For 2021, Klingande returns in full force releasing pop-dance banger after banger. We catch up with the French producer following the collaborative release of his latest single ‘Eye of the Storm’ with downtempo duo Pool Blue.
‘Eye of the Storm’ is the latest track from Klingande, one of the pioneers of the tropical house craze in the mid-2010s that took over the EDM scene.
The new single from the French prodcuer, best known for mega-hits such as ‘Jubel’, ‘Pumped Up’, and ‘Punga’, is a collaborative effort with Berlin-based duo Pool Blue.
The song is unique within the broad lineup of collaborations Klingande has made so far, as the duo are best known for their laidback downtempo music.
When the two join forces together, they’ve created a timeless pop-dance tune that exudes universal appeal.
The new single follows Klingande’s collab tune ‘Better Man’ with U.S. artist Rogelio, and his 2019 debut double LP, The Album.
AL365: Hey Klingande! Nicky here from AsiaLive365. How have you been?
Klingande: Hey, I’m good, thank you. It was pretty cool actually. It was great for me to slow down, to take time away from my music. At the beginning, it was fine. Now, I’m eager to get back on the road. We had a big lockdown in France. I can’t wait to make more music!
AL365: We’ve got a handful of tracks from you this year. The latest from you is ‘Eye of the Storm’. It’s a tropical, melodic house tune with Berlin-based duo Pool Blue. They’re known for chill downtempo music. How did the collaboration come about?
Klingande: I got the track from my label. The label had the demo from Pool Blue, and asked me if I want to do something with it. I wanted to try something a little different than what I’m used to do. I loved working on the track as it’s something really original, and it was a great opportunity to do something different.
AL365: Did you learn anything new while working on this unique track?
Klingande: When I got the demo, the guitar riff and vocals were already laid out. It was up to me to try to make it more danceable and radio-friendly without losing the original vibe. That was challenging as there was not much in the way of lyrics, but in the end we found a good arrangement for it.
AL365: This year, we’ve had a handful of tracks from you such as ‘Better Man’ with Rogelio, and remixes for ‘One More Time’ and ‘Shake Shake Shake’. What would you say has been the most fun to work on?
Klingande: I love ‘Big Love’ with Wrabel. Many people loved that song, as I felt it has the DNA of a Klingande song with the violins.
To be honest, another fun track I worked on was the ‘Shake Shake Shake’ remix because Bronze Radio Return came up to me and said, ‘We would love for you to do a pumped-up version’. They were impressed with my track ‘Pumped Up’ which was my take on Foster The People’s original version. Of course, I said, ‘Why not?’
AL365: How long does it take for you to come up with catchy melodies?
Klingande: I think coming up with the main melody is always the most challenging part when making a song. Sometimes it takes a lot of time, sometimes it never arrives, sometimes I never find the riff. If I don’t find the hook, then I give up on the song.
I’m also working with a lot of musicians. For example, ‘Big Love’ features my violinist, ‘Better Man’ features my harmonica player, these guys gave me some input so these elements don’t always come from me. It’s a pretty collaborative process when I’m working on music. I love working with people and sharing ideas.
AL365: You have a fondness for including instruments in your songs. We all fell in love with your use of saxophone early on in your career.
When you released your debut record, I feel like most of the songs had influences that came from artists such as the late Avicii. How did you develop your style of music?
Klingande: When I started making music around 15 years ago, I was obsessed with what Avicii was doing. He’s always been an influence in my music, the melodic and acoustic elements in electronic music.
When I made The Album, I started with ‘By The River’ as the guide to the album. I knew I would love to do an album with this kind of music. So I started implementing this folk-influenced sound, and it was very fun process to make the album. I always wanted to produce a full-length album. It was my dream, and I was very happy to make it.
It was also a good way for me to give everything I made up to that point to the fans. I couldn’t make the album when I was touring so much. It was good not to start from a blank page, and try something new and explore new stuff.
AL365: It was a really long wait for fans to receive a full-length album! But worth it. The second half featured all your hits too. Why did it take so long to compile everything?
Klingande: Yeah, exactly. I didn’t have enough songs to make an album at the time. It actually takes a long time for me to make music, to be honest! I really need to take a few months to finish tracks. At one point, it made sense because I want to be able to play only my music on stage.
AL365: How do you stay motivated?
Klingande: I just go into the studio when I feel like it. I’m not pushing or forcing myself when I don’t want to. I’m way more into writing sessions, so I like to write a song from the basement, sit around and write lyrics and crafting melodies with other musicians. I love that creative process. When I finally have a good song, I feel very motivated to finish it.
AL365: What’s in the pipeline for the rest of this year?
Klingande: I’m planning to release a new song next year sometime in January. I’m going to try to release songs for clubs and for radio.
It’s going to be pretty new for me because for the club-ready tracks, it’s going to be a bit more ‘art’. I don’t know if people are ready for that, but I’m going to do that! For these tracks, I’ll be collaborating with more artists.
Expect more chill, tropical songs!
AL365: That’s all we have for today! Thank you for being here!
Klingande: Thank you for the support!
