The Editor of DumDum.fr Talks Music Journalism, Garage Rock, and Taking Music Head On

The DumDum.fr team, that’s Anthony top left

Hello Anthony! Can you tell us about when you realized the importance of music in your life? 

It came rather late, as a teenager, I was really obsessed with soccer and girls among other things. Like all kids I liked music, but I developed a few different obsessions towards the end of my adolescence. When you grow up in the suburbs, far from concert venues and hype, you can’t fall into the scene out of luck. For me, it was garage rock, most notably the Black Lips, that I discovered thanks to their cover of a Dutronc track “Hippie Hippie Hourra.” An absolute headbanger. So I started to be interested in garage rock, the “Nuggets” compilations, those types of things. It was from that moment, more or less, that music would assume a capital importance for me. 

You are the Editor of DumDum. What is the objective of DumDum, and who are your readers?

We never really know too much about who are readers are. We get a good response from Facebook, Twitter, but I tend to think that the majority are always silent. These are questions that I prefer to not ask myself. As for the objective of DumDum, it’s to show music from a different angle, to try to go further. The project has matured greatly since we launched it. We made some novice mistakes, most notably editorial. Today, with our daily articles, we try to take music head on. And with out annexes, we try to take a step back, to tell stories, and talk about people. Because music, in the end, lets us say a lot about life and the world we live in. 

Why did you become a music journalist? Are you passionate about music or writing? Or the two? 

Well, as I said before, it’s kind of crazy in my head. I studied at a journalism school, initially to become a sports journalist, I love soccer. But I quickly realized that I was heading straight into a wall: I picture myself at stadiums with my microphone trying to grab the stupid comments of football players. Therefore I directed myself rather naturally towards music and culture magazines. I started at Technikart, then the excellent magazine VoxPop that doesn’t exist anymore. Afterwards, it became a job, even if I don’t write exclusively about music. And fortunately elsewhere. 

You also contribute to other publications, like Snatch and Rolling Stone, is music journalism different from the web to print? 

Online music journalism and print aren’t very different along the lines of supports. On one hand, it’s a shame, I think that print magazines will stop doing news updates and talking about top singles. That makes sense: people don’t get their doses of discoveries from a paper magazine. They pay 5 euros to read long-form subjects, and deep interviews, things that we don’t find as much online. Looking back, that which I’ve written for DumDum or Rolling Stone I create in the same way. We have a tendency to think that an online magazine takes less work, that everything must be short, but in the end, I think that’s short-sighted: long-form has existed online for a long time, and it’s taking a more and more important place there. Looking at the stats from DumDum shows this, some of our long articles get a lot more clicks than the short little updates. 

Subscribe to DumDum on Whyd to stay up to date with their latest discoveries! 

NEW ALBUM: “Reversible” by InShape, Out Today (INTERVIEW)

On the cobbled streets of Rue L’Olive here in Paris we meet the electro rock duo InShape, two up-and-coming artists who have been collaborating for the past few years. The latest result of their labor is the new album “Reversible" which is out today! 

Learn about their history, collaboration and composition process and what they appreciate about their new album in our French interview, organized by the lovely girls at We Do Music

And take at least one listen to their single “Clarity” to understand what their unique style entails: 

Let Process Take You Into The Depths Of Your Mind

Yo! Can you fill us in a little bit about your backstory? Who are you and where are you from? 

Yo! I am Remy (Auymer is my artist name) from the south of France, Marseille, and I have been based in London for four years now. I was working in shops and started to produce and play music there in my hometown and it’s here, in one of the most interesting cities in the world that I met Alice, half French and half Brazilian and also our graphic designer Federico. This city was for all of us a way to expand our interest for electronic music. 

London is a city that is world famous for its music, the standard is really high. What are you bringing to the scene today? 

