Dreams of Plastique
*Story & interview by JohnG*
Plastique de Rêve ! Again ?!? After rocking da house at Parking, not once but twice... After rocking the house at the I Love Neon Halloween party last year... and after rocking the house in an Old-Montreal basement party - he is back for more ! This time at Academy (Oct. 30th) and Parking (Nov. 2nd for a "hat-trick").
Plastique de Rêve is one of Switzerland's finest electronic music exports, period. With some experience dating back from the late 1980's, he has acquired a taste for only the finest electonic music.
Fast foward ten years later. The name Plastique de Rêve was born with his first releases on Gigolo (the "Magic" EP) and his remix for Ural 13 Dikators on Mental Groove - before they got really big ! Then in 2002, magic re-happens, as he releases the now infamous "Rodéo Mécanique" EP on Gigolo. It quickly became one of the biggest electro / tech / acid tunes of the year, and rocked dancefloors from Hong Kong to Montreal.
In 2005 Mr. Plastique released "The Sounds You Hear" on Montreal's famous label Turbo. The EP proved to be a success with the fucked up acid tune "Do It", and the darker - but yet very cool - tech track, "The Sounds You Hear".
His tour dates for 2006 consist of two stops in Chicago, one in NYC and two in Montreal... Don't miss the Extend Halloween party this Monday, Oct. 30th at Academy Dancehall... With Plastique de Rêve (all the way from fucking Berlin !!), JohnG and the one and only Cliff Brown !
*
PLASTIQUE TALKS
Q. - Who is Plastique de Rêve ? What is the significance of the name ? How do you relate to it ? Is there a specific style associated with the name "Plastique de Rêve, or does the project has a "laissez-faire' kind of style approach to the music ?
A. - Plastique de Rêve is just me, Daze - real name Christophe Dasen- australian born swiss citizen of 36, long time resident of Geneva Sweetzerland, currently living in Berlin Germany. Litteraly, Plastique De Reve means 'dream plastic', or 'plastic of your dreams'. but it's mainly used to describe someone with a good looking body. The term Plastique also applies to an abstract idea of form and beauty - in design, plastic arts etc. My music is often very synthetic, and there is always a 'design' or idea behind a composition, I try not to do the same track twice. So I guess the project name came up in my mind as a good metaphor for what I try to do - that is try to shape my ideal electronic music, the 'plastic of my dreams'. Vinyl records are also made of plastic, so are all these toys and boxes with which we do this music.
Q. - As a young boy or teenager.... what influenced you to become an electronic musician ? Were there any specific groups, DJ's, producers, bands or genres of music that influenced you ?
A. - Sure. The first influences came from my parents who listened to Kraftwerk, Jean-Michel Jarre, Vangelis and a lot of psychedelic rock like Pink Floyd, Emerson Lake & Palmer, Jefferson Airplane, Led Zep, etc... Then when I grew up in Africa the big thing was Disco, so in the village where I lived in Kenya, or in the discos of safari hotels, my younger brother Patrik and I used to jump up and down to 7inches of Boney M, Donna Summer (the Munich disco sounds of Moroder and Frank Farian !) or The Bee Gees. Later, back in Switzerland, I discovered Punk rock, Ska, New Wave, Electro-pop. I started learning drums and piano, played in 2 or 3 new wave and punk bands. Then in 1984 I discovered what a synth was, and my life changed ! I bought a DX7 and a TR505 and started taking classes in electro-accoustics at the Geneva Conservatoire. Influences back then were D.A.F., Suicide, Cabaret Voltaire, Depeche Mode, Fad Gadget, Mantronix, etc. Later when I heard The Young Gods (swiss sampling pionneers) I went straight to the shop to buy my first sampler (in 1986, an Ensoniq Mirage). Then I also studied all of this in music classes in highschool, and later in professional music schools. I formed an EBM & industrial-techno duo in 1987 with a highschool friend, until 1991 when I started an experimental music collective called MXP, involving other friends and artists (up to 9 at one point), making music for live shows, performances, theater groups, video artists etc. Strong influences then were bands like Front 242, Skinny Puppy, Einsturzende Neubauten, SPK, Test Department, La Fura Dels Baus. Then the Techno Revolution hit Switzerland and I listened to Aphex Twin, Orbital, Future Sound Of London, The Shamen, The Prodigy, LFO and a lot of other Acid House stuff, and also Jeff Mills, Juan Atkins' Model 500, FUSE-Plasticman, and German techno. Only later came the Electro years where I focused on producing music on my own and started being interested in the world of vinyl records, deejaying, producing and so on. Influences then : Dopplereffekt, Drexciya, I-F, Autorepeat and too many others to mention here.
Q. - I see in your Discogs profile that you had many aliases before; one of which is Deo Cadaver... what is the history of your early electronic music career and how did it mature to the "Plastique de Rêve" stage ?
