Artist Profile – L0G1N – (France)
L0G1N, the DNB producer with possibly the trickiest name to type into a keyboard, has been into music and making music his whole life. From playing both drums and bass guitar in various bands and creating drum and bass soundscapes since the late 1990’s, he has released on labels like Defkon1, Impact and Dutty Audio to name but a few, and this week sees a track of his feature on the highly successful ‘Head Nodders’ series on Grid Recordings, now on it’s eleventh outing.
Living and working as a teacher in Survilliers, France, we decided it was about time we found out his story.
L0G1N, welcome in!
Thank you very much for having me in here, it’s an honour, that’s my first artist interview ever.
Ah, no worries, man. Good to have you here 😊 So, you’re a teacher at a pre-school IRL. That’s quite a contrast to sitting in a studio making DNB bangers! What do your pupils and colleagues think of your life outside of education?
Honestly, my colleagues are thrilled and full of expectation, ask me for my alias, and follow me on socials and/or Spotify. Then I don’t hear about it, ever, ha-ha! I think DNB has a strong history, and is a very solid genre, because it’s been here for decades, but it’s always been a niche. As a result, it’s rare to find people who understand the gist of it. When you evolve with producers and labels you easily forget how weird this music is. So now, I brag about signing contracts just for the laughs, but I understand they’re neither interested nor concerned about what I’m doing. I still have hope I can work with a fellow bass head someday…
My pupils are a different story since they’re 4 years old. I don’t necessarily make them listen to some L0G1N, but every now and then I like to put some music when they’re engaged in activities, it also helps me being patient with them – Yellowman is the best music I found to take it easy with kids. So when the work is finished, they ask me for some more music and I like to blast some DNB in the classroom, it feels out of place and seditious a bit, and the kids, mate, you should see them bouncing all around. They don’t have social filters so they’re able to enjoy anything and they surely know instinctively what raving is all about!
I can relate to that. I also work in education (albeit much older learners) and DNB in the zone definitely gets things pumping! This is a state school then, or privately financed?
This is a state school, I am a genuine government official, having passed a competition to obtain my certificate.
And what subject is it that you teach?
I understand that a lot of foreign countries are not familiar with school at those ages (3 to 5). I was told that in the UK you call it pre-school. Now in France it’s a school, it’s called “école maternelle”. So, working with kids at that age (4) makes me teach almost everything, from closing your coat yourself, to properly clearing your nose in a tissue (lots of kids inhale instead of exhaling, that’s tricky, no joke!), not poking the eye of your neighbour, but I also teach rudiments in arithmetic, geography, literature, etc. Basically, we try to teach the basic notions that kids will need in elementary school. I work in a poor neighbourhood, and I have a lot of pupils with French as a second language, so I get to know a bit of Turkish, Urdu, Bambara, Soninke, Romanian, etc.
A quick Google search has informed us that Survilliers is a commune. What exactly does that mean? I think in the UK we would call that a borough?
A Commune is basically a re-grouping of towns, so administratively it’s what you call a borough. But there’s been a semantic shift and now commune is just a smart word to say town.
Interesting! We’re keen to learn, how did DNB travel through France in it’s early staged as you recall? I remember seeing a flyer for a huge French rave called Galactica way back in 1992, but other than that don’t have a whole lot of knowledge on how the music filtered through. France has generally been a house and techno nation, right?
Oh yes, French techno WAS REAL!
You had to dig and/or meet the right peeps back then. In 1992 I was 12 and listened to a lot of US hip hop and metal music. I’m the nu metal/fusion generation (and I don’t regret that, even if slightly ashamed at the nu metal part haha!). But I had the chance to meet a good friend in 1997 who was into DNB, so we would scour the music shops and occasionally he would travel to London and bring back some jungle, Moving Shadow DJ sets, Dillinja and True Playaz compilations on CD.
A lot of DNB inspired music in France was related to the rave scene, which was hardcore/hardtek, so you didn’t find that particular skanking groove or soulful, Jamaican vibe in the national production overall. You had to dig and find imports and the only place where I commonly heard that type of music was in the reggae/ragga shops and festivals. Besides, it wasn’t as easy to share content back then, so it was slow and the market was dominated by US production.
This changed a lot in the late 2000s to early 2010s and modern-day-Noisia-like neurofunk was like a tsunami (not saying here that neurofunk is specifically a US genre, but it certainly clicked with the American audience more than let’s say the Bristol Vibe), and was much more embraced by the following generation, just as brostep instead of early dubstep. It’s strange, the cultural exchanges with the UK culture are kinda elite here. Mainstream comes mainly from the US. It would have made sense it was the opposite due to the regional proximity (I lived in Normandy back then) but it’s not.
It’s a shame really because I for one really think that you people (The British) have a fucking good taste in music (Jamiroquai, Brand New Heavies, Omar, Jordan Rakei… UK soul is particularly delicious). And the history of your cultural blending has borne many beautiful fruits. I remember bringing home Photek’s Modus Operandi from the store and just being blasted away by the alien-ness of the music I was listening to. To this day I haven’t found a younger DNB fan that wasn’t blown away by this artist when I pointed them in that direction.
