We’ve unearthed this interview with Cedric Pilooski that our good friend, contributor and record collecting obsessive, James Pole, conducted in June 2007. The interview was never used back then and we think that it certainly should have been.
Parisien Pilooski was just beginning to make a name for himself in 2007 when James chatted to him. Since then he’s gone on to properly form Discodeine which he chats about here, release a handful of well received and acclaimed compilations as well as touring the world as a DJ. What we like most about this interview is the down-to-earth uncomplicated, unpretentious passion for music and film that fuels what Cedric does with his music and his life in general. Definitely one of the good guys. Hope you enjoy this insight into the early days of one of the most credible of all the ‘edit’ producers to emerge from the middle to tail end of the 2000s.
So Cedric, where are you originally from?
I was born in Paris, but I moved to the south with my mum and sister not long after that. We moved about a lot when I was young. I’ve lived in Spain, Montreal, different places really. I came back to Paris about three years ago because I was working for some labels here but I was living in the south of France for about 10 years before that.
Do you remember your first musical memory when you were a kid?
My dad listened to just the usual mainstream stuff, The Beatles and lots of French pop singers. Apart from the obvious pop stuff – I wasn’t influenced by him too much. I’ve been buying records from an early age though, I remember I used to go to the supermarket and buy lots of 45s. I would buy everything like you do when you’re a kid, mostly crap! One tune i do remember buying was Pass the Dutchie by Musical Youth, i used to love that song and a best of Ennio Morricone and other western soundtracks.
Did you buy French pop music as well?
Not really no. I started listening to people like Gainsbourg, Brigitte Fontaine, Jack Arel later, not when i was a kid. While I was at high school and college I was really into indie music. I remember being a fan of this Scottish band called Orange Juice, also a lot of 90s indie, stuff on Creation, My Bloody Valentine and synth pop as well and so on. Like so many other kids I then discovered hip hop, which introduced me to soul, funk and disco.
What was the hip hop track that got you hooked?
I can’t remember too well but it was just before the first De La Soul LP, Jungle Brothers’s Done By The Forces of Nature also.
Three Feet High and Rising?
Yeah and then I discovered earlier stuff through that. I’ve always liked the pop side of music and to me De La Soul were always like a pop band. Pop in the French sense of the word, something you can remember with strong melodies, hooks and so on… That’s what really kicked things off for me. Then there was soul, I got really into collecting soul and funk 45s but I was listening to loads of different things at the same time like early techno and electronic stuff like the Nugroove label stuff.
So hip hop got you into collecting records more seriously?
Yep. When I first started making music I was making hip hop beats for French rappers, so I was sampling a lot of soul, musique concrete records and library LPs, whatever really. But I always dug disco too. To me it’s all just the same thing – rock, disco, hip hop… A good song is a good song really. I’ve never been one of these people who is just into one style. That’s probably one of the reason I stopped hanging out with the hip hop guys.
When I first started making music I was making hip hop beats for French rappers, so I was sampling a lot of soul, musique concrete records and library LPs, whatever really. But I always dug disco too. To me it’s all just the same thing… rock, disco, hip hop… a good song is a good song really.
Totally, when you start digging for breaks you find them on country records, childrens records, rockstuff, anywhere! You get turned onto so much that way too.
Yeah and I think it’s the same for a whole generation of people that grew up with hip hop. It lead them to so many different things. Hip hop has so much energy and the beats, that’s why I liked it so much. I don’t listen to it as much these days though.
So what age were you when you started making beats?
About 27 or so. I started off DJing first though. Making tapes as I didn’t have any studio equipment. I’ve always been really into the mix, putting loads of different things together with little skits and so on. I used to record dialogue from the television and mix that in too. That probably comes from the hip hop/De La Soul thing. I had a friend who had an early Akai sampler which we made beats on, but it wasn’t until a lot later that I got my own equipment, which is still really basic to be honest.
What equipment are you using at the moment?
I’ve gone back to my analogue gear, the EMU SP12 sampler for the beats. I love analogue, I like that warm dirty sound. I was working for a while with just a computer, but because you spend a week doing just EQs I gave it up and went back to basics. I don’t mind if it sounds dirty!
A little bit under-produced sounding maybe?
Yes that’s what I mean, I like when it sounds raw. I like clean sounding productions, just not when I’m making it… digital can be cool too, I have nothing against that at all. To be honest, I’m not even sure I can make clean sounding things ha ha!
