Imagine Giorgio Moroder meeting George Clinton for an explosive party with deep bass and cocktails with Viagra and Red Bull. So you'll get an idea of what is the music of The Supermen Lovers, aka Guillaume Atlan. Disco, dance, electro. Funk. Full of funk. All in one, as a special offer but far more premium. From 2001, he laid the foundations of the new wave of European electronic music. His organic sounds, his mix of synthesizers, loops and real instruments played live, are instantly recognizable. But how can we present The Supermen Lovers without superlative clichés? Quote just the magic word "Starlight" and that's enough! 2 million copies sold worldwide. Today we have the chance to interview one of the spearheads of the French house scene, which I hope will allow you to see him under another point of view, that is to say not a man with only a single track. This interview follows the interview of other French producers and precursors of this French Touch movement like Fred Falke, Lifelike and Benjamin Diamond.

 

"Hello Guillaume,

Honestly, it's a real pleasure and honor to interview you, because you're one of my favorite house producers due of course to "Starlight" but mostly because of your background, your last EP and the mixtapes you are publishing every month now, for almost a year on your Soundcloud.

Four months ago, you gave us a nice lesson of music, by publishing your last album "Between the Ages". More recently and this is one of the reasons for this interview, you released « Fantasma Disco EP », which incorporates pieces of this album with remixes by talented producers like Jupiter. Tell us about this choice and why these remixers such as Andy too?
> Well the choice of remixers is really about feeling. For Jupiter, I really liked their song "Sake" and the spirit of the duo... With my label "La Tebwa" we decided to ask them to produce a remix of "Say no more". They agreed and asked me to remix myself their new track "One O Six"... This was indeed a pleasure!
For ANDY, I had the opportunity to play with him at Avignon and we sympathized. So once, I went to Belgium and we had a drink in Brussels. We talked about music all the afternoon. Musically and humanly there was something great between us, so we decided to remix each other too ;)

And apart from this EP, what will be your next releases? Maybe some remixes?
> Yes. My remix for Jupiter has been released on April 16 and I have two more remixes coming on. The first is for an English band called "Status" on the label Cyclo that will be released during May. And the second, is the remix of "El Barrio" by A.N.D.Y. also that will be released too in May on the label "Disco Texas".
I released a lot of EP recently and it feels good to take a step back and make some remixes... But that does not stop me from preparing my new single "We got that booty" featuring Antonin, that will be released in June with amazing remixers.

2011 is over. If you look back to this last year, what can you say about it? I guess you have mainly worked on your last album "Between the ages", released at the beginning November.
> The sump-up is full: a new album, three EPs, the live dates... And good meetings. I also increased my relationship with the label "La Tebwa" and now I work a lot more calmly because I know I have a great team to support me and to be honest this is one thing that I missed after “Starlight”...

After you give us these info about your music news we would like to go back to your musical roots. Could you briefly tell us how did you become producer and DJ?
> So... I started music at age of 7 with the conservatory for 10 years, then I played in bands of acid jazz and funk in the early 90s. Then I discovered bands like Chemical Brothers, Daft Punk and Basement Jaxx. I finally heard some artists who were producing electronic music. I am not a DJ and it's not at all my musical culture. I was playing keyboard in many groups and I like the culture of the live.. And then finally thanks to the artists named above, I could easily project myself into the electronic music world.... Come on stage with sequencers, synthesizers, machines. I like to mix but somehow I feel frustrated, I feel less passionate to share my music with the public. Playing live is an incomparable pleasure!
So in 1998 I bought my first sequencer MPC2000 and an ASR 10 Ensoniq and I got into production.

At the beginning, did your family understand what you did for a living? And now are they proud of what you achieved along the years?
> They had not necessarily understood. At the beginning, I was in college and I told them that I wanted to stop everything to do electronic music. They said "No problem... But you can’t do this here..!" So I took off... And of course today they are very proud of their son!

Concerning your stage name, if it's not a secret, where does it come from? I just know that you are fascinated by the stars, which is reflected with the track "Starlight" and your artistic direction.
> The name "The Supermen Lovers" comes from the song "Superman Lover" by Johnny Guitar Watson. It is a tribute to one of the greatest track of funk and blues ever!

Moreover, I feel that there is a little confusion about your name in the plural. You're alone or are there other members that work always with you like the singers Mani or Delegation?
> From my point of view, I do not see why there is a concern to have a plural name even if I am alone. This is curious because this problem exists only in France... Mike Skinner is "The Streets" and he is alone. It is a project name, not a group one. In addition, I used many guest appearances since the beginning of TSL. There were in fact around thirty prestigious guests, like Rick Bailey from Délégation or Norma Jean for the Chic band. I also worked with French artists like Mani Hoffman, Antonin, Juan Rozoff or Kenny Norris and producers like Herr Styler.

