Marina Trench is back with a series of impressive remixes of the recently released Imperméable en été EP on her Sweet State imprint.
Kicking off is one of the most legendary artists of this time, Gerd Janson, with his instantly recognizable touch. Gerd delivers an ever so classy version of ‘Ose ft. Hugo Lx’ that keep the sultry sample of Marina’s vox present, while he composes a whole new bassline that leads the groove.
Then comes a remix by very the talented Earl Jeffers of ‘L’Orage’. His deep-down groove lead style sits at the crossroads of afro and UK house. Adding new pads, synthwork, and solid bass, Earl perfectly reworks the track for the club and introspective moments alike by submerging the listener into his colourful and vibrant shade of house.
Tatyana Jane’s brilliant effort rounds off the EP. An emerging talent from France who makes a mark with her production skill once again through her re-rub of ‘Hirondelle’. Bringing a whole new vibe that blends influences of breakbeat to techno to afro-futurism. Marina’s vocal is on repeat throughout, bolstered by building drums that carries the dancer away in a sonic whirl.
You can now listen to the full premiere of Gerd Janson’s remix exclusively on When We Dip while reading the great interview we had with Marina. Enjoy!
WWD: Thanks for talking to us Marina. Where are you today and what are you doing?
Hello WWD. Thanks to having me here to talk with you today! I’m very well, I answering to you from my music studio in Paris in le 9ème arrondissement. It’s a very little place, pretty comfy, where I love work, create or listen music.
WWD: Where is it you are from exactly? Paint us a picture of where you grew up a little?
I’m from a city very close to Paris called Créteil 94, and I grow up in the 90’s in this city. I did a part of my little school up until the high school there. It’s fun to remember this time because I don’t speak so much about that period – At the same time it was cool because it was the carefree days of childhood and adolescence, and at the same time, it was a difficult period because the neighborhood wasn’t easy. They were large 9-storey buildings that follow each other in a U-shape. We did activities like dancing at commercial center on Sunday, we listening music outside the flats for long time, like French rap ATK, Rim-k, Roff, like fun or classic disco tracks and quite a bit of RNB too as was much more of a fancy genre at that time. He he.
WWD: Where are you based these days exactly?
Now I live in Saint-Ouen, a city very close to Paris, Les Puces de Ouen. It’s a lovely as place. I dig everything there and it fits pretty nice with my state of mind.
WWD: Do you consider yourself a Parisian these days?
I think so! First of all I’m raise and born in a suburb south of Paris. Even though I have studied in Bordeaux, I feel Paris is my city, because I have experienced so many moments on the Paris music scene for a while now. From small clubs with underground parties, to the chic places, to the big clubs and those who have marked my journey such as the legendary club Concrete, or Mona parties by Nick V, are so great all the time. Recently the residency I did at the Rex called Trench Touch, which ended with my very first all night long in Paris. The Rex club was full to bursting point and It was really magical to play in my city and with the warm Parisian crowd.
WWD: Do you play out much and where have you played most recently?
Schedule started the year pretty good with several shows in France. From February and March, I’m back to touring in cities of Europe like London, Brussels, Berlin, Nyon. More to come in the next months.
WWD: What was your first ever release?
This is the double EP called Signature part I & Signature part II out on Deeply Rooted, the very great label of Dj Deep in 2019. Big memories of this release. The remixes I got on it made me totally over the moon! It was Kerri Chandler.
WWD: What do you feel has been your most notable release to date?
It’s impossible to name only one. To me every release is super important to me so it’s not easy to get the right perspective to know which one is the most notable. But I do feel Imperméable en été is definitely a turning point release in my musical career, and in addition, out to my own Sweet State’s label. It makes a lot of sense to me.
WWD: Which one of your releases do you think slipped under the radar?
The Free mind EP has had less visibility. It was my first debut on Sweet State. For me, it has a particular importance. On it, there is also the excellent remixes of Cinthie and Anna Wall, which I am so in love with. It was a good experience to have about this first digital release on my own label, so I was a bit shy of it at the time.
WWD: Who are the artists who inspire the music that you make?
In fact, many different styles of music and artists inspire me through their sound or how I feel the energy and emotion from their music. It crosses a wide range of musical colours, from soul to disco or deep to house and techno sometimes. Sounds like Patrice Rushen, George Duke, Sister sledge, MAW, Kerri Chandler, Fred P, Ron Trent, St-Germain, Tony Humphries, Norma Jean Bell to name a few in my classical roots.
In the more electronic scene there is a high level of producers like Tatyana Jane, Linkwood, Black loops, Shanti Celest, Mac Declos, Hugo Lx, DJ Boring, Dylan Dylan, Earl Jeffers, Aleqs Notal and many more that are so talented!
WWD: What kind of stuff might we hope to hear in a Marina Trench set today?
I’m very free form in my DJ sets today. The feeling of the moment is very important to so I am super flexible in my way I play. For example I can play a disco song mixed with deep music in close time . Or playing a drums break with a 90’s house classic track full of vocals. I really enjoy to mix tracks with different vibes. It’s like choosing how to tell a story.
WWD: You have released on some very cool labels, like Deeply Rooted, Wolf Music, and Heist Recordings. You also have you own label.
Yes exact, Since I started producing music I’ve been very grateful to the labels that I have released on. To have this kind of opportunity is something magical and it creates links between artists and heads of labels that are strong. Moreover, each release has always been fluid and coherent, so it was a natural progression to begin my own label.
WWD: The original EP dropped before Christmas. One of the tracks features the brilliant Hugo LX. What is he like to work with?
To have worked with my best friend Hugo LX on “Ose” was an amazing and a fun experience! We are very close friends and he is very talented, so it was just fluid to co-produce with him. Everything was obvious about choices of sounds and structure of the track. We were pretty fast, and that it proved me that we are on the same track about future music projects.
WWD: The remixes on this package are super special. We are premiering the Gerd Janson Remix. Tell us what you feel he did the original?
Thank you very much for your support. I am super thrilled about the remix. To me, Gerd Janson is one of the most legendary artists in the electronic scene, I was so so happy when he accepted to make the remix. He reworked with his own recognizable touch with almost all the elements of the original song, and he brought something very personal. The long pads and new baseline works so nicely.
WWD: Earl Jeffers is a pretty cool dude and doing some great stuff lately. Tatyana Jayne is quite new on the scene. What can you tell us about this talent?
Earl Jeffers is so brilliant with his colourful and vibrant world of deep house, I have always loved to play his music. And Tatyana is one of the most interesting rising artists on the French scene. I love her style and her vibe that blends influences of breakbeat to techno to afro-futurism. It’s just SO good.
WWD: What other projects are you working on that you can share?
About my next production, it’s very secret. I can’t reveal anything for the moment. But as far as DJ sets go, I’m in Berlin on February 4th, Tresor with the queen DJ Cinthie, I’m so happy! On the 10th February I will be in Brussels at the C12 club and on the 11th of March will be my very first all-night in Hackney in London, I’m so excited!
Release Date: February 3rd, 2023. Buy Here
Marina Trench: Facebook // SoundCloud
Gerd Janson: Facebook
Sweet State: Instagram