So, no computers at all right now?
I’m just using the computer to record right now. I’ve got an old analogue mixer so I put everything through that and then into the computer. A friend of mine has made me some effects pedals also. I tell him what I want and he makes them. That’s the gear I’m using right now.
Cool, can I talk a bit about your edits as you’ve made a bit of a name for yourself with those recently.
Well I started doing the edits just for my DJ sets about 5 or 6 years ago. Just taking the bits I didn’t like out of certain songs. Everyone seems to be doing edits right now – I suppose it’s a trendy thing to do. The difference is in the tracks you choose. I like some disco edits but at the end of the day, you can’t do better than Ron Hardy or even The Black Cock stuff. Technically, it doesn’t have to be complicated. You can stay close to the original and if you’re good enough you add your own touch. I’m not saying I add great things to the edits that’s just the way I see it.
One of your edits has been put out a again by a major label, the Frankie Valli one right?
Yeah, Dan from 679 records called me up about it.
Have you heard of them before?
I don’t think so, of course I knew The Streets, Kano and The Earlies but I didn’t know the name of the label… Anyway, I did this edit a while ago now, it’s a classic northern soul tune and there’s a quite a few versions of it. There’s another version I like but I decided to do the Frankie Valli one because it’s more raw sounding. Anyway we put it out a few months ago and Dan from 679 records called me up and said he wanted to re-release it on his own label. They are licensed to Warner and he found out Warners owned the rights for the Beggin’ track!
I think the tune is going to be a big summer smash, the next Gnarls Barcley – Crazy.
You think so?
Definitely. Do you just get your money up front and that’s it? Even if it goes to number one?
I’m afraid so but then again I did not compose the original song…
I get you. It’s on Radio 1 now – I heard Zane Lowe was playing it.
I think the guy at the label is trying to do a family thing with it. To appeal to everyone from the age of 7 to 78 you know. There’s a big hook in the song so he’s trying make it a pop tune which was the point when we put it out ourselves. Still it’s ok as I’ve started getting more work with remixes and gigs.
Have you been getting some gigs abroad?
Yeah, but also because of the work I’ve been doing with Dirty and The Diamond Traxx label. We all left this label recently, there’s a good network of people I’ve been working with. With all the compilations and edits we’ve been doing with Dirty I’ve started getting more gigs off the back of that. I’ve always had gigs, but now it’s better. When we put our first edits out, which was well over a year ago, we had no feedback at all for a while and then all of a sudden people started to ask for the first one which is sold out now. That’s just the way it goes. Now were doing this compilation. Has Guillame told you about that?
Is that the one coming out on Tigersushi?
Yeah. Originally we all used to work for Diamond Traxx, that is myself and the guys at Dirty. Now we’re working with Tigersushi as well a few other projects.
Could you talk about your crew?
Yeah, D-i-r-t-y is originally Guillaume Sorge, Clovis Goux and another guy called Benjamin Morando, who I’m in a project with right now under the name Discodeine. We’re making very slow, long experimental disco tracks. Like Ennio Morricone with a disco feel. We’re just finishing some tracks now actually. Hopefully they’ll be out sometime in September.
Will you be putting that out via Tigersushi?
We don’t know really. We’ll need to see how it goes…
I suppose with everyone downloading, it’s a bit more of a risk putting a record out now.
Of course. The kind of music we make can’t sell millions and we’re not out looking for big money. It’s more about creating a network of creative people getting some more gigs, that sort of thing. I’m not trying to make it in a mainstream way – I just want to enjoy myself and keep the music playful.
When I do a mix I always think I can get things done in an hour, but then I’m still working on it four days later as if I’m making a track. I just keep editing things all the time. Then I’ll add some dialogue from futuristic movies from the 1970s.
I’ve listened to some of your mixes recently, it sounds like you use a computer?
Yeah, I’ve been doing everything on the computer and editing things up. When I do a mix I always think I can get things done in an hour, but then I’m still working on it four days later as if I’m making a track. I just keep editing things all the time. Then I’ll add some dialogue from futuristic movies from the 1970s. I really love cinema so I’m always sampling voices and dialogue. The mixes I’ve been doing lately have been very cinematic and as I have so many influences, I’m trying to fit all these things in there. I love making mixtapes!
