INTERVIEW, NEW MUSICMathias Pageaulofi, lo-fi, lofi house, 2021, interview, eloi, gear

INTERVIEW: Eloi

INTERVIEW, NEW MUSICMathias Pageaulofi, lo-fi, lofi house, 2021, interview, eloi, gear
INTERVIEW: Eloi

Eloi is a busy guy, yet, between working on his Ph.D. thesis and climbing around his city of Paris, he still found the time to produce Airport Blue EP. This delightful album - out now on Everybody In - draws on deep house and left-field influences, but cultivates an aesthetic of its own, mixing undeniable groove and emotional melodies, making Eloi one of those exciting new voices in electronic music right now. We had a chat with Eloi to discuss his new release, his creative habits, and the art of synth domestication.

 
 

Hi Eloi! Can you start by telling us a little bit about your background as an artist? Where are you from?

Hi! I'm from Paris, this city is really inspiring, especially at night where you can find some secret spots. Also, I climb regularly in the Fontainebleau forest, this place is really magical and it's a breath of fresh air for me. I'm getting addicted to it. When I'm back, the following day, I'm ready to make music all day long.

 

I’m curious to know how you start making electronic music? And why did you choose this genre to express yourself?

When I was younger, I was trying to make stuff out of GarageBand and my guitar, so I think I always wanted to produce something that was mine, even using some basic tools like GarageBand.

Then I started making electronic music about 8-9 years ago. I started with Reason, then my cousin introduced me to Ableton, thanks to him. It took me a few hours to figure out how to get a single sound out of it, but I guess everything goes in its time. 

What fascinates me with electronic music is that you can explore a wide range of emotions and styles, even with a single EP. There are so many things to do, so many different textures to get, even a typical house beat can be cooked in so many different ways, and I'm always thrilled to discover one.

 
 

What can you tell us about the circumstances surrounding your new album, Airport Blue EP. What sparked your inspiration?

At that time, I was in Paris working on my Ph.D. thesis. When I started the tracks, I had been talking with Everybody In (my label) for a while and I knew I wanted to do something in their style like Deep % and I've Been There Before : deep tracks with simple arrangements.

Then, with summer coming up, I came up with 2 groovy tracks : Airport Blue and Synthé et Amour. Finally, when listening to some old unreleased stuff, I fell in love with an untitled track that was definitely fitting the EP, so I named it 2016 to remember the good old days, and that was it.

 

Tracks like Synthé et Amour and Deep % strike the perfect balance between lo-fi and a well-defined sound. Can you talk to us about your sound? How did you achieve this particular vibe?

I'm really happy that it caught your attention because I've been particularly working on this aspect! I've been using some guitar pedals on my synths and drums. I think it gives a more personal sound than using "in the box" effects, and it's so fun.

For the mastering, I used my father's tape recorder that he found in a flea market: it takes some time to find the good settings and to record without problems, but daamn it gives a great result! You can hear some delightful crisps!

 
 

Were there instruments or production tools that inspired you while you were making Airport Blue? Whether it's hardware or plugins, tell us why you love them and how did they shape your sound?

I've got a few synths that I use for most of my tracks, like the Blofeld that feels great to make old-school numeric pads, I love it. There is also the MS-20 mini, my first synth, that I love mostly for basses. You can hear those two in duo in 2016.

Also, I recently got the JU-06 and I'm starting to really like it, particularly the sequencer, it's so simple but yet so fun to use. It's the arp that we hear in I've Been There Before. 

Finally, as I said before, I used my guitar pedals a lot: the basses of Airport Blue and Synthé et Amour are getting through one for instance. I'm sure you can get similar results with plugins, but it's so pleasing to tweak knobs, give surnames to your synths and spend a lot of time domesticating them.

 

As the world opens back up, do you see yourself Dj-ing in clubs, or do you prefer to create music in the studio?

Maybe later I would try to mix, it sounds fun, but for now, with the time I have, I prefer to focus on creating music, one thing at a time. I'm currently doing a thesis and climbing a lot, so the time I have left is to produce and play with the synths ;) 

I finally spend little time actually listening to music, and it's not only electronic music. I dig a bit on youtube but that's it. 

 
 

Were there any musicians that inspired you while you were making the EP? Or is there any music you've discovered recently that inspires you?

I listen to various stuff and pick my inspiration everywhere, so it's really hard to tell. I can think of classic stuff like Paul Johnson, Chez Damier, Herbert, Andrés: great tracks, so old-school, simple and efficient, I would love to get to that level one day. 

More recently there is also Felipe Gordon that I really like, and of course Four Tet, the very best. I also love film soundtracks, it really inspires me a lot, for instance, Angelo Badalamenti or the Akira soundtrack have been a slap in the face for me.

 

What's coming up for Eloi? What can we expect from your project in the future?

Well, in November I'm doing a 2-tracks self-release entitled The Four Lines of Desire. I am very happy because I am going to be premiered by great youtube channels that have been a goal for me for a long time, I'm sure you'll like it!

We also plan a vinyl issue of my EP "Soudain Seul" with the label "Ltd, W/Lbl". First time on vinyl for me so I'm really psyched! And now I got myself a new drum machine to take care of, and it's a lot of fun!

Cheers from Paris.

 

Airport Blue Ep out now via Everybody In.