MOULLINEX(Interview)

He is the rising star of nu disco scene with his debut album “Flora” which has been released end of the October on Gomma Records and for us, it is one of the greatest nu disco albums of 2012. Certainly we are talking about Lisbon/Munich based Dj/Producer Luis Clara Gomes a.k.a. Moullinex.

Moullinex who has made many remixes for such musicians and bands as Cut Copy, Sebastian Tellier, Voltaire Twins, Kamp!, Drop Out Orchestra and many more in his discography and produced one of the best nu disco tracks of 2012 “Darkest Night” to us; finally released a remix of Russian duo Sohight & Cheevy and “Flora Club Versions” on November on Gomma Records.

As Bim De La Disco, we have spoken with the shining star of disco scene via internet before his upcoming show on this Friday(28/12) at the unique club 1888 İzmir to discuss his debut album “Flora” his label “Discotexas” and lots of other stuff.

Remember 2010; the amazing previous show of Moullinex at 1888 and now he is coming again with his tropic vibes; don’t miss him!

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O; Ekim ayının sonunda Gomma Records etikietiyle yayımlanan ilk albümü “Flora” ile bizim için nu disco sahnesinin yükselen yıldızı ve kanımızca “Flora” 2012 yılının nu disco tarzında en iyi albümlerinden biri. Şüphesiz Lizbon/Münih menşeli Dj/Prodüktör Luis Clara Gomes’ ten yani bilinen adıyla Moullinex’ ten bahsediyoruz.

Remixlediği müzisyen ve gruplar arasında Cut Copy, Sebastian Tellier, Voltaire Twins, Kamp!, Drop Out Orchestra ve bunun gibi birçok isim bulunan ve 2012 yılının kanımızca en iyi nu disco şarkılarından birini “Darkest Night” yapan Moullinex; son olarak Rus Sohight & Cheevy ikilisini remixleyip Kasım ayında da “Flora Club Versions”’ ı yayımladı.Bim De La Disco olarak, disco sahnesinin parlayan yıldızıyla bu Cuma(28/12) İzmir’ in eşsiz kulübü 1888’ de gerçekleşecek olan performansı öncesi ilk albümü “Flora”, plak şirketi “Discotexas” ve birçok konu hakkında internet aracılığıyla konuştuk.

2010 yılını hatırlayın; Moullinex’ in 1888’ deki inanılmaz performansını ve şimdi Moullinex tropik titresimleriyle tekrar geliyor, sakın kaçırmayın!

1- Your debut album “Flora” just released on Gomma Records, I wonder how long it takes to create a superb album “Flora” which combines the past and the future and also manages to be contemporary at the same time?

Thanks for the compliment! It took me around 2-3 years (not working fully on it but quite a lot of back and forth to start with around 30 tracks and finish with 14...)

2- Flora includes retro vibes, 80s disco sounds, soulful funky melodies, many great vocalists like Iwona, Da Chick, Peaches and feels like hopeful sunny afternoons, and it’s the formula of being happy when you are disappointed about daily life, politics and anything..  How do you describe your album and what’s your  favorite track of the album?

 That's a good description there ! I see it as a natural response to what I was exposed to in music and in my life, something that grew organically, without a solid concept but with "natural" evolution... These are songs, there is no big conceptual background to them but I hope they share affinities between themselves... My favorite has to be the title track Flora, as I see it as a combination of everything my music is.

3- You worked with Peaches on Casablanca Reworks covering of Michael  Sembello’ s synthpop classic “Maniac” and the song was played by many mainstream radio stations here; how does it feel working with Peaches?

Awesome, she's a legend and it was a real pleasure to work with someone like her: surprisingly simple and super talented at the same time.

4- “Take My Pain Away” is one of the strongest tracks and first single of the album; and it has four remixers Gigamesh, Rory Phillips, Dj Steef and Strip Steve. To be honest which remix version do you prefer and will there be more official remixes about the album?

I can't pick a favorite! Gigamesh's is more song-oriented, Rory's is simplifying something complex which is an achievment, Strip Steve's and DJ Steef's are classic and classy, I really like them all. There will be more singles - Flora Club Versions are just out and the next single is Darkest Night. 

5- It seems that you are the shining star of disco scene with your debut album Flora right now and your label DiscoTexas is the pioneer of the scene including artists like with your work partner Bruno Cardoso a.k.a. Xinobi, Social Disco Club, Philosophy of Sound, Justin Faust, Kamp!, Mirror People and one of my favorite producers  Zimmer; what is your next level musically? What do you think about scene in Lisbon and in generally?

Hopefully the whole label can grow from this - I think all of our artists' music is very honest and we're all hard working - everywhere I play there are people that are paying attention to what we do and that's really rewarding. Lisbon is difficult at the moment as we're living a political crisis, most kids our age are unemployed or under-employed, so they're not going out as much, but on the other hand they are creating more, so it's a double-edged sword for music.

