Hi Swann!  A very warm NYC welcome to We Own The Nite!

Hi guys, it’s a pleasure to chat with you!

How are you?

I’m fine thank you.

Where in the world are you right now and what’s life like there?

I am currently back home in Paris. Life there is quite hard, I must admit, there are fewer freedoms than when I was in the south of France in the countryside. Here you have to print an authorization to leave your house, even just to go food shopping or to the gym, it’s nuts!

As an artist, how would you best describe your sound for those that may not be familiar?

My current sound is very organic. I use a lot of sounds that I recorded myself outside of my studio. Whether it is in nature with birds, insects, percussions with wood or in a city. I try to record moods, ambiances in particular places or people talking. It’s super fun to do! Then there’s a lot of editing and sound design work in the studio. 

It’s hard to describe yourself, so I’ll use this sentence that a press officer once wrote about my sound: “A unique groove that amazes and transports you on a psychedelic voyage.” I like that.

Who were your biggest musical inspirations growing up and how did you get into electronic music in the first instance?

I have to say that at the beginning I was very minimal-techno and tech-house oriented. My greatest inspirations at the time (back 8 years) were Dubfire and Richie Hawtin who played many of my old tracks. 

I came to electronic music a bit by chance. As a teenager, I used to cycle at a pretty good level, then I got an injury due to several falls during competition, so I had to stop this sport that I loved, my dream had to to become a professional rider. 

So I turned to music, I started a mixing school in order to become a DJ, then the taste for production came afterwardswhere I studied further to specialise.

What would you like to achieve with your music? What does success look like to you?

My goal is that the music I compose will be listened to and loved all over the world, little by little my community will grow and I want people to travel through my sets and productions to forget their personal problems, to let it become an experience, the joy of laughter and tears. I would love for it to be some kind of therapy. My new agent Jori (for North America) calls my music therapeutic, that’s cool! 🙂

I would say that success is a misunderstanding, there are so many parameters that come into account, it is difficult to describe…

What does your software/hardware setup consist of?

My studio setup is quite minimalist. I use a RME Fireface 800 sound card, 2 Focal Solo 6 Be Red monitors, a Mac Book Pro 15, an Ultrasone Pro 900 mixing headset and the Komplete 13 suite as well as some plug-ins like the Fabfilter, the Diva or the Soundtoys. 

All this setup is based on the acoustics of what I feel is perfect for me. I also know very well all the tools I use, this is very important.

To record outside I use a Zoom H4N microphone. 

For my live setup, I use a Xone 92 from Allen & Heath, 2 Traktor X1 from Native Instruments, an Audio 10 sound card, Oyaide cables, Seinheiser HD25 headphones and Traktor software. It’s a configuration I’m very comfortable with and that inspires me. 

If you could take the stage at any location around the world, where would it be and why?

Wow, difficult question, probably in a breathtaking place in nature. I’m thinking of South America, but it could be on another continent. That leaves the imagination free. An imaginary paradise!

Tell us about your record label, Curiosity Music…Out of curiosity, is there a story behind the name? 😉

Yes, Curiosity Music is the first brand I created. Being very curious myself, I quickly thought of the name, which was an obvious choice. The name wasn’t used, so I then worked with my team to roll out the ideas through a label project.

You’ve just dropped a 4-track EP from INKKØ. Can you tell us a bit more about the release and how you found such an amazing talent?

Yes, the official release is scheduled for 18 December on all platforms, but it was released exclusively on Beatport on December 4. Inkkø is a young talent from Bordeaux that we discovered during a masterclass we gave at the DJ Art School of Bordeaux one year ago. A few months after this masterclass he sent us a 3 tracks EP that we loved! There is something unique in his sound.

To finalize this EP the French producer Babylene did a breathtaking interpretation of “Fall”. I’m also happy to sign the first woman on the label, it’s been close to my heart for a long time to finally have a woman on board. 

I invite you to discover it! 🙂

Which other artists on the label should we be looking out for?

The programme for 2021 is almost full in releases. There’s really great music coming up! 😉

Keep an eye on these talents: Holly North, Damien Fisher, HC Kurtz and T O C H E.

We’ve read that you also run a festival in the Caribbean? Can you tell us more about that?

I co-founded L’Amour à la plage with Solène and Diego. It’s an electronic music festival based on wellness and artistic activities at the beach club Ti Sable in Martinique. We had 3 sold out editions in Martinique and were invited last March by the SXM Festival where we had the opportunity of managing our own stage. It was great!

I manage the artistic direction of the project, so I can make sure the line-up is coherent and planned according to schedules but also the atmosphere of the moment. I try to invite as many friends as possible. <3

Notes: L’Amour à la Plage is an ephemeral moment where people gather to celebrate life, connected through music, art, games, good food and above all freedom, in breathtaking places. Our aim is to create emotional, spiritual and refreshing experiences to let you go back home full of love, joy, peace and beautiful memories. L’Amour à la Plage also stands for tolerance and inclusivity, so just come as you are!

What is the first thing that you would do if the news one day announced: “It’s official, the pandemic is over”?

Meet my friends in a good restaurant, and then go out to party all together! 

Thank you for your time, Swann! Finally, what is your biggest hope for 2021?

Thanks guys, it was great chatting with you! Hope to see you soon in NYC.

I hope that this pandemic will be over very soon and that we can work again. The entertainment business and all its workers have been very much affected by this crisis. Let’s stay positive and optimistic! 🙂