Q+A: Five minutes with Tristan De Liège and Jambal

Tristan De Liège and Jambal make a formidable partnership. The former is an electronic producer from Los Angeles and the latter a rising Jazz quartet from Luxembourg. The resulting product is a beautiful fusion of Downtempo and Jazz sounds, exuding a deep feeling of tranquility and musical prowess. Reminiscent of artists like Air, think melancholic string progressions laid atop subtle Jazz drumming and brooding saxophones. Their single ‘Uncertainties’ is a colourful collision of two different styles. Between Tristan De Liège’s electronica and Jambal’s Jazz, the record is a playfully messy jam with an improvised feel. Despite its looseness, it maintains cohesion, in a dance of temperamental instrumental changes.

 

Set the tone for us. Why the arts?

Music is everything to us. For me personally (Tristan) music is both a way that I can connect to the deepest parts of myself (my desire to create and explore) and one of the ways that I feel most connected to others, through collaboration or through people feeling emotionally connected to my music.

 

Which comes first when you’re producing – the sound or the idea?

It depends, the sound can sometimes come first when we’re experimenting with sampling, sound design, or drones or textures, and then it leads to wanting to make melodies and harmonies on top of that. However more often the idea comes first for us, where we have a narrative or memory or emotion we want to capture, and then come up with a melodic idea and think about how it might progress over time. Sometimes it also starts with chords and being inspired by a particular chord change that feels beautiful.

 

Does your material feature any collaborations?

Yes, we have a track with our friend Claire Parsons, who is a supremely talented vocalist based in Brussels who uses lots of effects, layering, and experimental production to create other-wordly textures.

 

What’s on your current playlist?

Sessa, Arthur Verocai, Eberhard Weber, Ralph Towner, Alfa Mist, Portico Quartet, Jon Hopkins, Fabiano do Nascimento, Jas Kayser, BADBADNOTGOOD, Nils Frahm, Elijah Fox, Yussef Dayes, Sam Wilkes, Sam Gendel

 

Tell us about the chemistry you have with your fans on stage.

I think it’s always really important to talk to the audience, make them feel comfortable and remind them that you’re also a human being, and of course things like eye contact and in general just having a great time and enjoying yourself on stage, because if you do that then the audience will likely have a good time as well.

 

What techniques do you experiment with to get your original sound?

We use a lot of different pedals, amplifiers, and in the box plugins with our instruments to explore different tones, timbres, textures, and moods. As far as production, a lot of it also comes from sampling ideas from past recording sessions and using them in textural ways (reversed, pitched down, slowed down, cut up, etc.), field recordings from local places, and in general working with local musicians and friends who can add their distinctive voice to our ideas. In general, always being really open to trying different ideas or approaches throughout the composing and recording process.

 

Take us through a day in the recording studio.

We’ll take time setting up our spots, each musician getting a little corner where they can set up their mics, favorite gear, effects pedals, multiple instrument options, etc. And then we’ll discuss the overall mood of the track and pacing, and start doing takes from there. After a couple we’ll listen back and see how we feel about the current mood, and use that to slowly get to a take that feels that it really captures the heart and soul of the composition.

 

Was there a specific moment in your life where you thought, “this is what I want to do”?

Yes, I was in Milwaukee just starting my Master’s degree in Philosophy, and I was reading an interview featuring Four Tet about how he said he never felt like he’d worked a day in his life, because his life was just an exploration of sounds and ideas that he loved. And that resonated with me so much, that I wanted to emulate that mindset and give music my best shot.

 

What do you keep close by while you’re playing a set?

Usually notes about tricky moments in a song or important transitions.

 

Any emerging artists on your radar?

Cuervo Cuervo, they’re friends and making really beautiful Latin electronic music based in Mexico. Sam Wilkes, who’s audience has significantly grown in recent years but has a really beautiful performance energy. Kennebec, a friend from Portland who makes beautiful beats inspired by folk music and classical guitar music.

 

What gets your creative juices flowing?

Listening to new music, spending time in nature, traveling to other places, improvising with other musicians, playing with synths and samplers to create weird sounds.

 

Take us through your collection of gear, tech or software that accompanies your creative expression.

Ableton Live is the main software we use, and we find it very intuitive and powerful for creating new ideas very quickly and getting them down into a compelling and logical arrangement. In general my favorite gear occupies a good balance between power and flexibility, and ease of use. We also love Nord keyboards, and we used an amplified one throughout this album and loved the tone we got from it. Amplifying sounds like trumpet or vibraphone can lead to really interesting results that contrast well with clean textures. Maxime likes to use octave pedals and overdrive on his bass to suddenly turn it into a synth bass sound at the switch of a pedal.

 

Any side projects you’re working on?

Thoma – an electronic side project with producer Benjamin Hill.

 

How have you refined your craft since you entered the industry?

We’re always constantly learning. All the members of Jambal are in music schools, and Tristan is always learning new techniques on piano and also studying composition by looking at scores and breaking down what’s going on. The other important element is learning to be a good listener – listening to a wide range of music, and learning what makes it effective and interesting.

 

Breakdown the news for us: what can we expect from you this year?

We’re releasing the first full-length Jambal album, Enterprises of Great Pith and Moment. We hope you love it.

 

Famous last words?

Now my spirit is going, I can no more.