Mixes for podcast series are often being approached differently than sets in a sweaty club environment. There is no obligation to keep people dancing, which allows for more space to ruminate. And for unbridled versatility. Which leads us to the most recent installment of the GROOVE Podcast.
Over an hour, Fantastic Twins, the slightly confusing moniker of French solo artist Julienne Dessagne, takes listeners on a labyrinthine trip through a vast range of styles such as Ambient, Tech-House, Electro and Breakbeat. Unsettling at times, uncompromising all along the way.
What did you have in mind when recording this mix?
I had visions of labyrinths and places to get lost in, which is the theme of my new album Suite Of Rooms. Exploring liminal spaces between the beauty and the damned. I kind of wanted to transpose this chaotic feeling to the mix, expand the walls of the album’s labyrinth, push the cursors and deepen the vortex. And because Suite Of Rooms emanated from one of my scoring projects, I wanted the mix to have some kind of cinematic quality. A bunch of David Lynch clues in the mix too, he will forever remain my biggest influence.
Where did you record it and which setup did you use?
In my home studio in Berlin. I used some vinyls and Ableton to record and edit material and make sound collages. Then I messed things up a bit with my Eventide H3500.
What’s the most memorable gig you played so far?
There were many but I’d say playing my live set at Andrew Weatherall’s Convenanza festival back in 2019–which tragically turned out to be his last–was one of those full transcendence kind of gigs. Opening for Bicep in a huge basketball arena in Athens was quite unforgettable too.
Can you name a secret weapon that you use frequently?
My Eventide H3500. Not so secret anymore.
Three recent releases that caught your attention?
Pan Sonic Youth by Jörn Elling Wuttke. I ran to Hard Wax to get the vinyl as soon as it was released so I could fit it into the mix. Oceanic & Greetje Bijma’s last album, also featured in the mix. And Bosko by General Magic on Editions Mego.
What do you have coming up?
A mini LP called Suite Of Rooms, mentioned above. It’s music I recorded for a piece of contemporary dance two years ago, reworked into a 5-track mini album with a beautiful limited vinyl edition. It’ll be out on Feb 14th– as 12 inch in a handful of selected shops, digitally on all platforms.
Track list:
Roy Orbison – In Dreams (FT Warped Edit)
Fantastic Twins – The Monster is Beautiful
David Lynch & Alan R Splet – Side A (excerpt – from Eraserhead) + Laura Palmer
Tod Dockstader – Super Choral
Fantastic Twins – Ariadne’s Thread, Unraveling
Jörn Elling Wuttke – Pan Sonic Youth (Thee Church ov Acid House Balearic Mix)
Ø & Mika Vainio – Fermionit
Environments – Intonation
Greetje Bijma & Oceanic – Away From Home
I:Cube – Grandes Orgues
Kim Fowley – Sunset Boulevard
Blackploid – The Race
Container – Absorb
Osmo Lindeman – Kinetic Forms (1969)
Jedi Knights – Pubic Funk (Live) (FT vocal chop)
Jlin – Auset
Carrier – Locus
μ-Ziq – Reference Gravy
Squarepusher – Holorform
Trent Reznor – Videodrones; Questions (feat. Peter Christopherson)
Sedibus & The Orb – Afterlife Aftershave (Edit)
Peter Rehberg – Boxes & Angels
Chris Isaak – Wicked Game (Fantastic Twins Trinity Version)