1. Hey Julian Collet, really nice to speak with you about ‘Strangers’, how are you today?
My pleasure! I’m great, thank you. Lots of great music is being released at the moment, that’s definitely a good thing, always giving me a push.
2. Can you tell us more about ‘Strangers’? What’s the story behind it?
‘Strangers’ is more or less the story of two people being on a search for something, not really knowing what. Once they meet, they realize it has always been the other they’ve been looking for in the first place. I can deeply relate to that so it’s kind of an authentic story.
3. What was the main inspiration when you started producing ‘Strangers’?
I had a full-on writer’s block in 2020. Being at that point where inspiration just ran empty. So, I decided to step away from 4ttfloor for once and suddenly ideas were starting to drop into my head again. A lot of times my inspiration comes from the gear I am working with, my synths and guitars etc. I just sit down, start to twist some knobs and follow the direction it takes me. Sometimes that works, sometimes it doesn’t, haha!
4. How would you describe your own sound? It’s a nice combination of various elements, and we love it!
Thank you! It’s hard to put it in a box. It’s a mixture of melodic techno elements with indie vibes and house music. As you might know, my productions are based around the analogue creation of sounds. Be it with synthesizers or guitars, voice, percussion (in
‘Strangers’ I actually drum on my desk with two wooden spoons) and other recorded elements. And I think that plays a major role in my sound. All these little imperfections and movements that are created by the imperfections of the electronic circuits and me playing. It’s like the gear has its own life and I’m following it.
5. At what age did you get into the music industry and how? What was the first song that sparked your love for music?
I started to take guitar lessons in the age of 6, but I wouldn’t describe this as entering the industry, haha. I got into rock and jazz and really dedicated most of my time to the guitar and music, evolving a certain kind of musical hearing and thinking. But the real game changer happened when I was about 15 years old. I listened to a song called ‘Get This Feeling’ by Fedde Le Grand and I was blown away. I instantly knew I wanted to do this, too. So, I started to put every second I had into teaching myself how to produce music and it eventually became full time, which I am deeply grateful for.
6. What are the things you love doing that are not related to music?
Everyone needs a break once in a while and I enjoy mine skiing in Winter and paragliding in the summer. It’s been a fraction of what I used to do in the last two or three years, though. I also need to meet new people, from the music business or not, doesn’t matter. But talking to people and exchanging ideas, discussing the world and ourselves is important for me. Being in the studio alone all day can lead to a disconnection from the world outside. Which can be a good thing for being creative, but once in a while it’s worth coming back and visiting reality.
7. What’s the piece of advice you can give to someone who aspires for successin the music industry?
Sounds cheesy but stay true to yourself. Try to find your sound, your way of speaking though music. Because authenticity is key. If people feel your true self in your music, they instantly click with it, I’m sure. Take inspiration from other people’s work, but don’t try to imitate them. I mean, what they did is already done. So why would anybody listen to your copy of it? And don’t let anyone tell you different. Don’t let anyone bring you down. Negative energy is strong, it can have huge effects. Stay away from that and surround yourself with people that are supportive, so you can grow all together.
8. Who’s the artist you love and who inspires you the most? Also, who is thedream artist you want to collaborate with in the future?
I have huge respect for Bonobo, merging electronic and live music for decades. Also,Fedde obviously has to be mentioned herebecause he is the reason I am producing music. Swedish House Mafia would be another name, constantly reinventing themselves but staying super true to their core, making absolute killer records. Outside of electronic music British band ‘Jungle’ is huge and French Indie group ‘Phoenix’ are a big inspiration. Especially the stuff that the absolute legend Philippe Zdar worked on.
9. How difficult is it to produce music nowadays with so many artists and how would you describe the roadmap to success for an upcoming producer?
The competition can seem insane. Currently more than 60,000 new tracks are released each day. As I said above, staying true to what you believe is great is important. I don’t think there is a roadmap to success, but the absolute most important aspect is longevity, not to give up. I believe there are lots of great artists that didn’t make it just because they didn’t have the energy to keep up until the time was right. Oh, and you don’t have to do this alone. Getting help, be it with mixing, promotion, laying out strategies etc., is not a bad thing. It helps you staying focused on the most important part, the art itself.
10. What are your plans for the future? Can you tell us more about your upcoming EP?
It’s finally coming out in the end of spring 2022 and I can’t wait to finally go out and perform it for all of you! Being in touch with the people who like what I do is something I really miss. Plus, meeting old and new friends all over the world again to stay inspired to create more music.
11. This is all for now. Thank you for being here and answering our questions. Where can our community find more about your music and your future releases?
Thank you very much. It has been a pleasure chatting with you! For updates head over to my Instagram and follow me on Spotify to be notified about new music. Also make sure to check out the fantastic video for ‘Strangers’ by Ukrainian stop-motion artist Alex Darovskey on my Youtube.
Download and Stream ‘Strangers’ – https://lnk.site/strangers
Follow Julian Collet on socials:
https://open.spotify.com/track/6Bgh5QVuEsMALL3OnKSsyW?si=a152e845ad8e4347
htttps://www.instagram.com/iamjuliancollet
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8PdSdlke3v97wEZEDVDk8Q
