't want to talk about it too much.

The guys from Ketoloco started calling me “Chapsy” last year, and I've used that name for the project ;-)