French DJ and Producer Popof is one of the most widely recognized names within the world of house and techno. Founder of FORM Music, the artist recently released a full length-album on Hot Creations, and a new EP named ‘President’ on his own label.
We had the chance to talk with him ahead of his summer season.
Electronic Groove: Hi POPOF! Thanks for taking the time to speak with us, what have you been up to over the past months?
POPOF: Hello guys! For the past few months I’ve travelled different times to Europe and South America for touring purposes. I’ve been also spending a lot of time in the studio working on new tracks and remixes.
EG: Tell us a bit about your track ‘One Two’ – we’re particularly interested to know where you got some of your vocal samples from?
POPOF: Very simply, I found them in a Hip-Hop sample databank and added some effects. It all immediately fit in!
EG: The EP aligns with Miami Music Week, did this location inspire any elements of the track?
POPOF: Not really. However, I do think this track really matches the spirit of Repopulate Mars’ Miami sampler ?
EG: What were your aims when reworking Cuartero’s ‘Up to the Roof’?
POPOF: Since the very beginning, I felt like doing a hardfloor track. I really liked the general vibe, especially the vocal parts I reworked. Afterwards, I added my personal touch to the whole cut.
“I love FORM’s Miami sampler!”
EG: Your imprint FORM is still going strong. What artists can we expect to see coming through in 2017? Will Lee Foss be returning the favour?
POPOF: We have many releases planned throughout the year, with notable guests like UMEK, Julian Jeweil, Felix Kröcher, Animal & me, System 2 and many other artists, as well as myself. Regarding Lee Foss question, I don’t know yet but it would be such an honour if he returns the favour!
EG: Could you tell us a bit about some of the artists featuring on FORM’s Miami Sampler?
POPOF: I love the Miami sampler! I really dig every single track it features. I think it’s musically coherent and perfectly adapted to Miami Music Week.
EG: Your ‘President’ EP at the end of 2016 was your first release on FORM in years, was there any specific reason for the hiatus and can we expect any more music from you on FORM soon?
POPOF: Well, there’s not a specific reason. I was busy working on other stuff at the same time, mainly remixes. More importantly, I released my first full-length album ‘Love Somebody’ on Hot Creations in 2015; it was radically different from anything I’d done previously, so it was challenging both musically and mentally. The process took a lot of time and effort. I didn’t really have time to focus on anything else, really. When things calmed down a bit, I found myself having more time to work on FORM and ‘President’ happened.
EG: There was definitely a political message in that EP! What do you think of the current worldwide situation in terms of politics?
POPOF: I beg to differ! Rather, I see ‘President’ as a time capsule, the reflection of a specific moment in history. I was following the US elections at the time and I was fascinated by the whole hysterical circus surrounding the candidates; it sorts of naturally seeped into my work. So, the EP is me observing, rather than emitting a political statement. This said the current worldwide situation is very worrying, as we all can clearly see the rise of nationalism and populism everywhere. People in Europe and in the United Stated have been fed up for years with their traditional political systems; they feel the politics let them down. Add an economic crisis into the mix and we’ve already seen the results in the US and in the UK. France is not doing much better right now, believe me.
“The current worldwide situation is very worrying, as we all can clearly see the rise of nationalism and populism everywhere”
EG: You’ve got a number of festival and club performances coming up – Do you tend to prepare any differently for a festival set to one as part of a club lineup?
POPOF: I’m fond of a more spontaneous approach. I’ve got enough tracks up my sleeve to adjust on the spot to the vibe, the venue and the crowd, in addition to my mood at that specific time. This also allows me to play differently each time and to not repeat myself.
EG: What’s the one possession you won’t go on tour without?
POPOF: My manager ?
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