In 2009 I became
obsessed with a largely forgotten disco-boogie track from 1982. Its funky bass-line was so highly addictive that after six months I wondered whether I'd ever find a new fix of funk worthy of my trunk.
Then I saw a tantalizing 3D video preview of "Goin Wit You" by Parisian producer
Débruit, which merely looped his unique, oh-so-heavy staccato bass-line for 11 glorious seconds. That was all it took. Hooked.
So I look him up. He's late-twenties, from Paris, real name Xavier Thomas, and he fuses 80's hip-hop, 70's funk and world
riddims and soundsystems to, somehow, very French effect that seems as hard to categorize as it is to ignore. His loosely programmed beats have been variously ascribed to the "wonky" or "broken beat" scenes that he doesn't necessarily ascribe to (he seems to like "bump-hop" though), so I gave up trying to categorize him and fired off some wonky questions to the man himself, to mark the release of his new EP -
SpatioTemporel (buy it
here).
We even tracked down the maker of his
jumpsuits for full obsessive effect.
By way of introduction, here's the superb "I'm Goin Wit You" from 2009's must-have
Let's Post Funk EP, featuring Om’Mas Keith from
Sa-Ra. All the better to read to, non?
--
Everyone's trying to describe your drums. How would you describe your synths?
Lively, surprising, warm, they are my communication tool to advance the connection of my funk to people's funk, its a language.
Where did your love of a funky bassline come from?
I actually don't really know cause I don't think much of it, I obviously read things about it but I would say it comes from the late 60's funk that I used to listen to a lot, maybe G-funk and also all the commercial 80's hip hop, electro and boogie that was playing on the radio when I was a kid.
Maybe it comes from that dream when
Roger Troutman kidnapped me and injected me some weird funky liquid in my veins directly coming from a synth... was it funky synth juice? I felt dirty, then I woke up.
You’ve shrugged off the ‘wonky’ label but you link to an article on it via your Myspace, so there’s some connection. What is it?
It's an amazing article! but really the term wonky doesn't really apply to me or to anything you build exactly the way you want. Then it can't be wonky. It's not my fault if people are not used to groove anymore! ah! I think it's because this electronic music doesn't use the rules of being right on every time, it's not quantized, just like a funky drummer.
What is 'wonky' / 'broken beat' a reaction against?
It's not a reaction against anything, it's more a positive envy to surprise and make people groove and gently BREAK THEIR NECK on the beat, dance!
Which music producers made you think, “I wanna do that”?
In the beginning I was making music in a band playing many different instruments & slowly integrating electronic machines, then when I was the only one left with the motivation to go to rehearsals I started making all electronic tracks and getting influenced a lot by
Aphex Twin and more obscure suff at the time.
On a studio artistic production level I thought
Nigel Godrich had a perfect job, I was looking at the work of
Joe Meek on a more experimental level, of course the shifting talent of Serge Gainsbourg and I think Pharrell is lucky too and I wouldn't mind reaching that status where you can work with who you want.
Has Justin Timberlake heard 'Goin Wit You' yet? Would you work with him?
Jus' is a funny guy, I'm sure I'll manage to get some time at some point to answer his facebook requests! I know he reads all my interviews, so yes Jus' sorry for not getting back to you, we will put a track together this year, come to my studio in Dalston, London, we'll go for some Turkish food!
--
Thanks to the kindly folks at his oh-so-hot London label Civil Music
(Débruit moved to the UK capital a few months ago) this kicks off two days of future-funk prophet Débruit on The Vine. Check back tomorrow for Part Deux.
If you have 3D glasses, try them on this video preview by graphical wunderkind Rainbowmonkey...
Main photo by
Dan Wilton