The art of catching sounds

Shils has met DJ Vadim for the release of his new record, The Soundcatcher. If there’s one thing sure about this guy, it’s that he loves music, and shils loves people who love music.

Shils : The very first thing we notice when we take a look at your new release, is that it’s on BBE Records. BBE is known as a record label that lets a lot of freedom to its artists. What is your vision of this label?
Vadim : For me, BBE is “la crème de la crème” of independent music labels. I can’t see any other label that is implied in releasing such great quality records. They are so lucky with David Roddigan in Reggae; Keb Darge, Jay Dilla, Pete Rock, Jazzy Jeff or DJ Premier. They have among the best DJs and producer in music business. When they invited me to work on this particular project with them, I didn’t hesitate for one second. On a freedom of expression point of view, I can say indeed that the creative process is more “free” than on some other labels.

Yes that’s what we feel : a record that the producer deeply enjoying making.
That's right! C'est vrai...

Maybe that’s what gives this feeling of an evolution between the USSR series and your latest projects, Soundcather or OneSelf for example.
As a producer it is extremely important that my sound develops, evolves unceasingly. It is what I am trying to do with projects like OneSelf or The Soundcatcher. The liberty of action offered by BBE actually helped me in this direction and this album and the next OneSelf are the projects of which I am proudest to date. I am very critical of my own work, and in what I did previously there are things that I like and that I do not like. It is important that my music evolves, just like me.

This album is less abstract than the others and we discover a massive reggae influence, which was already here in Oneself. Is this part of the evolution you are talking about ?
Today in 2007, I’m listening to music that inspires me, an my musical universe is much bigger than in 1995. If you had asked me what were my influences back then, then they would have been totally different. In 1995 I wasn’t listening to indian, eastern or brasilian music, and I really appreciate the folklore of these sounds. Surely I still listen to Jazz, funk and Soul, but nowadays I also like other things. I’ve always had this passion for reggae, ever since I listen to music. Maybe people see it more clearly now, but it has always been in my music.

Compared to your previous records, this album features a lot of guest artists from many origins, how did you connect with them ?
It all comes from the title : « Soundcatcher ». I catch sounds, moods and vibrations. It is certainly more a record from a disc collector than from a guy who digs breaks in the basement… like I used to do. It’s a record from a fisherman going around the globe with his poles, not to catch fishes, but sounds, vibes and rythms, and by extension artists. It’s a musical journey, and I’ve invited people I’ve met during concerts or anywhere else.

Do you feel like this album is more a production album, or a composition album ?
There is a skit at the end of « kill kill kill ». It’s spoken word and it says that people hears different things in music : the melody, the guitar solo, the text, the fact that the sample is from ’93 or that the guy come from Brooklyn… Everyone seeks different things in music. But all this is useless if there is no proper “song”. In a few years no one will care if this particular phrase from Jay-Z ou Booba was good or not, but if the song in itself was good or not. What cares if it was commercial or not ? What will matter will be to know if the track was good and if it can be considered as a “standard”. It’s not all about making a beat. Everyone can make a beat, everyone can make a good beat, but it’s a different story when it comes to making a good song.

What is your vision of french music in general and hip hop in particular ?
Everywhere in the world people ask me if i know the music from the country, what i think about it… I know some french hip hop bands, some of them are really good, but I’m not an expert in french hip hop. Every single second something is released somewhere, and it’s impossible for me to listen to everything even if France is the second HipHop market in the world. I really appreciate old school bands like NTM or some new bands like Hocus Pocus, or even producers like Astronaute from Orléans. For me the french language is a very good one for MCing, very expressive and I love the flow and the voice…But I don’t speak French… !

It is actually the same for us in France who listen top english speaking Hip Hop. Maybe that is the principle of “The Sound”, whatever you say, the melody takes over…
Yes and no, rap is a music with a message, and I like rap with social conscience, but I think you don’t have to say something or make a revolution in the world with every song. This is why I speak about flow and voice, if it all comes together, we can make a socially conscientious song that make people dancing.

Last question : two songs in your album are named after a city, did you do the song in these cities ? You can use a joker.
No, No, that’s a good question. I’ve actually began the track “Milwaukee” in Milwaukee, but I’ve finished it later and somewhere else. I wanted these tracks to sound like my feelings towards these cities. I wanted them to express the personality of the city. Like Manchester, which is a very “low class” town and whose rivalry with the richer London has always been very strong, just like between Paris and Marseille for example. But the proletarian characteristics of the city do not prevent them from being very creative and to be the home of very nice things.


Interview by Stéphane and François