A. - That was the EBM duo I did from 1987 to 1991... We were interested in the 'darker side' of things electronic, canadians Skinny Puppy being the epitomy. It matured (question mark) oh, good.
Q. - How was it like growing up in Geneva ? Or better yet, in Switzerland ? Was there a rich music culture within the area ?
A. - There was a rich culture, but not in music. You had to fight to get interesting music there. I remember having to order import of Art Of Noise records or the like, cos they knew nothing about it. They HATED electronic music, I heard all kinds of comments (too cold, too gay, too german, whatever). Only later they all got into it and started moving their sorry asses.
Q. - In 2000, you began the "Plastique" project with the "Magic EP" on Gigolo, and then in "2002" with Rodéo Mécanique on Gigolo as well. Do you believe that releasing those tracks on that label which, at the time, was growing fast and was "cool" has helped you a lot ?
A. - Yeah, I am really grateful to Gigolo (and at-the-time sister label DiskoB) for their will to take risks and release interesting underground electronic dance music, and it has helped me a lot.
Q. - Why no more Gigolo ? Do you plan on working with them again ?
A. - Well, the first 3 or 4 years were really cool, but now somehow it has changed, a lot of the original artists and crew have gone on to do their own things, and Gigolo has taken on a lot of newcomers instead of developing the work of its initial artists. I moved out about 3 years ago and have no plans on releasing with them again. No harm intended though.
Q. - In 2005, you released the "Sounds you Hear EP" on Turbo records. Which was a super cool Acid / Hip / Tech record... But why Turbo ? Do you plan on making a second release with them ?
A. - Well, Turbo had done a very good series of releases with Mateo Murphy, Chromeo, Robert Calvin, etc... so I sent a demo to Tiga and it was a good release, good sound, nice graphics, good distribution and visibility... A second release was planned last year for a project with Montreal artist Dave K but we had to shelve it because of copyright problems. There were bits of an accapella and we tried to clear the samples but were asked for so much money we had to drop the whole plan. We'll see, I'll keep on sending stuff to them, the new releases are good, especially the D.I.M. one I really like and play everywhere, so I would sure like to do a second release with them.
Q. - People tend to associate the Plastique de Rêve name with Acid house and Hip House... is this really the goal of the Plastique de Rêve Project ?
A. - That's probably because of tracks like 'Do It!' and 'Rodéo Mécanique'. But it's not a 'goal' as such, I also do all kinds of different music, side-projects like my Indonesian shadowplay theater project 'Bioskop' or voodoo-band 'Baron Samedi', collaborations and remixes with and for other artists, ambient music and mixes, etc. I don't mind, these days I'm really full on into acid house, electro-acid, mixed with fresh stuff like Baile Funk or Booty Bass, Cozmic and Italo-disco, some minimal stuff, and am always open to anything cool regardless of genres, so I guess in the end I'll manage to show that I'm capable of many different things in a wide range of musical styles.
Q. - So now, this is going to be your fourth visit to Montreal, and your second North American tour. With two shows in Chicago, one in New york and two in Montreal (at Academy Dancehall on Oct. 30th and Parking Club on Nov.2nd)... is there anything special you're celebrating this time ?
A. - Nope, just going around meeting friends, places, new faces, clubs, etc. I try to work more on the basis of a network of friends with which we exchange stuff and invite each other over to our respective scenes, not really on a 'business' level with agencies and intermediates. Keeps it fresh and friendly, not too 'business'.
Q. - This Monday October 30th at Academy Dancehall, you get to play again with international DJ superstar JohnG... are you a bit nervous ? Do you see this as round two, from last year when he came to Switzerland ?
A. - Definitely round two after John G's outstanding performance last year at the Blue Note club in Neuchatel and his surprise after hours set in Lausanne !!
Q. - Why is t that John G is so great ? How does he influence you ?
A. - Y'know, the guy is just too much !
Q. - Any future plans for the Plastique de Rêve project ?
A. - Well, this is my 'remix' year, with many requests coming in, so I'm not having much time for my own stuff, and all the next releases are going to be remixes : Future Forward's 'Welcome 2 Chicago' on Kompute Music Chicago, Dancepig's 'Beneath Me' on David Carretta's Space Factory label, remixes for New York synth-pop band Goat Explosion, my Argentinian friend Capri, other Geneva freaks Cosmoflazh and GhostTape, etc. I have new stuff ready for releasing my own singles but I haven't sent it out to labels yet, so we'll see. I'm also currently working on a common EP with French artist A Jackin' Phreak from Grenoble, probably for the Karat label in France.
*
Don't miss Plastique de Rêve at Academy Mondays' "Acid Halloween" bash with JohnG & Clifford Brown on Oct. 30th, and at Parking for Mini's Overdose on Nov. 2nd with Kap Bambino.