Oh yeah, that is one heck of an LP. I still have it. You started to create DNB around the end of the last millennium then, around 1999. What prompted you to ‘turn’ digital’ after so many years of playing live instruments?
I started to create some sort of jungle/DNB back then, with the same friend that brought me to love electronic music. He had some gear (a Novation synth, Groovebox, and a sampler) and we proceeded to record onto tape. By that time, I also had learnt to play drums, and was banging those in various non serious rock bands. Then life happened and we parted, and I don’t even know that guy anymore (I haven’t found him on Facebook but would love to hear from him, but I think he maybe isn’t the social media type).
So, then I was on my own, and the only thing I could do was playing the drums (I didn’t even own my kit at first) so I enrolled in a municipal jazz big band and various reggae and rock bands at University. I found work and then finally succeeded in passing the competition to become a teacher, so that took me a bit of focus and time. Then I found some free time and I played in a hip hop band called ‘Kiddam and the People’, and we toured for a bit. After that though I was through with bands. There always was something wrong and we couldn’t work to the fullest potential, and it was very frustrating, plus I had become a father, which for me was very time consuming.
I realized I could try to work on my own and carve my own artistic identity out of thin air. The upside of it was there no one to blame but me for my failures, so I obtained a copy of Ableton Live and made the worst music ever with it. I remember playing with Reason and Fruity loops when I was first able to buy myself a computer during Uni, and it was very fun. The downside of it was that trying to be serious with Ableton was not. It took me a lot of work and learning to catch up with the culture.
Recently I learnt to play bass, and I find it a very cool addition to the drums, plus now I am able to crack my best dad joke to whoever wants to hear it: “I am a Drum and Bass player!”
Ha! Good one! (but don’t give up your day job!) Maybe you could lay down the steps from those first attempts to having your music released, for those who might not be aware?
I started by building a personal website, which would also have been a good idea a decade earlier!
I just created a Soundcloud account and made music, which I self-released. Then I made some acquaintances in the Paris DNB scene who helped me push my work a bit and get me some audience, which in turn helped me gain some self-confidence. I tried various remix competitions and had the chance to win one organized by the almighty BTK. So that was it. I was published and I signed a contract.
I gotta say, I cannot be thankful enough for what BTK has done for me, because when I listen to it, the funk is there, but the track is guilty of my own dreaded grandiloquence. The best part of the track is when my bass sound design shuts the fuck up and there’s just the wah-wah guitar and the sub. So anyway, he liked it, and he also helped me by publishing my first LP – Astray, which was again a bit pompous in my opinion. Anyway, I’m very self-critical, but very grateful Vini enjoyed my music and released it.
In the meantime, I was considering a self-release, and made two self-released EPs, just to test the waters, but promotion was a nightmare, and having discussed a lot with friends on Discord servers about paying for promo on social media, it made me realize it would be much more work than I previously thought. I released two of them though and you can find them on all platforms. My favourite is Monolith. I had no sub on my monitors back then, so I did all the bass mixing with Voxengo Span.
Then I met Jean at an Impact Music anniversary rave, where I was playing and we talked about releasing something, and it happened.
The funny things is, Jean is very picky when it comes to music. He really has to feel it, so some of the tracks I made specifically for that occasion ended up being chosen by Lee (Twisted Individual) from Grid and I gotta say, Grid Recordings is the best thing that has happened to me for numerous reasons: exposure, emulation, spirit, no-bullshit, if you want to work there’s always some work, etc. That’s a very inspiring environment musically. And so that was it! my first Grid EP!!!
I’ve never met Lee, but I work with his partner Laura through this site, and I have to say she is the same. I’ve had no end of support from her. She’s been brilliant in helping me slowly build a brand.
You mentioned that you are a Linux user and that you have chosen Bitwig as your preferred DAW. Tell us a bit about this then and how it influences your workflow?
First of all, I’m a Linux user because I got tired of Windows. It’s not that Linux breaks less than Windows, but you can fix it, and it’s also a very modular environment for creation. The community is amazing and the tools you can find outmatch everything Windows related by far, both in quality and quantity.
Right now, I’m using Manjaro, and everything worked out of the box, plus I got the rolling releases. And Bitwig? I don’t want to advertise or anything, but if you’re just starting music and don’t click with Ableton, just try Bitwig, it’s a fantastic piece of software for music creation. They got all those cool features such as the Grid (modular synthesis environment) and some really nice modulators. Also, Bitwig, if you read this MSEG WHEN ? (lol) But for me Bitwig was simply an aesthetic choice at first. In Ableton everything is so flat it just doesn’t work for me. I can’t lay my eyes anywhere without feeling lost. So yeah, Bitwig, Linux, exciting things, just try it 🙂
This is interesting, because we’ve just interviewed Mystific from Brazil who prefers the visual element of Ableton more. It’s fascinating the way the brain relates to these things differently.
