We chat about the electronic artists recent E.P release ‘Clair de Lune,’ the sentiment behind the music, and glamorous DJ gigs.
As we draw towards winter's end Voodoo and Prayers can celebrate yet another phenomenal release. French born, Barcelona based DJ, producer, and Ableton aficionado Florian Gasperini, unveils his 2 track EP release 'Clair De Lune' (out now on all platforms). Much like Claude Debussy's classical namesake, it too is influenced by the moon. The E.P itself is an organic progressive wonder of hypnotic pulsating rhythms, with an equally formidable B side 'Parallel Transmission'; a transcending shimmering story, with gliding captivating melodies.
There is something soulful about Gasperini's work, testament to his creativity as a visionary. We spoke to him a bit more about the release.
“Clair de lune (moonlight in French) was something inspired by a melancholic moment where I imagined what could be seen from above, taking into account the luminosity of the moon over the planet.The moon has an effect on our organism, and it is important to accept and understand its functioning towards our physical and mental state...everything that happens in our lives has a meaning. What I wanted to convey to people is the sadness and suffering that happened in these moments that I composed, but at the same time with a hope to return to happiness due to the strength and intensity of the moon... “
Indeed, it is this depth that perhaps sets Florian apart from other artists of his genre. An electronic poem that proves a potentially emotive experience for the listener, sunny or tinted with blue. Either way there is always some emotion conveyed through his sound.
But where did the musical journey all begin for Florian?
After starting life in a town called Brignoles in the beautiful South French region of Provence, Florian's first steps were as a DJ in 1994 in a town called Entrepot in Nice amidst France's burgeoning electronic music scene. He then started to consider his craft as a feasible life choice.
“I started being a DJ at 20 years old and I knew that I wanted to transmit things. But life (or rather the system) still scared me. I always got a phrase like 'it's not a job for you, better do a job that will be a profession'. But what kind of profession are we talking about? Transmitting is not a job? Like many artists at that time it was challenging, and having gigs to play in clubs or events was very difficult to achieve unless you connected with people around you to get work. Today there are DJ and music production schools that have been developed everywhere and with technology… Things are much easier and more intuitive than before...”
Aside from this inner reflection, another factor also shaped his direction; geography. Florian's move to Barcelona marked the start of the next major chapter in his life. Although unanimously voted as one of the world's most iconic and vibrant cities, I still wanted to know why he decided upon the Catalonian capital.
“I simply came to take a few days of vacation in 1999 and I literally fell in love with the city and its atmosphere, and from there I stayed. Apart from its general atmosphere, Barcelona has an unprecedented club culture and if you add sun and beach you already have the perfect background. It also has a great influence on a musical level and personally inspired me to create and be the person I am today.”
It was in Barcelona that Gasperini became the main resident DJ of the famous Barcelona Essentials events (parties that present the best of Barcelona in one night). This eventually led to gigs in other major European cities such as Madrid, Paris, Amsterdam, Lausane, Milan, as well as other glamorous opportunities with brands such as Swarovski, Guess, and even the celebrity world.
“I worked in many places around the world thanks to my DJ profession until I managed to play at several private events such as the 80th birthday of Hugh Heffner, the owner of Playboy magazine. I also performed for a few days in Morocco for the 50th of Germaine Jackson, Michael Jackson's brother (an incredible person on an emotional level). My best place that I really enjoyed connecting with the public was at Space, Ibiza, in 2010 when I was a resident.”
However, as successful as his DJ career was, it was only a matter of time before making music came into focus.
“I started producing in 2007, I was tired of depending on other producers, and at that time I no longer felt like an independent or established artist. I almost always depended on the musical tastes of other producers and I felt more like a product than a true artist. That changed in 2007 where I decided to buy my own materials and become interested in composing alone. My sources of inspiration at that time were Richie Hawtin, Laurent Garnier, Oliver Huntemann, Dub Fire..
Nowadays my style has changed and I work more on the acoustic composition, part fusing with electronic sounds. Today they call that particular style Organic House. In my beginnings there were still not as many musical genres as there are now, and we had fewer resources. But even so we managed to create incredible music that for me marked an era. I look for my sources of inspiration today in artists like: Nils Frahm, Yann Tiersen, Hans Zimmer, Max Ritchter... Mainly my sounds are made up of violins, hangs, pads, organic sounds and ambient voices. I look for my sources of inspiration in the sounds of meditation and movies.”
Gaperini's innate gift for music was so impressive that he eventually took it to DAW titan Ableton's nucleus. There he works helping others with their creative vision.
“A few years ago, I decided to do something that would help people convey their feelings constructively. But also something that would be of growth on a personal level. There I decided to teach music production with the Ableton live program that allows us to develop creativity and increase each person's knowledge, whilst also transmitting what we carry inside. I managed to work in 4 academies including the University of Barcelona, where I transmit my knowledge and my ways of creating and developing my talent. In reality, I have come to the world to write my life through music with a selection of very personalized instruments. These are carefully chosen so that each note transmits all the moments that I am living and feeling in these stages of my life. My music is about helping and making the rest of the world understand that we must learn to love ourselves above reality.'
More recently Gasperini's managers are preparing a tour for America starting in Mexico, Toronto, Denver and Ecuador to name a few. This is in tandem with multiple releases, including of course 'Clair De Lune'. Florian acknowledges that Voodoo and Prayers is a label with high musical quality, and a good marriage in being able to, in his own words, 'transmit his story to the public'.
However, this doesn't stop here. We are proud to also have Florian’s exclusive Voodoo and Prayers guest mix out which features our recent release. You can listen to that here as well as stream and download ‘Clair de Lune’ here
Written by Voodoo and Prayers Contributor Rosie Riot
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