Plastique de Rêve ! Again ?!? After rocking da house at Parking, not once but twice... After rocking the house at the I Love Neon Halloween party last year... and after rocking the house in an Old-Montreal basement party - he is back for more ! This time at Academy (Oct. 30th) and Parking (Nov. 2nd for a "hat-trick").
Plastique de Rêve is one of Switzerland's finest electronic music exports, period. With some experience dating back from the late 1980's, he has acquired a taste for only the finest electonic music.
Fast foward ten years later. The name Plastique de Rêve was born with his first releases on Gigolo (the "Magic" EP) and his remix for Ural 13 Dikators on Mental Groove - before they got really big ! Then in 2002, magic re-happens, as he releases the now infamous "Rodéo Mécanique" EP on Gigolo. It quickly became one of the biggest electro / tech / acid tunes of the year, and rocked dancefloors from Hong Kong to Montreal.
In 2005 Mr. Plastique released "The Sounds You Hear" on Montreal's famous label Turbo. The EP proved to be a success with the fucked up acid tune "Do It", and the darker - but yet very cool - tech track, "The Sounds You Hear".
His tour dates for 2006 consist of two stops in Chicago, one in NYC and two in Montreal... Don't miss the Extend Halloween party this Monday, Oct. 30th at Academy Dancehall... With Plastique de Rêve (all the way from fucking Berlin !!), JohnG and the one and only Cliff Brown !
*
PLASTIQUE TALKS
Q. - Who is Plastique de Rêve ? What is the significance of the name ? How do you relate to it ? Is there a specific style associated with the name "Plastique de Rêve, or does the project has a "laissez-faire' kind of style approach to the music ?
A. - Plastique de Rêve is just me, Daze - real name Christophe Dasen- australian born swiss citizen of 36, long time resident of Geneva Sweetzerland, currently living in Berlin Germany. Litteraly, Plastique De Reve means 'dream plastic', or 'plastic of your dreams'. but it's mainly used to describe someone with a good looking body. The term Plastique also applies to an abstract idea of form and beauty - in design, plastic arts etc. My music is often very synthetic, and there is always a 'design' or idea behind a composition, I try not to do the same track twice. So I guess the project name came up in my mind as a good metaphor for what I try to do - that is try to shape my ideal electronic music, the 'plastic of my dreams'. Vinyl records are also made of plastic, so are all these toys and boxes with which we do this music.
Q. - As a young boy or teenager.... what influenced you to become an electronic musician ? Were there any specific groups, DJ's, producers, bands or genres of music that influenced you ?
A. - Sure. The first influences came from my parents who listened to Kraftwerk, Jean-Michel Jarre, Vangelis and a lot of psychedelic rock like Pink Floyd, Emerson Lake & Palmer, Jefferson Airplane, Led Zep, etc... Then when I grew up in Africa the big thing was Disco, so in the village where I lived in Kenya, or in the discos of safari hotels, my younger brother Patrik and I used to jump up and down to 7inches of Boney M, Donna Summer (the Munich disco sounds of Moroder and Frank Farian !) or The Bee Gees. Later, back in Switzerland, I discovered Punk rock, Ska, New Wave, Electro-pop. I started learning drums and piano, played in 2 or 3 new wave and punk bands. Then in 1984 I discovered what a synth was, and my life changed ! I bought a DX7 and a TR505 and started taking classes in electro-accoustics at the Geneva Conservatoire. Influences back then were D.A.F., Suicide, Cabaret Voltaire, Depeche Mode, Fad Gadget, Mantronix, etc. Later when I heard The Young Gods (swiss sampling pionneers) I went straight to the shop to buy my first sampler (in 1986, an Ensoniq Mirage). Then I also studied all of this in music classes in highschool, and later in professional music schools. I formed an EBM & industrial-techno duo in 1987 with a highschool friend, until 1991 when I started an experimental music collective called MXP, involving other friends and artists (up to 9 at one point), making music for live shows, performances, theater groups, video artists etc. Strong influences then were bands like Front 242, Skinny Puppy, Einsturzende Neubauten, SPK, Test Department, La Fura Dels Baus. Then the Techno Revolution hit Switzerland and I listened to Aphex Twin, Orbital, Future Sound Of London, The Shamen, The Prodigy, LFO and a lot of other Acid House stuff, and also Jeff Mills, Juan Atkins' Model 500, FUSE-Plasticman, and German techno. Only later came the Electro years where I focused on producing music on my own and started being interested in the world of vinyl records, deejaying, producing and so on. Influences then : Dopplereffekt, Drexciya, I-F, Autorepeat and too many others to mention here.
Q. - I see in your Discogs profile that you had many aliases before; one of which is Deo Cadaver... what is the history of your early electronic music career and how did it mature to the "Plastique de Rêve" stage ?