Process is a new project that we launched in May 2013. After exploring London’s clubs, bars, and private parties, we got amazed and inspired a lot, but we realized that the average entry price was quite high and that the spirit was often quite business oriented. Although we went to so many great venues, with brilliant atmosphere and proper sound systems, we always felt there were quite a lot of standards, and the first one was the high price. We soon realized there was one type of party you couldn’t really find and that was free (or cheap) entry, good vibes, intimate venue, just for the love of music. The normal story in London if you want to put up an event and get to have a “name” in the scene, you need to book a pretty famous DJ to attract people and it helps to have a big venue, already quite known. However, we didn’t want to think this way. 

Instead, we wanted something where people discover new music and new talent. From the beginning we thought that with minimized funds and some contacts, you could organize a party that would make people happy and create the right vibe, without necessarily having an already settled DJ. We thought of having more of a party for everyone, that people wouldn’t need to pay much to have a great night and that everyone could contribute, by telling their friends, playing, proposing ideas, etc… 

We got exactly what we wanted at our first event when we gathered around 100 deep vibe lovers in our intimate venue in East London and hell yeah it was such a great night! So I guess Process is just adding some fresh air to the scene, with no pressure to be successful or competitive in the industry; more of an alternative night with fresh and deep beats in a warm atmosphere… Just a night for fun, about music and great people! 

Tell us about your obsession with deep music. Who should come to your events? 

We are really into all those kinds of post apocalyptic, dark, cerebral, acid, minimalist, and deep electronic music so it goes from deep house to dub to techno. And we keep on expanding our knowledge of it and musical culture here in the UK. It’s a type of music that could not be understood at first if you are not really into this. It might seem harsh and scary but it takes some interest to actually catch the little thing that makes you understand why artists such as Lucy, Tom Dicciccio, Rrose, or Polar Inertia (to name a few) are making this type of music; to understand what they are trying to say and get across. You will then understand the spirits that they put behind their machines. 

What we love the most is to see every time where they are driving us to another dimension that was unknown for us. I am pretty sure that the range of frequencies they use in their productions, which can be really love or really high, creates something in our body and brain. And this is what we want to do with Process, make people aware that this type of music can be really festive, energetic. I try to do a kind of step by step when I play at Process, going from different types of electronic music to drive the crowd to this dark, cerebral, and post apocalyptic dimension. 

It’s taking the crowd through a journey, and what is great about Process is that it is a diverse crowd; people there like many different types of electronic music, and the challenge is to get all of them to follow. And until now, all of them did! Indeed you don’t need to know everything about techno to go crazy on some deep beats, it’s all about explaining where I am trying to get you, and having you follow me! 

When is the next event and what else can we look forward to in 2014? 

The next will be in early 2014, still in one of our intimate venues with the same atmosphere! Then we have a couple of projects in mind, like a series of “open podcasts” in which everyone is invited to be a part of by sending his mix. Also, we have some collaboration in mind, with some like-minded friends to create always a better party and bring quality music. 2014 will be an inspiring year for us, no doubt about that! 

Subscribe to Process London on Whyd, and make sure to check out both Process London's and Auymer Music's Facebook pages! 

Promoting Artists? Talk To We Do Music

You are an artist promotion agency. What do you do for artists that they normally can’t do for themselves?

We are a promotion agency specializing in the web, a big nuance! We bring our assistance to artists, and most importantly, that which deals with their web presence: how to use different tools (from the website to a newsletter and also flashing partnership banners), web promotion (you can think of us as cyber press attachés), but also viral communication and social media. 

To sum up, the web is our game field, our medium of diffusion and the finality of our actions. 

Each artist has a different relationship with the web: sometimes, they are completely autonomous with their networks, mastering the abilities of diffusion tools and communicating effectively with the public. 

That’s in a perfect world, where there is a professional entourage like a manager or project manager from a label who is very invested in these questions. But almost always, and even with confirmed artists, signed to a label and very prolific on the web, we discuss strategy together: when, how and where to communicate? What about viral ideas? Which material? What are the strong points here? etc. 

The web has changed everything for musicians, do you see the web in a positive or negative light for the promotion of artists? 