Is it Ableton you use?
Yes.
Do you use Ableton when you’re playing in nightclubs or vinyl?
It depends. Like tomorrow I’m going to Copenhagen to play with Ben who I do Discodeine with and we’ll be remixing and editing loads of tracks live on our computers. Before I was vinyl only for years, but in the last six months I’ve started playing CDs and sometimes I’ll take the computer with the effects pedals too.
So, no vinyl at all anymore?
Not any more no. I’m still buying them, I just don’t want to carry them, it’s too heavy. I love vinyl though. I was given Serato recently, so I use that along with cd’s sometimes also. If I really want to enjoy myself it’s got to be vinyl, especially 45’s. I used to play alot from 45.
Do you get much luck digging around France at the moment then?
You used to find a lot. It depends what you’re after, if you want what everybodys looking for right now like weird disco things then no. I used to get a lot of records in Canada as I used to live there. I’d go to Warehouses quite alot and buy soul 45’s, French library lp’s, disco. I use ebay every now and then but I’m not spending days on it like some people.
So France is a bit dry at the moment.
Yeah. It’s like everywhere else at the moment, everybody is looking for the same things. The stuff I’m looking for at the moment is mostly European though.
Like psychedelic, progressive things?
Yeah definitely, but not only that, i’m looking for eveything as long as it’s good… I’m trying to add that psychedelic touch to the edits too, with all the effects and delay. That’s probably the Lee Perry/do it yourself influence also though. So lots of psychedelic rock right now, also soundtracks. To me Ennio Morricone is the master, he’s above everyone to me .
Cool. So for someone wanting to get started with Morricone’s music where’s a good place to begin?
Well the guy has made about 500 lp’s, it’s crazy. He can do very popular sounding things for all the family but at the same time he has a very experimental side. For example there was a band he had called Feedback, there’s a track they did which has the funky drummer going on for 20 minutes with concrete noise, strings… Amazing! It’s the same spirit as a lot of things that are happening right now, except he made them 30 years ago. His arrangements are just incredible. Anyway, for someone wanting to start, there’s a realy good compilation done by Mike Patton called “Dissonance” containing alot of things he did in the seventies and it’s beautiful. Sometimes it’s just strings, like loops, very modern. It can be very psychedelic, very dark or hard but it’s always interesting. He can just do everything, disco, funk, classical of course whatever. All of us at Dirty have a big love of Morricone.
Who else are you influenced by?
One of my favourite producers is a guy from Detroit called Anthony Shakir, probably one of the best techno producers ever, but sadly he doesn’t get the recognition he deserves, also Errorsmith/Smith and Hack from Berlin, Mr Oizo stuff, to me one of the best producer to ever come from France. Also Krikor’s stuff, Pentile (formerly Octet) and loads of more mainstream stuff also.
On any given day I could be listening to some old school house, Detroit techno, acid, Chicago house, children music, some hip hop, rock, disco… I’ve been going back to a lot of Patrick Adams things at the moment actually. I love the easy side of it and the simple, catchy melodies. I’ve just got a passion for arrangers in general, people with a large view on music. Quincy Jones for jazz, Lee Perry for the reggae, Phil Spector, Martin Hannett, Patrick Adams and so on… Of course, we always look for obscure music because we’re curious but at the end of the day you’ll always come back to the classics. When I’m at home this is what I’m listening to, lots of soul and Italian movie soundtracks from the 70’s… and pop songs!
Like who else?
The Sylvers… I love the Sylvers. Once again I love the arrangements. If you listen to them on the headphones you can hear the production has an experimental edge. Jerry Buttler who produced the first LPs was definitely trying some things out. They were the perfect band, a pop band with an experimental side. That’s exactly the kind of records some people like Justin Timberlake are trying to do today. You can go on the charts with some interesting music. It’s perfect.
I’ve seen some Sylvers LPs before but they were quite expensive.
They are actually, but if you can track them down the first three LPs, Sylvers 1, 2 and 3 they’re just incredible.
Yeah, I know one tune from one of them…What’s It All About.
Yeah I love that one.
Didn’t Jaydee sample them on Donuts recently?
Yeah, when he sampled it I was like fuck! One of my favourite songs ever.
He did a good job though.