6- Where do you feel at home, Lisbon or Munich; and what is your favorite club Sporting, Benfica or Bayern, 1860? How do you spent your time one day in casual life?

Benfica + 1860. They're the people's clubs, man! But I don't really follow football (HERETIC!). I'm more at home in Lisbon but I love to get out of it every now and then! I leave in a pretty old school neighborhood - you can see the river, go to a few gardens and it's full of old ladies, bakeries, barbershops.. it's not fashionable at all so no designer stores or "creative cafes" - and I'm glad it stays like this!

7- Do you remember when and how you decided to make music and what are your biggest influences?

I didn't really decide at a specific point... I've always been surrounded by music while growing up. Definitely messing with the computer, cassette recorders and an acoustic guitar is how i started. Going to shows like Air, Goldfrapp, LCD Soundsystem made me think "this is what I wanna do". 

8- Which 5 tracks are the favorites for you right now and tell us your favorite producers?

So many! All time favorites are Nile Rodgers + Bernard Edwards.. Quincy Jones. Of today I admire Aeroplane. Maceo Plex, Julio Bashmore. Xinobi. Siriusmo. So many...

9- While had last contacted, you had just released a remix of electro funk producer Sohigt and singer Cheevy' s Travel Anthem, firstly congratulations it is a nice disco funk track including tropic drums and vocals sound more distortion and deeper.. Now you are touring Australia. How was the crowd, how do you compare it with Europe? Where are your favorite places to play?

The crowd is great in Aussie! They love things with strong melody and harmony which is where I feel most at home... But there's this crowd everywhere else, just not in the same quantity!

10- What’ s your favorite drink and  what is the meaning of pineapple for you?

My favorite drink is actually a fruit juice, Açaí from Brazil. But it's like a full meal!! 

11- Two years ago, your previous gig in 1888 İzmir was one of the best dancing nights for us and you’ll visit us again to burn the dancefloor… Do you remember that previous night and now what should we expect from the next gig. Please also recommend us what we should drink together with your sound wave?

Yes, it was a beautiful night. The 1888 people treated me very, very well and I can't wait to return. Izmir is a lovely city. For the coming show you can expect good music, music you can dance to. Drink a couple of vodkas and bring dancing shoes!!

RORY PHILLIPS(Interview)

Let's Get Rory...

Bir DJ düşünün ki; aralarında The Rapture, Scissor Sisters, Bloc Party, The Klaxons, LCD Soundsystem, Yeah Yeah Yeahs' ın da bulunduğu birçok ünlü grubu henüz daha adları pek bilinmiyor ve ana akım olmamışken sahnesinde ağırlamış, tanıtmış ve Londra gece hayatına yön vermiş bir kulüpte; her hafta Pazartesi günleri postpunk, nu wave, indie, electronica tadında taze müzikleriyle ortalığı ateşe vermeye hazırlayıp sahne alsın. Kimden mi bahsediyoruz ? Elbette Erol Alkan'ın efsanevi kulübü Trash' in The End' e taşınmasıyla birlikte bu kulüpte ev sahibi olarak sahne almaya başlayan efsanevi Dj Rory Phillips'ten.

Külliyatında Of Montreal, The XX, Franz Ferdinand, Gossip, Chromeo, Yacht, Digitalism, Soulwax, Riton, Pollyester, Munk, Crystal Castles ve daha nice isme yaptığı remixleri de bulunduran Rory Phillips; 2009 yılında In Flagranti öncülüğünde Codek Recordings' in Electric Fling serisiyle kendine ait ilk şarkı olan Solar Breakfast' ı yayımladı. 2010 yılında Remixes Volume #1 adında aralarında Units' in bir remixinin de bulunduğu 4 şarkılık bir mini albüm yayımlayan Rory Phillips; 2012 yılında ise yayımladığı Mix Fortunes #1, #2 ve #3 serisiyle atağa kalktı.

Bim De La Disco olarak Londra gece hayatının altın isimlerinden Rory Phillips ile önümüzdeki Cuma(16/11) İzmir' in gece hayatına yön veren ve marka haline gelmiş efsanevi kulübü 1888'de gerçekleşecek olan performansı öncesi  internet aracılığıyla konuştuk.

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Imagine a DJ who takes the stage every Monday with fresh music ranging from postpunk to nuwave, indie and electronica , while preparing to set the place on fire at a club that leads the London nightlife which has hosted and introduced many famous bands including The Rapture, Scissor Sisters, Bloc Party, The Klaxons, LCD Soundsystem, Yeah Yeah Yeahs at its stage before they made a name for themselves and became mainstream. Who are we talking about?  Of course we are talking about the legendary Rory Phillips; who has joined and became a resident Erol Alkan's legendary club Trash when the club moved to The End. 