More than positive!! It is mostly for that that we have specialized in the web. From the point of view of diffusion, all our actions have secondary effects, and information circulates very quickly. When a journalist finds something they love, there is no delay to talk about it with us or waiting to publish something in print. We can also mount very inventive operations, without limiting the type of content. 

What’s more, the web can also be a real jungle for novices, with its own codes, webzine trendsetters: one must know how to navigate and know musical preferences of journalists, and know which social tools correspond best with regards to the artists. 

Tell us about a success story with one of your artists:

We don’t really have a magic story like that, web promotion is really more of a long battle, full of little victories, a group that you take farther and a juicy press release about the project that’s running.

But a nice recent story was our meeting with the Chinese group Nova Heart: we discovered them at a show completely by accident at the Mama Event. We immediately loved their project, and we discussed at length with the group and their manager to convince them that they absolutely had to develop their project in French territory.

Then we saw them again, completely by accident, six months later at the other end of the world at the Sakifo festival on Reunion Island which we worked on: the alchemy worked again, the sea and flavored rums even more. We finally were able to launch something together, and we released a completely underground EP in France and the project finished among the last of the Transmusicales de Rennes: their new album is coming in 2014, and it is going to be even bigger!

Are there clients that you don’t accept to work with? (Because the style is not yours, the artist seems like an idiot, etc…)

We Do Music has existed almost five years and when we look back, we see that we’ve worked on a good number of projects. And it’s important to note that with each new album we put our image on the line, and our credibility with journalists, therefore we must be — above all — convinced by the music that we are charged with defending. It’s the bare minimum!

Then, before we say yes, we ask groups to come take a coffee with us, and we must see that we match up on a human level too. Sometimes, we like a project that is very young, unknown to the world, but we take the bet and help them develop. Those are the most exciting projects, everything is to be done! 

Make sure to subscribe to We Do Music on Whyd, Like We Do Music on Facebook and follow them on Twitter!

Paris Funkmaster & 22Tracks Curator DJ Soulist Video Interview

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Perched atop Montmartre off of a private street stands the Hotel Particulier. Surrounded by gardens, tables, and proud cocks who strut around (of the chicken variety), it is here that we meet DJ Soulist, one of Paris’s most established DJs, responsible for the event What The Funk which has been running for over 10 years. 

Inside the Hotel is a room where Tony’s bowtie is finally not out of place: stuffed fowl, fireplace, giant stag, all the elements of haut culture. Enjoy with a tumbler of bourbon.  

Big thanks to the team at Hotel Particulier and of course Masscut for making this all possible! 

DJ Soulist: The Whyd Interview from Tony Hymes on Vimeo.

From The GroundSounds Up: Culture From LA And Beyond

GroundSounds is rapidly emerging as a popular destination for culture heads: what’s the average reader/viewer/listener of GroundSounds like?

The average reader/viewer/listener of GroundSounds varies, however most are avid music listeners who love to discover new musicians, bands, and artists. Our readers come to GroundSounds to read about emerging trends, watch exclusive video interviews, and musical performances. If you’re a creative mind looking for inspiration, come to GroundSounds. 

Jon, how did your background in entertainment media lead you to where you are today, and what are you doing differently than everyone else? 

If it wasn’t for my media background I wouldn’t know how to run and operate GroundSounds efficiently and effectively. I have gained a lot of skills working for various media outlets, as well as many industry contacts that have helped my journey along the way. GroundSounds video content definitely helps to separate us from the bunch, not many music blogs are on red carpets getting exclusive info, and the ones that are tend to focus on talking to already established acts, while we are focusing on the “little guys,” the musicians or bands that everyone tends to skip over. I feel that our attention to up-and-coming musicians as well as emerging artists is definitely giving us an edge. GroundSounds is also operated out of pure passion, this is not a job - I think this aspect has a profound impact on what we are becoming, it is coming from a very pure and genuine state of being. 

Tell us about the team: who is the best at chess, who knows about the most obscure bands, and who do your readers like the most? 

