Photo: Jackie Dewe Matthews (rRoxymore)
The music that Hermione Frank has been releasing under the name of rRoxymore for almost a decade now is unlike any other. The French DJ’s productions are rich in detail and intricate, taking techno and house as templates for experimentation in groove and tone rather than adhering to styles as if they’re set in stone. Tracks like “Organ Smith” from first EP on Don’t Be Afraid are joyous and complex at the same time, fit for peak hours as much as they can be enjoyed as pieces of modern electronic composition. Frank’s debut album Face to Phase for the British label saw her expanding her palette even further, picking up on ambient and contemporary forms of club music alike. Her mix for our Groove podcast however pays homage to the past: here’s 60 minutes soulful minutes full of nuggets from the West London broken beat era.
One of your first musical passions was jazz, to which you were introduced through your father. What did jazz mean to you growing up and what role does it play in your life now, both as a music fan and a producer?
Jazz was the first music I was listening at a young age and I got into it through my Dad, yes. I don’t know if it is a passion, but when I hear jazz music it feels like coming back home.
You’ve started out producing music in the early noughties in Montpellier before moving to Paris to study acousmatic music and composition. Why this subject, in particular?
I don’t remember how I came across that class, but it was one of the best choices I’ve ever made. I learnt everything about the pioneers in electronic music and musique concrète. It was very liberating creatively.
While a lot of your EPs are likely to be found in a record store’s house and techno crates, your debut album Face To Phase, released in Autumn last year, took a lot more stylistic liberties. How did you approach writing it? Did you aim for a certain narrative or try to implement a specific conceptual framework?
The initial idea was to do a home listening album, like a lot of people would do I guess. But without falling in the ambient production cliché, I wanted to explore different genres of rhythm/polymetrics and moods with a kind of minimalistic approach. Also I had the full support from Benjamin [AKA Don’t Be Afraid owner Semtek], who told me “take me out of space” . So I knew I would have his full trust and could go in any direction.
You’ve brought your Connecting Dots series to Currents, a platform that dedicated to tackling the question of how to financially support musicians in the streaming era. Can you tell us more about what made you start the series and with which goal you curate the playlists?
Currents’s format is based on curated playlists. You can suscribe to Currents for the price of a coffee a month to show your support for your favorite artists and in exchange you get acess to exclusive playlists. The team behind Currents is very small and passionate. The platform has it flaws for sure, but It feels more like a collaborative project. It is a work in progress. I like the idea to participate in an alternative streaming model.
What was the idea behind your contribution to the Groove podcast?
It is a special mix, a tribute to the West London broken beat sound era with some of my preferred tracks. Get ready for 60 min of soulfulness!
Last but not least: What are your plans for the future?
We are preparing a “Forward Flamingo” package with some excellent remixes, produced by some friends and favourite producers. It’s the first time that I’m getting remixed and it is very exciting. And some remixes that I have been working on in the past months should get released soon, too.
Stream: rRoxymore – Groove Podcast 263
01. IG Culture – The All New Ummm Everglades Runningz
02. Kaidi Tatham – The Extrovert City
03. Alex Attias Productions – Downtown
04. dkd – Future Rage
05. Nu Era – Galaxian
06. Seiji- 3dom
07. 4hero – Something in the Way (feat. Kaidi Tatham, Bémbé Ségué)
08. Cousin Cockroach – This Ain’t Tom N’ Jerry
09. 2000 Blacks Sonar’s Ghost – Who Loves You
10. Seiji – Loose Lips
11. Afronaught – Work