For some time, you’ve dedicated your time to produce music for commercials like Adidas and for movies. What did you remember about these experiences?
> It was interesting... But I'm not gonna hide that I prefer to make records, remixes or lives... It is day and night anyway. In an ad you have absolutely no artistic freedom... It is a command. That’s all.

"Starlight", it was 10 years ago, honestly what do you think about it after all these years? An image that will always stick to you or a visit card to expand your music with this track as collateral?
> Pretty well... I'm proud of "Starlight"! This is a track that corresponds to a specific period of time and I'm proud! Obviously it sticks a bit too much too... It's hard to understand that there is something else in the universe of TSL. But I’m sure people will change their minds... Slowly and this hit allows me to impose the rest of my music more easily than if "Starlight" does not exist!

Besides, is there a particular story behind this track? Is there a specific meaning, apart from the success it has generated, maybe in the way you've created it, its sources of inspiration?
> Of course! At this time there was a fantastic energy with the huge success of Daft Punk, Cassius and the others. I had already released several albums under the pseudonym "Stan de Mareuil" on my label Lafessé Records and I wanted to start a new project. So I produced the track "Marathon man" who was the first piece signed under the pseudo TSL.
One day, I was at home and I played with an instrument that sounds good... And there all the melody of "Starlight" came to me at once... Clear and transparent... I felt a moment of pure happiness that lasted a few seconds... From that moment, I knew it was something enormous!
I want everyone to live for those few seconds, while the world's gold is not worth it! Then, I needed an interpreter and I found Mani Hoffman with whom then we wrote the lyrics.

As I said previously the track of your discography that clearly kills everything for me was "Starlight" especially with a fantastic remix by Luca Agnelli with a crazy sax. Have you ever heard about it? During every party I made and when I can, I played the track and it is always a success!
> Yes, yes of course... It was a good idea to add this great solo sax. In any case it is great and well reworked by Mr. Agnelli.

You always have been an emblem of the French Touch movement that began in the early 2000s, how did you see the world of electronic music evolved over the last 10 years?
> Well I think in the end, it has evolved not so bad, pretty well let’s say... I had a fear with the explosion of the euro electronic dance music but fortunately it managed to stay honest and now I'm pleased that the current Nu disco movement is really present.

The interview will be published on a website mainly read by French people. So, what do you know about the French electronic music scene? Are there some artists that you personally know or especially love their music? We can say that recently you got closer to the Jupiter duo right?
> There is indeed a super electro scene that grown in the recent years in France. The Nu Disco was born in 2003 and I am proud when kids come to tell me that "Starlight" is the Nu Disco's earliest hit. I really feel part of this musical movement and I find in it absolutely all of my musical foundations... Disco, funk, disco-funk with a sauce of today.
The Belgian scene is very prolific too at the moment and I like the tracks of ANDY, The Magician, Moonlight Matters, etc.
I like the duo Jupiter because their sound is fresh, without a priori and free of coercion. This is pure and melodic disco... I like it a lot!

Some readers are asking us more and more info about the technique and the equipment of the producers we interview. What do you use to produce? Synths of course and what else?
> So... I have been for so long a fundamentalist advocate of the analog sound. I only worked on most analog desk and MIDI hardware (multi effect, compression, etc.) Until 2009. Then I discovered Ableton and I found an interesting compromise between analog and digital. Indeed, I use the digital sequencer Ableton but I mix everything in a Mackie 32/8 with multi effects like the DP4 and a UREI compression.

Besides music, what are your hobbies?
> Movies... But I have also a real geeky side... I love science fiction, werewolves... I am a fool of space exploration and I watch closely the progress of humanity to go to Mars, Titan, Europe and everything else!

 

Guillaume, before we conclude this interview we have a few more questions. Sometimes one word is enough!

The track you advice us to listen to in your discography? 
> "The Bridge"

An artist you would like to work with one day?
> Quincy Jones

3 words to describe your music?
> Nu Funk / Nu Disco

Vinyl or MP3 for your mixes?
> When I mix: vinyl.

The software you use to produce? I’ve read that you were always for analogic vs. the digital!
> As I said above: Ableton.

One privilege, being DJ, gives you access to?
> Sharing with the public.

Some words about the website I manage: Actualités Electroniques?
> Great reviews, interesting interviews and I like the links to Juno charts with various electro artists.

Your favorite track these days?
Sebastien Tellier - Cochon Ville (The Magician Remix)

Guillaume, thank you for the time you devoted to Actualités Electroniques and especially for this complete and exclusive interview. We look forward to your upcoming productions and hope to meet you during a party. See you soon!
> Thank you! :))) "

Dj Aroy

MORE INFO ABOUT THE SUPERMEN LOVERS
http://www.facebook.com/thesupermenlovers
http://twitter.com/#!/supermenlovers
http://www.myspace.com/therealsupermenlovers
http://soundcloud.com/the-supermen-lovers
http://www.facebook.com/latebwa