Erell Ranson:  French Kiss, Detroit Love

Erell Ranson:  French Kiss, Detroit Love

17 December, 2008 | 9.00AM

• Written by: Dylan Joseph
• Filed under: Music News : erell ranson

Erell Ranson talks about the connection and influence of Detroit techno on French producers and DJs and the value of keeping it simple in the studio.

OCR - Historically and in the spirit of music, there seems to be a very natural connection between France and the city of Detroit.  What are your thoughts on that connection?  How was it formed?

ER - Wooww !!! What a difficult question… with electronic music, so much started with Laurent Garnier in France.  Not everything but he helped a lot.  He’s our godfather.  And his love for the sound of Detroit isn’t just show.

OCR - In your mind, what is it about the sound of Detroit Techno that has such lasting appeal?

ER - This sound doesn’t lie, we can feel that there’s people with a heart, a soul behind it.  This melancholy, this deepness all that made this music is timeless.

OCR - Is it a challenge to balance your influences from the “golden age” of Detroit Techno with the need to be your own man as an artist?  Are there any conscious things you keep in mind with this balance as you’re creating or do things just evolve naturally?

ER - Nothing is planned, i just seat in front of my gear and my computer.  Starting with a beat, a melody line or a bass, and that’s grow up naturally. I’m trying to be fresh, and to avoid the repetition between my various tracks. Sometimes it’s difficult, and i have the syndrome of the white page.

OCR - Those original Detroit producers are known for honest - if not blunt - observations and sometimes harsh criticisms.  No doubt many of them have heard your work by now.  Have you had any direct feedback from any of them?

ER - People like Santiago Salazar, DJ 3000, DJ Dex sent me nice feedback. It’s very pleasant to receive feedback like that.

OCR - How do you feel about more contemporary sounds and trends in the broader genre of Techno? (eg. the development and perhaps overexposure of Minimal Techno) What do you like?  Anything that you don’t like??

ER - I’m not original, but i’m tired about all this hype on “Minimal Techno”. There are some great tunes, but personaly it’s not my cup of tea. At this moment I like music from people as my friends Pedro Cali, Tyler Smith, Djorvin Clain, PassEnger, Piero Russo (he has a great 12” to come on Emphasis soon), Florian Muller Project, Agor(E), Johannes Volk, too much to all quote them. And to decompress Sigur Ros, Radiohead, Emiliana Torrini, folk music etc.

OCR - Let’s talk for a moment about the studio.  Having such a classic sound, do you prefer to work with hardware or are you getting the results you want with software?

ER - I don’t have a lot of hardware, just some things to work with. We can say that i’m working at 75% with software. I don’t have many virtual synths. I prefer to focus and to know these I’ve got.

You can have thousands of VSTi and can’t sort something out !!! For me choice of gears it’s not the most important, it’s all about the emotions I can give to the listeners.

OCR - What are some of your favourite tools in the studio these days?

ER - My actual set-up : Nordlead, Microkorg, Cubase, Reason and some VSTi.

OCR - If you could record in the studio for a day with any one other artist, who would it be?

ER - It will be difficult to work with someone. But surely with my friend Pedro Cali, we worked together some hours on tracks few times after partiyng, but nothing really concrete. It will be a great time, we are on the same page!

And of course others artists like Derrick May (a dream), Arne Weinberg, Fabrice Lig too.

OCR - What has been your proudest moment thus far as an artist?

ER - My proudest moment, i’ve got. The first one, when i sent an email to Arne Weinberg to have his opinion on my work. He said that he would like to have a 12” of me on his label, and he loved so much my work. I always have his answer elsewhere. I was very proud about his request. I like so much his work. Arne : you’re fucking great !!!

The second it’s when the first release on my own imprint was out in October

OCR - Any future goals?

ER - To continue to develop my label with more releases, and to start to work on my first full-length album.

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