This leads us nicely into your relationship with Grid and the track we’re premiering today. That label has an excellent support network for their artists and we often see producers releasing again and again on the label, many of them young and at the start of their careers in music. It’s one of the reasons we are so pleased to support them.
Yeah, like I mentioned before, Grid Recordings is the best thing that happened to me so far.
You can’t mention Grid without mentioning Lee. That guy is the epitome of the no-bullshit business. First of all, he’s very kind, and cares about the artists, but also has a very strong sense of direction for his label. He’s not into aesthetic considerations or anything like that – proof of that is he accepted my music haha! – but seriously though, he always has something for you, and the output of the label in terms of sheer volume is impressive. So, like I said, if you want some work, there’s always something to do, whether it be remixes, compilations, you name it, Lee’s got it.
The environment is very friendly, and even if I don’t know the artists personally, I’ve made a few remixes and collabs so far and it was easy as a Sunday morning. Lee eased the process a lot by connecting me with the artists, and I sensed that everyone had the same state of mind. Keeping the output and dropping some heat.
So, I wouldn’t go as far as saying that Grid is family, but Grid is certainly a very easy and friendly label.
And like I said, the exposition is phenomenal. Now don’t get me wrong I like myself a good YouTube promo channel, but with Grid, you got plays from legends like Tyke and that’s very rewarding for the ego. And what’s rewarding for the ego is also good for self-confidence, which in turn helps silence my impostor syndrome a bit and helps me create music more easily.
So yeah, Grid is an amazing label as an artist, I hope it’s also an amazing label for the listeners.
You also DJ from time to time. Is this something you would like to do more of in the future?
My answer for this will be short. People really love to have a face associated with music; without DJing I don’t know if I can make the name L0G1N one to be accounted for in DNB. So, I’m considering finding an agent who could help me take my career to another level. I don’t really like being in the spotlight, I’m more at ease in front of my monitors, thinking, planning and making tracks happen, but I’m willing to give it a try at least. I’m 42 years old, and as you get older, you kinda get a glimpse of your future regrets.
Away from music you have a family too. How do you find timetabling in your music production?
You should ask the girls… I gotta say getting a Nintendo Switch for my daughter helped a lot – (insert bad father’s guilt here!). Anyway, apart from work, helping the kid with homework, cooking, cleaning the house and running errands, I’m pretty much in front of my computer making music. I occasionally go visit some friends, and sometimes a concert or a rave, but I’m rather solitary and introverted, so making music isn’t a problem.
The problem is more that of the moral cost of making music. People would tend to think it’s all fun and games, but there’s work involved and for me also a lot of frustration, and that is a hard thing to deal with when back to my “regular” life.
And you are also a food lover. France is known the world over for its culinary history. Is it mostly French food you like and enjoy cooking? Winter is coming, so we’re picturing lots of delicious stews and comfort food!
You know what? for me the best comfort food would be ramen ha-ha. I love to cook foreign cuisine like curries, ramen, thai wok, chicken mafe… French cuisine certainly has a lot of emblematic and succulent meals – I can cook a decent Bouillabaisse – but I wouldn’t think of France as the gastronomic center of the Universe lol. In fact, I really think that the romance pictures foreigners (especially Japanese) have of France are completely idealistic. Like the best meals I had were in a street food stall in London and a Vietnamese restaurant in Berlin (Damn you Hollywood, you lied to me!!! – Ed)
But we gotta give credit where credit is due, like you said, winter is coming, and I know the soups and stews I’m gonna cook are gonna be treated with respect and be full of delicious vegetables. So, yeah, it’s in the culture, we can find some really high-grade vegetables here and I don’t know if that would be the case in let’s say the US for example. But what’s in the culture is more than just French cuisine. We have had a strong (although sinister) tie with Maghreb and West Africa and I am more than happy that the multi-cultural aspect of our society brought me to enjoy foreign cuisine as well as many other values. Cooking is an adventure, and it’s also a very good outlet for creativity.
I don’t pity people that don’t enjoy cooking, whatever floats you boat, but a good meal enjoyed in good company at the end of the day certainly helps setting things straight.
To close then what do we have to look forward to from L0G1N for what remains of 2022 and into 2023?
Well, there’s the Head Nodder’s track that’s out, it’s a grimey piece of minimal/textural music.
The whole compilation is dope as fuck.
I also have a Damage Report remix, part of a Damage report remixes EP (Grid 192), coming up, and that album is straight fire.
I’m currently working on my next EP for Grid as well, and I hope I won’t disappoint.
4 rejected tracks got accepted by Delta 9 also, so 2023 will see at least 3 releases from L0G1N, one on Grid recordings and 2 on Delta 9.
Thank you for giving me this opportunity to express myself. Take it easy 🙂
FIND OUT MORE HERE:
Stream L0G1N music | Listen to songs, albums, playlists for free on SoundCloud