Oh yeah. I love Jaydee, some of Madlib too… It has that wild side thing. You can feel these people are creative, they have ideas and that spontaneity. That’s what I like about it.
I don’t think Madlib spends too much time on his tunes either – that’s why he’s so prolific I suppose.
That’s what I like about it. The rawness. Sometimes I could spend two hours on something, sometimes four days but at the end of the day all the stuff I like has to have that spontaneous thing, you know? Like when you can hear that somebody’s had an idea, even if it’s been done quickly or it’s not finished it’s got that raw thing going on. It’s a feeling. I don’t like things to be too perfect. That’s just my opinion ha ha. I’m not saying I’m right!
Cool. So what other projects can we look out for by you in the near future?
I just did an EP for a French producer called Krikor and his Omerta label, have you heard of him?
The name rings a bell but no, not really.
He’s a techno producer and he used to work with people like Ark. Anyway he’s going to be releasing some tunes I did about three years ago on his label. A very dirty, hypnotic kind of thing, that’s going to be out in two weeks. It’s old to me now and I’m not really sure I would do that today. I can’t really be objective about the music I make anyway. Also I’m working with a Japanese label who’ll be releasing the soul/cut-up things I’ve done. This is all stuff I did a while ago. Hopefully the Discodeine stuff will come out in September too. Production wise I’m working on more electronic, spacey things and of course there’s loads of edits I haven’t released yet. I’m going to be doing something for the Eskimo subsidiary label, Mindless Boogie in September too.
Is that going to be a compilation of your edits then?
Yes, there’s going to be two compilations. Basically all our edits have sold out, so for people that missed out can get them again this time round. We’re probably going to put three or four bonus tracks on each volume as well. One of our friends is doing the artwork for it too, which is cool. There’s also the Dirty Disco compilation coming out on Tigersushi with a 12″ to accompany it containing an edit by Joakim and myself. I’m doing some remixes for the guy who licensed Beggin’ and I’ve had a couple of remix/re-edit jobs from some majors, so things are pretty busy.
Nice. You were talking about Morricone earlier, I take it you’re quite inspired by cinema then?
Yeah definitely, I’m really into old science fiction from the seventies. Films like Solyent Green and Solaris, but also Terrence Malik – the guy only made four movies but they are very emotional ones. I like Scorcese gangster films from the seventies too, you know with the Italians thang. I watch movies every day as I’m always sampling the sounds and dialogues. To me cinema is like music anyway – they just go together you know.
So you’re a soundtrack fan too right?
Yes of course, I love soundtracks. For a period I was only buying soundtracks not even looking for beats on them, just atmospheres. For me old Italian ones from the sixties and seventies, a lot of French ones to like Goraguer and La Planete Sauvage. Anything with that weird vibe.
What about Jean Claude Vannier?
Yes him and Gainsbourg of course. Also John Carpenter, I love all that dark synthesiser work he does. Also there’s a guy called Howard Shore who does all the music for David Cronenberg’s movies. One I love is the one from the Scanners movie, he always makes these crazy soundtracks, quite scary actually and they use just synths and effects… Really dark. On most of the mixes I do there are some extracts from cinema on there to create the tension. Maybe a string from here and a bit of dialogue there. I also love to mix different parts of the sountracks together to create a new atmosphere. It sometimes ends a mix of four or five different soundtracks.
Have you got any mixes available online right now?
I usually just do them for various blogs but sometimes I put one on our blog as well. I do some for UK radio shows at the moment. I recently done one for Beats In Space and also done one for our blog. Do you know our blog?
Is that the Alain Finkielkrautrock thing?
Yeah, it’s from the name of a philosopher in France, we just added the “Krautrock” That’s his real name Alain Finkielkraut, it was supposed to be funny, I’m not sure now as though ha ha. We originally started with Guillaume and all the people from Dirty, then some friends came in and now there’s probably 15 people, passionate with music, movies, whatever working on it.
Just adding crazy stuff.
Yeah, all our friends with the same tastes as us – the bizarre and the strange! It could be some cinema or music. We could post some recipes up there too if we wanted, it’s not a problem. We don’t want to turn into an obscure disco blog for connoisseurs only or anything like that, you know.
I know what you mean. Let’s call it a day there Cedric. Thanks for doing this interview and have fun in Copenhagen tomorrow.
No problems. Take care man.
(Image/drawing of Pilooski courtesy of Discobelle)