Interview#1: Go Go Bizkitt!

Go Go Bizkitt! has been playlisted on this blog for a few weeks and I've been following him quite closely. Each of the remix he dropped were full of love, chopped but warm and strong. His remix of The Brothers Johnson, among other, had really get me in the mood of knowing him better. His remix from Technologic by Daft Punk is a true disco anthem who definitly prove his talent. I heard hundreds of remix from this track, but this one have definitly the touch to make the difference, and to bring a fresh funky and nu-disco feeling. Right now, GGB seems at his best, since he just released a brilliant remix of Breakbot and have a few release on their way for Deepfunk Records. I wanted to know more about him, he kindly accepted to answer my questions.

Artificial Light : We share a thing in common, our love for music was transmitted by our parents. Concretely, how did you decided one day that you would produce tracks?

GGB : Since I was really young I wanted to produce my own sounds. I had always had the ear for how someone else's tracks should have been changed somewhat & had been doing my own edits for years, after I had got back from traveling with the military last year I got into my djing in clubs in south west England again and played out my mass collection of home made edits to the crowds. I was told by a number of people to start promoting myself as an actual artist since I had a good style with a warm groovy feel... and well here I am.

Artificial Light : Your music is definitly influenced by all the french touch house release from the late 90's and 2000's . Does this inheritance is easy to live with as a Scotich?

GGB : Up in Scotland the French house scene is extremely small with Minimal/Tech house being the dominant music, i live down the south of England and it's just as small. But it seems that Dubstep & Fidget House will remain the main attraction for another couple of years. to tell the truth i prefer to be in the minority since it brings something fresh to the nights & i don't follow the next trend, i will always stick to what i believe is still a vibrant style with limitless potential as long as it's done correctly.

Artificial Light : You must also be a huge disco fan, which artists are your reference for it?

GGB : I absolutely love disco! I would love to do a set of just original funk & disco like what Kenny dope & Louie Vega do now and again. I particularly love “Musique” by France Gall, Earth, Wind & Fire, Chic, Diana Ross, Kool & the gang, The Brothers Johnson to name a few, the real gems are the ones that got missed and were only a one hit wonders.

Artificial Light : You are definitly good at chopping disco and funky track. I don't want to be simplistic but for me your tracks can be define with this only idea. How do you manage to catch THE sample that will make the difference?

GGB : Sample hunting is always fun since the possibilities are pretty endless and ideas are plenty within every disco track. However there is nothing more rewarding when a sample is found and just “snaps!”. Then it all falls into place with a smile.

Artificial Light : How do you play a set and get people dancing?

GGB : My dj sets are pretty full on throughout, I don’t really go for the whole “take the crowd on a journey shit”. I like to be completely random at certain points to ensure what I’m all about which is Fun. The whole point to going out is to enjoy yourself, meet friends, make new ones and have a laugh. The music involved for the night should be memorable with some “where have a heard that before” thrown in. It seems sometimes that djs take it too seriously and play it safe with a structured set of music everyone has heard a thousand times. Which is alright if you like that but I prefer to bring my own feel where most of the tracks I play have been “fooled around with” and makes things a bit more unique.

Artificial Light : How do the UK people and people from other places react and address to your music so far? The best audience you've ever played to?

GGB : Playing out in England is always good because there is a vast selection of various styles and djs , my “French Touch” is always welcome since there is a lack of others that play it in the clubs.I can’t claim to play disco house strangely because that seems to be a completely different thing in England which is more along the line of Defecte records or Hed Kandi as apposed to Roule/Crydamoure.
I’ve been quite fortunate to play in other countries such as Africa, Germany, Thailand & to one of my favorite crowds that was “Help” Rio De Janeirio, the whole scene down their is so fresh and I was even lucky enough to catch The Twelves playing, which are truly inspiring in what they do, pure passion for the ears!

Artificial Light : How would you describe the french house feeling?

GGB : French house is quite unique compared to the other styles out there in that it creates a fuzzy warm groovy feeling, is fun without having to be “hands in the air”, it’s cool without having to be trendy, it’s old dressed up as something futuristic and it’s a feeling enjoyed by nearly everybody!(if you look at the artists & djs who follow me on Soundcloud you’ll notice only about 10% actually make the same sort of music)

Artificial Light : Are you nostalgic of something? Of an energy that cannot be found any more in nowadays music?