Rory Phillips who has many remixes of such names as Of Montreal, The XX, Franz Ferdinand, Gossip, Chromeo, Yacht, Digitalism, Soulwax, Riton, Pollyester, Munk, Crystal Castles and many more on his discography; released his first track “Solar Breakfast” from Codek Recordings Electric Fling series led by  “In Flagranti” in 2009. In 2010 he released Remixes Volume#1 4 track Ep including a remix of Units and in 2012 he goes an attack with his Mix Fortunes series #1, #2 ve #3 releases.

As Bim De La Disco, we have spoken with one of the golden names of London night life Rory Phillips via internet before his upcoming show on Friday(16/11) at the legendary club 1888; which has become a trademark and  pioneer of night life in İzmir.

1- You introduced your name as a warm-up dj at Trash, what’s the story about meeting with Erol Alkan and starting to play at Trash? It’s very hard to succeed filling a club on monday nights; how did you do that at Trash?

We met socially and just ended up swapping a lot of music so he asked me to come play at Trash when it moved to a two room club. The good thing about doing a club on a Monday is that those who came were there because they really wanted to be.

2- At first Trash and then Durrr; you have generated your own style to make people start dancing as a resident dj, i mean that you gathered different genres of music especially old stuff to new wave, post punk, indie, disco… Isn’ t it difficult to play different kinds of music in a unity? Can you tell us an unforgettable memory at those two clubs and how was the closing night of Trash after ten years?

It's not difficult if you try and find the threads that link them all, although contrast can be exciting too. There were too many unforgettable nights, a favourite is when The Coachwhips came down the stairs with all their gear after their show across town, set up in a corner and played a surprise show. The last night at Trash was an ecstatic blur. Queue that wrapped around the venue and lots of love and dancing inside.

3- You are one of the iconic names of night life in London and now you organise Say Yes parties on Saturday nights, what’s the musical diffrence between your past time, is it more nu-disco genre and how do you describe your music?
Say Yes is a night I do sporadically with Nadia Ksaiba, who is one half of G&S, it's definitely a more straightforward disco bent but mainly gems from the past rather than the new sound. It's walking distance from my house so one of the few parties I get to play vinyl at these days.

4- Telephone headphones are your trademark while you are playing? How did you find this creative idea?
I'm not the first, the first DJ I ever saw had one and I bought mine from a flea market, originally to use as a microphone but then ended up using it to DJ, ever since my first set 15 years ago.

5- In the begining  you released many remixes of talented musicians and bands like Of Montreal, Chromeo, Scissor Sisters, Gossip, The XX, Riton, White Lies and many more… How do you decide to remix a song, who offers to remix? It is hard to choose but my favorites are The Units’s synthpunk bomb High Pressure Days and Alexandar Robotnick’s Obssesion For The Disco Freaks… I know it is a hard question but which remix is your favorite and why?
Usually a label or artist will approach me but sometimes I will just ask to do it if I hear something in the song. My favourite is the one I did for Henry Riton's Eine Kleine Nachtmusik project. Krautrock and disco, what's not to like?

6- Eine Kleine Nachtmusik remix is really dope, full of drum kicks and energetic until the end. In 2009 you released your orginal song Solar Breakfast first and your original works come after that Mixed Fortunes #1(Chamber Music, Factor 50), Mixed Fortune#2(Cosmic Fluff,Mover) and finally on October you released Mixed Fortunes#3 including funky disco song “Don’t Stop” in a collaboration with Martin Dubka and a nice downtempo nu-disco song “E-Bow”; what is next level for you musically, do you think about releasing an album?

I'm continuing the Mixed Fortunes series, which will be 6 12"s. That's the closest thing I'll do to an album, but you can put them together in iTunes and it will make one right?

7- Sure, your discography is full of works 3 album length. I’ve read these words “ I've always imagined I'd die by driving into the back of a truck while trying to read the name on a cassette and people would say, 'He would have wanted to go that way.' Well, I want them to know that I wouldn't." of the legend John Peel. What he means for you and please tell us your biggest influences?

John Peel is my number one influence. He was everything a DJ should be.

8- Please recommend us any new albums to listen on a road trip or chillin at home? By the way what’ s your top 5 tracks playing at your gigs right now?

I am listening to Melody's Echo Chamber at home right now which is great. Top 5? Come to the gig and find out!

9- I know that it’s your first time for a show in İzmir 1888 and also in Turkey? It’s a unique club which is full of passionate frequenters and if you wanna get drunk before smashing the dancefloor they have also very delicious cocktails and you can hang out at the garden… We are looking forward you to make us disco freaks, what should we expect and what do you expect from us?
My first time in Turkey as both a visitor and a DJ. I'm expecting the warmth of character and good food I get from my Turkish neighbours here in London and you should expect to dance until the floor breaks.