The team is amazing, GroundSounds would not be possible without the team! As far as chess is concerned I’m not certain, however when it comes to finding diamonds in the rough (amazing obscure bands) Brendon Goldwasser definitely gives the team a run for their money. However, I should add that Jake Craney isn’t too bad either! Big shout outs to the rest of the team Danielle Turner, Tahsan Scott, Tim Gadient, Ryan Cornelius, Emily Vargas, Bigg A.D., Tessie Navarro, Jolie Doggett - each and everyone of them bring so much to the table. 

LA is famous for two motifs in music: sun and angst. Which one will rule in 2014? Are musicians feeling positive or jaded? 

While it is extremely easy to become jaded in LA, we don’t have time for that! We keep things moving with positivity and a bright outlook, as do many musicians and bands, we hope they keep it that way! 

Turning Tracks into Stories: A Revolutionary Idea From Shut Up And Play The Books & La Boudonnaye

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Last week one of the most innovative artistic projects on the web was launched by Shut Up & Play The Books, a music and literature site, with a very interesting angle: anyone can suggest a track that they love, and five tracks will be selected for an ultimate playlist. From this playlist, code-named #pentatracks, 5 authors will write short novellas over the course of two months. The resulting anthology will be published in digital and print by La Boudonnaye, for the pleasure of the world’s audiences.

They are using Whyd to host the #pentatracks playlist, and you can nominate your favorite track for the next 10 days directly on Whyd by mentioning @ Shut Up & Play The Books. Your track just might make the cut to inspire a new type of literature. 

We’re excited to be a part of such a new idea, and you can learn all about the project in our video interview with Laurent Bettoni of La Boudonnaye [EN FRANÇAIS]. And click here for the official rules or participation. 

Send in your tracks now! 

Vinhal: The Founder of Fita Bruta, Talks Music, Brazil, And The International Scene

It is a cloudy, chilly winter’s day in Paris when Vinhal joins me via Skype to recount his adventures in music from a place that could not be further away from the French capital, both culturally and temporally. Vinhal himself is no stranger to Paris, having spent time studying here. It’s where he even picked up one of his current jobs. But on this day our winter is his summer. 

Vinhal works for X5 in Brazil, a compilation service with offices in Stockholm and the US as well, which takes catalogues from labels and repackages them for sale. It was this job that started during his Paris days, and he kept after he returned to Brazil. Yet his focus and passion for Brazilian music go much deeper, which is evident in his other jobs: supervisor at the CCBB, or the Cultural Centers of the Banco do Brasil, where he is currently organizing the Bahai Invasion music showcase. there are three CCBBs, in São Paulo, Rio, and Brasilia, and together make up one of the most visited museums in the world. Remember, Brazil is a huge country. 

Working in a cultural center would give anyone the credentials to discuss their country’s culture, but Vinhal is more of an authority than that. He is the founder and one of the editors of Fita Bruta, a website that has covered and followed Brazilian and international music for the past three years. Fita Bruta literally means “raw take” or the recording of a track before it is mixed and mastered. Fita Bruta has rapidly grown to be a site of reference for the Brazilian scene. 

When asked where Brazilian music is making inroads internationally, Vinhal first mentions the holy grail: the US, where trending artists like Tyler the Creator and his crew — as well as groups like Vampire Weekend — cite Brazilian music as a cool source of inspiration. There is also the recent release of The Existential Soul of Tim Maia, a compilation created by Luaka Bop (David Byrne’s label) especially for the US market: 

Vinhal also points to Portugal, which inhales Brazilian music, something that might be expected, however he notes that not very much Portuguese music makes it down to Brazil. “It’s just that Brazil is so big!” And finally, Spain is an interesting market for new Brazilian indie music. Of course, there is also “Ai Se Eu Tu Pego” which, for better or worse, at least created a worldwide sensation that put Brazil a little more front and center in the world music scene. 

As for the future, Vinhal and his crew hope to professionalize Fita Bruta this year, continuing with their mission. To keep up with the latest tracks that Vinhal finds, subscribe to him on Whyd, and make sure you connect with Fita Bruta too if you’d like to learn more about what’s rocking Brazil at the moment. 