GGB : The energy within French house comes from the warmness from the bass that is only ever found in original funk & disco, dance music nowadays seems to be more electric based and can even be quite soulless at times. The passion and love that was put into the original funk is really clear and apparent… the term”they don’t make it like they used to” couldn’t be more true.

Artificial Light : Don't you think today french touch tend more to be defined as a brutal and harsh sound with band such as Justice, sebastiAn, etc? What do you think about this new wave?

GGB : Yeah French Touch has completely re-invented itself into a sort of electronic monster over the past few years, I absolutely loved (and still do) the “Cross” album by Justice, it was the right time for music to have this new direction and the world seemed to follow on but then we had endless producers climbing on this band wagon which over saturated the scene with boring imitations. I only wish the name “French Touch” didn’t follow with the whole Ed Banger crew( with the exception of God himself that is Breakbot) as I believe it is actually “Blog House”.The term French Touch to me meant that an original piece(be it Disco/Funk/Soul) had been “Touched” to create something new and fresh and that it originated from France.
I glad at least the term “French Touch” followed SebastiAn, Busy P & thankfully Breakbot who is showing us all how it should be. It could have been worse. It could have followed Sinclar(who was great in the 90’s)… or the worst of all Guetta, who is quite simply dreadful.
Luckily our sound is the minority now so we aren’t flooded with thousands of imitators just wanting fame and fucking the scene for the rest of us.

Artificial Light : How is your relation with Deepfunk record, your label? In which way do they wanna to exploit and develop your work?

GGB : I was first contacted by Deepfunk records L.A in January after they had discovered some of my original material on Soundcloud, the C.E.O Craig Law explained to me that the label was taking a fresh new direction and that I had shown a lot of promise. The label (as the name suggests) is more deep house orientated, but now incorporating what I call “Stutter Funk” & possibly even Fidget house future releases. I’m extremely excited to be a part of the DF family and looking forward to the future. It’s also awesome that I’ve been getting good feedback from Q-Burns Abstract Message who has been playing the grooves.
I’ve also signed with Canadian label Mikita Skyy, Label manager Kevin Pierre is also going in a different route of the normally electronic sound from his camp and im over the moon to have the opportunity to produce French house for them and help get the sound recognized once more.
All tracks will shortly be available through Beatport, Itunes etc.

Artificial Light : Which project are coming up for the next few month? Do you have any project of producing original track? Any EP? Any collab?

GGB : I have 2 EP’S coming out next month, the Stutter-Funk ep out on Deepfunk and the Steppin out EP on Mikitta Sky. It’s quite surreal from putting my first track up on Soundcloud in January to having two full releases out 3 months later. That’s what I call progress haha.
New projects are in the pipeline also with me working alongside Samuel Hamelin. This guy has funk written all over him with synth skills that are simply out of this world. Also gonna be working alongside a good friend of mine Goose Gishika who is a disco nut! I mean this guy can’t get enough funk!

Artificial Light : Your work sounds close to Louis La Roche, which have quite a good succes here in France. Have you ever been in touch with him for some reason?

GGB : I’ve never chatted to Louis La Roche, I think his music is absolutely fantastic and he is really pushing the scene forward. Maybe we will cross paths one day but who knows.

Artificial Light : That might sound inquisitive (as we have a taboo with money in France): do you make a living of music?

GGB : I have a full time job which pays the bills, I still see making music as a passion/hobby… as soon as I see it as a job it may take the fun out of things. Most of my remixes are free to download. After all sharing is caring.

Artificial Light : One more thing, I've noticed you like Asian with big boobs. Is that just a simple hobby or a quest for rarity?

GGB : Haha, the Asian girl thing… yeah I’ve had a thing for Asian girls since I was a young teenager and wanted to express that passion with my musical one. Big boobs are a bonus mind haha

Artificial Light : Still not ready for telling us where your name come from? A clue?

GGB : Go Go Bizkitt!...... the name came about because…… nah I’ll tell you some other time haha. For the record it has nothing to do with anything drug related. I get that asked a lot and that is one thing I do not condone or partake it's a loser's game.

Daft Punk - Technologic (Go Go Bizkitt! Remix) (MF)

Breakbot - Make You Mine (Go Go Bizkitt! Remix) (MF)
Go Go Bizkitt! - I Wonder Why (MF)
Earth Wind And Fire - Let's Groove Tonight (Go Go Bizkitt! Remake) (MF)
The Brother Johnson - Stomp! (Go Go Bizkitt! Remix) (MF)