EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Five Minutes With… Chloé

French producer Chloé Thévenin is an edgy and prolific force on the European electro scene, whose previous releases on Karat, BPitch Control, My Favorite Robot and Throne of Blood have earned her critical acclaim and a committed following.  The release of her first solo record in four years, will hallmark the launch of her own record label Lumière Noire.

Latest track “The Sum Of Us” is from the score to Lidia Terki film Paris La Blanche, and sees Chloé collaborating with Algerian musicians while bringing her own “dark and sensual” sound to the mix.

We caught up with Chloé to chat about her musical inspirations and how she shies away from the ‘business’ side of music…

To those not familiar with you, how would you describe your sound?

It’s difficult to describe ourself, but I would say I am a music composer and DJ, performing live shows too, and my sound goes from techno to weird electronica.

What are the 5 albums that have influenced you the most?

There are a lot of albums from the past and from today, but five I really like are:

The Beatles, The Beatles
Brian Eno, Another Green World
Stevie Wonder, Songs In The Key Of Life
Claude Debussy, Clair de Lune
Kraftwerk, Kraftwerk

Are there any key pieces of equipment that you are using to define your sound?

A mixture of old synthesisers and guitar pedal effects, with new digital plugs.

What would you say some of the challenges artists face today in the music industry?

Today it has become a real business. I have to say I am not really interested in business strategies; I am more focused on my music and sharing a nice set with a nice crowd.

Take us through your songwriting process. Are there any particular steps you take when putting your music together?

I first think about which instruments I’d like to work with, and then start to produce the music. Like recently I bought some new pedal effects I really wanted to use on some sounds. It is a really inspiring way to start a track!

If you could perform alongside any other band or artist, living or dead, who would it be?

I wish in another life I could be a drummer or a guitarist in a hard rock band, just to get the energy.

The Legend Of Time by Sutja Gutierrez is out now on Lumière Noire Records, as is Chloé’s score for Paris La Blanche. The Dawn EP which includes a Dixon remix, will be released on Lumière Noire records on May 19th.