This week’s podcast comes via one of the standout talents of the past 12 months, Frenchman Traumer. Having burst onto the scene with a string of violently brilliant releases in 2014 he firmly ensconced himself at the core of a new wave of techno artists. From festival stunners like Cyclo and Dayzero to more discerning club based tracks like the unforgettable Hoodlum (via Desolat), the effervescent sounds of Traumer have become commonplace in the sets of djs the world over. With that in mind we are delighted to have him joining us today with a very special vinyl only mix and a candid Q&A. Hold on to your hat!
WWD : Romain, thanks for taking the time to chat! You’ve had a whirlwind start to 2015, remixing Digitalism, releasing on Defected and playing countless shows, has it been an ideal start to the year?
Traumer : You’re welcome, and thank you for inviting me !
Defenitely, I can’t complain about that start.
WWD : Starting with Defected, can you tell us about how the remix release came about? the imprint is renowned predominantly for releasing House, were you surprised when they showed interest?
Traumer : Very simply actually, they just asked for a remix. I was not so surprise – I think it was because of the ‘Hoodlum’ things. I think that the most surprised was them when I delivered the remixes. I’m pretty sure they expected something in ‘Hoodlum’ style. But one of the things I hate the most is to repeat myself.
WWD :You’ve been churning out quality productions at a very consistent rate over the last two years. What’s your approach to production like? Do you stick to a strict schedule?
Traumer : First, thank you for the warm words, really appreciated.
No I don’t have any specific production schedule – just let the things come.
But yes, I maybe have one “automatic way” to start a track. I always focus on the background of the track, which gonna bring the “organic touch” of the track, what will make it alive.
WWD : Is it a full time job for you now?
Traumer : Yes, for 3 years now. And “full” is the least that can be said as I work around 16 hours a day – starting around 5 or 6 am and stoping around 9 or 10 pm.
WWD : You’ve recently released your 4th EP with Möd3rn. How did that project start?
Traumer : Mod3rn is a friendship thing before all. We are very good friends and we were talking about making something together since many times and we’ve finally made it.
WWD : Has it been difficult to find the time to work as both Traumer and Möd3rn?
Traumer : Working on 2 projects is very easy to handle. You know, now I’ve many more aliases and side projects, it becomes a little bit more complicated now, especially with the gigs stuff – but I’m fine with that.
WWD : Obviously, yourself alongside Electric Rescue and Maxime Dangles has major draw. Have you guys lined some festival appearances this summer?
Traumer : I don’t know exactly about what is confirmed and what we gonna definitely do this summer, so I can’t answer properly this question.
WWD : Techno-wise Paris seems to be on fire right now. We’re loving what’s coming out of Skryptöm. Have you witnessed much change in the scene over the last few years?
Traumer : In 6 years being in Paris, I could see some changes yes. The Parisian techno scene has been growing so fast, being always more rich and powerful. More and more promoters are proposing some very interesting events and more and more people come to it. These are maybe the most important things i’ve noticed – that people are very into Techno music, I mean they know about most of the tracks the dj is playing, etc. And there is a very interesting and lovely mutual interest about techno music.
WWD : Lastly, are there any big dates coming up for you over the next few months?
Traumer : I’m really glad to have a lot of festivals this summer like Panorama, Bay, NoName, Peackock… I’m really curious to see how it works and plays alongside artists that I respect a lot like Margaret Dygas, Laurent Garnier, Kink, Ben Ufo, Pangaea, Ame… also these shorts playtime of festival like 1 hour are a real challenge to try to put some ideas together.We have to open the imagination of the crowd in a short time and it’s not an easy thing like extended set.
Room 19 welcomes Traumer to the Twisted Pepper, Dublin on April 9th.
Follow Traumer :
Soundcloud : https://soundcloud.com/traumer
Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/gettraumer
Twitter : https://twitter.com/Traumer_music