Actualités Electroniques / EN / Joachim Pastor

After contacting the German label Boxer Recordings, one of the best and most productive labels of Cologne, we got an exclusive interview with Joachim Pastor, a young French producer that we discovered recently with his very good track “Heloise” known also as “Heliose”. This interview follows notably the one of MA.N.D.Y. and Thomas Schumacher. It will give you more information about the artist that will buzz in the few weeks for sure... First of all, I would like to thank Joachim who answers the questions and Boxer Recordings. Have a good reading!

“Hi Joachim,

I’ve just seen onto your Facebook fan page that you’ve just released a track “Be organic” onto the new album “Kind Of Kling Klong” and that your latest EP was released under Boxer Recordings in September with two tracks: “Capuche” and “Toshiba”. What are your next projects? Are they any upcoming releases?
> My next release is a remix for the band Morcheeba, which will be released on PIAS (Blood like lemonade : the remixes). It includes other remixes by my mate Max Bett as well as Maetrik and H2. I’ve been working on a lot of tracks lately and I’m preparing a new EP for Form (Popof’s label). My friend Romain Dalman and I also shot a stop motion movie clip last month, it took us 10 days of work to shoot thousands of pictures. The track is called “The Alive Sequencer” and the movie clip is really nice, we’ve had only great feedbacks. I’m also working on a track for a huge compilation for Boxer’s birthday, and finally I’ve got to confess that Max Bett and I are doing something together, we’ll see what track comes out of it.

Honestly, I haven’t found so much information about your career in the web, so could you please make us a summary of how you became a DJ/producer and who are you more precisely?
>It all started a long time ago, when I was dragged into a conservatory, at the age of 4. It was a classical conservatory, and I was introduced to a lot of instruments, mostly doing classical music. The main problem was the policy of this school: everything was a competition and the pleasure of playing music came second: I quit when I was 12 to change conservatory. I was now playing guitar a lot (all the time actually) and I wanted to become a guitar hero. My second conservatory was more laid back and I met a wonderful guitar teacher (Jean-Pierre Lacaille). I was fascinated by guitar heroes such as Jason Becker or Yngwie Malmsteen, and after years of work I was able to play guitar pretty well. I rapidly felt the need of recording myself, and Jean-Pierre introduced me to softwares like Cubase SX3. I finally stopped conservatory when I was 16 because my studies were taking a lot of time and I needed a break. I kept on producing electronic music, which led me where I am now.

How did you meet the German label Boxer Recordings? Why have you choose it to release your tracks?
> I really wanted the label Boxer Recordings for those specific tracks because I liked their style: they just like music and they always promote creativity. Most of their releases are interesting and each track seems to have a soul, which I think is the essence of music. I asked my manager and he already knew Boxer’s boss, so it made things easier I guess. I think I discovered them for real with Dusty Kid’s album, but I had already heard some things from them before.

Concerning your career as producer, could you please tell us what was your first track? How did it happen?
> My first track ever released was something on a really small label, I was not very mature technically and even if I think it’s funny, it is a tad embarrassing right now (lol), it’s something kind of housy called Tribute. Otherwise my first important release was on Minibus (Gailo/Le Poulain) and it worked really well. This period of my career was hard because it was almost impossible to be signed somewhere, I was beginning and I knew nobody. I took it very personally and felt maybe a little bit depressed, hence I did not have a lot of inspiration. Now that I look back I’m glad things went like this, it gave me the time I needed to really find my sound.

I think you come from France. Could you please confirm this and where are you from exactly?
> I usually say I come from Paris because this city is known everywhere although I’m actually from Versailles which is really close. Some people think I’m British because I used to live in the UK to complete engineering studies.

Could you please tell us some of the French DJs who influenced you and your work?
> When I started producing I was a really big fan of Lifelike, this guy is really awesome and I still buy every release from him. I’ve been influenced by Daft Punk of course and also Jean-Michel Jarre (my father likes him a lot and I heard it a lot in my childhood, I went to his concert when I was 5). Two or Three years ago I met Sébastien Léger, which was a huge step in my life. He helped me a lot technically as well as mentally, and he is a true artist with an incredible talent. Lately I’ve been crazy about Rodriguez Jr., this guys is also a real musician.

I saw that apparently two of your friends are Popof and Sebastien Leger. What is you relation with them? Are you working on track with them or are they just friends?
> Popof discovered me with the EP Gailo, I wanted a remix from him so Sebastien kindly asked him. He was overbooked and did not have time, but Popof and his manager Ghayath loved the track and we started to be in contact. About a year later I was releasing an EP on Form and now Ghayath is my manager as well. I consider Sebastien a true friend and we used to spend a lot of time on Skype when he was in Amsterdam.

2010, is the year of your explosion, with a lot of tracks like “Heloise”, “Flying Coconut”, “Capuche” and many more. What can we expect from you before the end of the year?
> Well, beside the remix for Morcheeba nothing is signed and final so I prefer to say nothing. All I know is that people should be prepared for the clip “The Alive Sequencer” (as a teaser: Sebastien Léger is in it).

I saw that before you became a DJ and producer you played an instrument as many other artists. What is your favorite instrument?
> My favorite instrument is definitely guitar. I played a lot of other things such as violin or transverse flute for 7 years. At a time I almost bought a Bagpipe because I was hypnotized by the sound of it. I know one day I’ll do it!

For a few months now, more and more people are talking about the movie that depicts the Berliner producer and DJ, Paul Kalkbrenner, who plays in "Berlin calling”. Did you see it? What do you think about this movie?
> I did not see this movie and I’ll do it as soon as possible.

To conclude this interview, we have a few more questions to better know you. Sometimes one word is enough!

The song you advice us to listen in your discography?
> Joachim Pastor - Krikriturn

An artist you would like to work with, one day?
> Rodriguez Jr.

3 words to define your music?
> Soulfull, groovy, stupid

Are you using vinyl or mp3 for your mix?
> I do not use vinyl, please forgive me!!

Your next show in France?
> I don’t have any gigs coming in France soon, I’m only a newcomer and gigs are starting slowly.

One word about Germany?
> I want to go to Berlin!

The software you use to produce?
> I’m currently using Logic Pro 8 and Apple computers (my studio is almost an Applestore...)

Your best souvenir of this summer: a place where you played for instance or an anecdote?
> Two weeks in Hawaii, it was really nice !!

The best club in France (name and city)?
> Hum…. hard question because I can only judge Parisian nightlife. I would say “Rex Club”, they always have a pretty nice crowd and underground artists. I heard “la villa rouge” in the south of France is really good too but I’ve never been there.

Your favorite track these days?
> Max Bett “Click” is really great. I also advice “Rodriguez Jr.’s live” available on Boxer recording’s Soundcloud (that’s what I’ve got in my car right now).

Thank you very much for the time you devoted to Actualités Electroniques and particularly for this interview that allow us to know you better. We will wait for sure for your next productions. We hope to see you soon in a club in France or abroad. See ya!”

Dj Aroy

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