A. - That was the EBM duo I did from 1987 to 1991... We were interested in the 'darker side' of things electronic, canadians Skinny Puppy being the epitomy. It matured (question mark) oh, good.
Q. - How was it like growing up in Geneva ? Or better yet, in Switzerland ? Was there a rich music culture within the area ?
A. - There was a rich culture, but not in music. You had to fight to get interesting music there. I remember having to order import of Art Of Noise records or the like, cos they knew nothing about it. They HATED electronic music, I heard all kinds of comments (too cold, too gay, too german, whatever). Only later they all got into it and started moving their sorry asses.
Q. - In 2000, you began the "Plastique" project with the "Magic EP" on Gigolo, and then in "2002" with Rodéo Mécanique on Gigolo as well. Do you believe that releasing those tracks on that label which, at the time, was growing fast and was "cool" has helped you a lot ?
A. - Yeah, I am really grateful to Gigolo (and at-the-time sister label DiskoB) for their will to take risks and release interesting underground electronic dance music, and it has helped me a lot.
Q. - Why no more Gigolo ? Do you plan on working with them again ?
A. - Well, the first 3 or 4 years were really cool, but now somehow it has changed, a lot of the original artists and crew have gone on to do their own things, and Gigolo has taken on a lot of newcomers instead of developing the work of its initial artists. I moved out about 3 years ago and have no plans on releasing with them again. No harm intended though.
Q. - In 2005, you released the "Sounds you Hear EP" on Turbo records. Which was a super cool Acid / Hip / Tech record... But why Turbo ? Do you plan on making a second release with them ?
A. - Well, Turbo had done a very good series of releases with Mateo Murphy, Chromeo, Robert Calvin, etc... so I sent a demo to Tiga and it was a good release, good sound, nice graphics, good distribution and visibility... A second release was planned last year for a project with Montreal artist Dave K but we had to shelve it because of copyright problems. There were bits of an accapella and we tried to clear the samples but were asked for so much money we had to drop the whole plan. We'll see, I'll keep on sending stuff to them, the new releases are good, especially the D.I.M. one I really like and play everywhere, so I would sure like to do a second release with them.
Q. - People tend to associate the Plastique de Rêve name with Acid house and Hip House... is this really the goal of the Plastique de Rêve Project ?
A. - That's probably because of tracks like 'Do It!' and 'Rodéo Mécanique'. But it's not a 'goal' as such, I also do all kinds of different music, side-projects like my Indonesian shadowplay theater project 'Bioskop' or voodoo-band 'Baron Samedi', collaborations and remixes with and for other artists, ambient music and mixes, etc. I don't mind, these days I'm really full on into acid house, electro-acid, mixed with fresh stuff like Baile Funk or Booty Bass, Cozmic and Italo-disco, some minimal stuff, and am always open to anything cool regardless of genres, so I guess in the end I'll manage to show that I'm capable of many different things in a wide range of musical styles.
Q. - So now, this is going to be your fourth visit to Montreal, and your second North American tour. With two shows in Chicago, one in New york and two in Montreal (at Academy Dancehall on Oct. 30th and Parking Club on Nov.2nd)... is there anything special you're celebrating this time ?
A. - Nope, just going around meeting friends, places, new faces, clubs, etc. I try to work more on the basis of a network of friends with which we exchange stuff and invite each other over to our respective scenes, not really on a 'business' level with agencies and intermediates. Keeps it fresh and friendly, not too 'business'.
Q. - This Monday October 30th at Academy Dancehall, you get to play again with international DJ superstar JohnG... are you a bit nervous ? Do you see this as round two, from last year when he came to Switzerland ?
A. - Definitely round two after John G's outstanding performance last year at the Blue Note club in Neuchatel and his surprise after hours set in Lausanne !!
Q. - Why is t that John G is so great ? How does he influence you ?
A. - Y'know, the guy is just too much !
Q. - Any future plans for the Plastique de Rêve project ?
A. - Well, this is my 'remix' year, with many requests coming in, so I'm not having much time for my own stuff, and all the next releases are going to be remixes : Future Forward's 'Welcome 2 Chicago' on Kompute Music Chicago, Dancepig's 'Beneath Me' on David Carretta's Space Factory label, remixes for New York synth-pop band Goat Explosion, my Argentinian friend Capri, other Geneva freaks Cosmoflazh and GhostTape, etc. I have new stuff ready for releasing my own singles but I haven't sent it out to labels yet, so we'll see. I'm also currently working on a common EP with French artist A Jackin' Phreak from Grenoble, probably for the Karat label in France.
*
Don't miss Plastique de Rêve at Academy Mondays' "Acid Halloween" bash with JohnG & Clifford Brown on Oct. 30th, and at Parking for Mini's Overdose on Nov. 2nd with Kap Bambino.
posted by Clifford Brown at
Sunday, October 29, 2006
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