Fireside Chat

Joakim

Versatile Records, Paris

One of France's foremost electronic musicians, Joakim has a background in classical music (having studied the piano from the age of 6), US & UK indie rock and jazz. He discovered electronic music after a schoolfriend left his synthesizer in Joakim's room, later latching onto indie and electronic labels such as Warp and Mo Wax for inspiration. After graduating from the National Conservatory of Versailles, Joakim immersed himself in jazz, American and British indie rock and hip-hop. Incorporating all of these influences and more, he made his recorded debut as Joakim Lone Octet in 1999, with a jazzy and largely instrumental album. He then moved deeper into electronics with 'Fantomes' [2003], and more recently 'Monsters and Silly Songs', on which he combines post-rock, disco and an uncanny pop-sensibility. He also runs the Tigersushi label, releases a broad spectrum of music for artists including Maurice Fulton, Poni Hoax and Metro Area. He's a sought after remixer too and as if he didn't have enough on his plate he also has the live band The Disco with whom he created his latest LP on !K7/Versatile. We caught up with the renaissance man and he talked us through some of the highlights of his career so far...