Two tracks per day & India’s Music Scene: The Whyd Interview with Trackdrops

Yo dudes! Can you introduce yourselves? Where are you from and when did music start seriously influencing your lives?

Vikram: I am a Canadian who moved to India just so that I could miss the T dot. An erstwhile investment banker turned entrepreneur, I’m best known as the reason why women stay single. Music was instrumental to my memory of childhood. I was surrounded by a healthy variety of genres from the inimitable Rick Astley to ghazal maestro Ghulam Ali. The fault of which lies with my parents, both of whom had a schizophrenic record collection that would play out every evening. I became extremely active (bordering on obsessive) around the time Radiohead launched their “In Rainbows” album. 

Steve: My name is Steve Abraham and I’m from Mumbai. I’m pretty sure music started playing a serious role in my life ever since I was a kid. Much like Vikram’s upbringing, my parents would play all this great music in the house ranging from the Beatles to Doo Wop to Jazz and the Blues. I probably didn’t fully understand what I was hearing at the time, but I knew I liked it. Ever since then, music has been a part of my daily life. Everclear’s “Sparkle and Fade” was the first album I really “got into” as a teenager. 

You created Trackdrops. What’s the general idea, who’s the team, and who should come listen to your site? 

Vikram: The team is Steve Abraham, aka Punkflop; and myself, Vikram Ramchandani, aka Nika. It must be noted however, that the chicas dig da Nika. True story. 

Steve: Trackdrops is a simple idea - a daily dose of one song each from our individual tastes with no restrictions on genre or time of release. What sounds good to us goes on the site. Vikram and I have always had these long conversations about artists we like, so we were hoping to take that conversation online and hopefully get people to see the reasons we like a certain song. Two songs a day are more than enough. In this day and age the amount of information you’re exposed to is overwhelming, so this way people can actually take the time to focus on and hopefully appreciate the music. All are welcome of course - whether you’re a music junkie or a person just looking for something new to listen to. 

What is the music scene like in Mumbai? Should we all start booking tickets to come out there? 

Vikram: Of course you should book your tickets, given the state of the economy we are in desperate need of dollars and pounds. The music scene in growing at an incredible pace with the advent of new music venues, schools and concerts. We have also burnt all remaining copies of any Venga Boys trakcs. 

Steve: Like Vikram said, the music scene is definitely picking up. We have had international artists play in the country who I never thought I’d see live in India. However, we do have a long ways to go in terms of catching up with other international music havens. There is a local music scene, but I find that the same handful of bands is circulated throughout the year, which tends to get boring after a while. So unless you’re into specific Indian bands or want to visit India, I would save my money for another city if it is the music you are chasing. 

Do you have any plans for the future of Trackdrops? Anything we should look forward to in 2014? 

Vikram: We are extra excited to get a playlist out for the people who visit our site on a daily basis. So our fingers are crossed in hope that the super stellar team at Whyd get a Wordpress plug in sorted out. Till then we’re just gonna keep dropping some aural goodness. 

Steve: We’re really just taking a day-by-day approach with the site - adding minor details to make it more interesting and user friendly. But overall we’ve kept things minimal, as that was the whole point of Trackdrops in the first place. The focus will always be on the music. Implementing playlists through Whyd was always in the cards, so we’re excited about getting that launched. I think the main thing to look forward to on Trackdrops in 2014 is what we always look forward to every year - new music! 

Les Disquaires de Paris: Whyd’s First Podcast [EN FRANCAIS]

PHOTO COURTESY: NADEGE SOQUET

In early December we met with the dudes from Les Disquaires de Paris, a new association that represents record stores from around Paris. Their mission: have record shops curate playlists and give listeners the details for where to buy physical records from their local record stores. It’s an awesome idea, a virtuous cycle, and a mission that we hope will continue. 

Listen to their interesting story, how it works, Tony’s horrible French, and what their plans are for the future in Whyd’s very first podcast!