Rising star Klingande is a 24-year-old who hails from Northern France. Cédric Steinmyller studied music theory as a child and discovered his love for electronic music as a teenager. He cites his main influences as Klangkarussell, Bakermat and Wankelmut, and it’s definitely heard through his sound. Klingande’s tracks are of the melodic, deep house variety, and his use of the saxophone and piano have garnered the attention of audiences across Europe and North America.
His track “Punga” exploded on the charts in Europe and earned him huge online support in 2012. Following that, he released the smooth sounding “Jubel,” and his latest track, “RIVA.” Klingande’s remixes are also quite popular in nature, adding his signature sound to tracks by Sigma, Alex Adair, Clean Bandit, and many more. He’ll be touring and focusing on producing more music for 2015, with an EP expected early this year.
Recently, the producer touched down in Toronto for a show at Maison Mercer, where he brought out a live saxophone player. Before he hopped on stage, we were able to catch up with him for a quick interview. During our discussion, he discussed the tropical house explosion, working on collaborations and much more.
Check out our interview with Klingande below, and enjoy!
Welcome to Toronto!
Klingande: Thank you!
Tropical house is exploding right now, and you’re at the forefront of the sub-genre. Why do you think people are so into that type of music right now? Why are they gravitating towards it so strongly?
Klingande: I’m not sure. Maybe because it’s something new? It’s the opposite of the typical “hard” EDM music. I’m still amazed by it all though. I don’t know why people like it so much. Maybe because it’s a mix of deep and pop music, and pop music is so commercial. But I don’t categorize myself as tropical house. I’d say I’m more melodic house. I don’t think I’m that tropical.
Are people getting tired of the big room sound?
Klingande: Maybe. It’s good for festivals, but when you’re in a club or at home, not everyone wants to listen to that. Tropical house has a place at festivals as well, but it’s different. I’ve played on main stages before, but earlier in the day. And it’s perfect, because it prepares people for the heavy stuff at night. The two can co-exist.
What are you working on right now in terms of new music?
Klingande: I’m working on a few mixes, and a couple of originals. I like to take my time though. The next thing will be a single, and then an album for sure.
How long does it take you on average to make an original?
Klingande: It depends. “Jubel” was like two months, but “RIVA” was a year, because it was so different from what I’m used to doing. I was also working with a vocalist and we both had our own opinions on how the track should sound. It’s interesting sometimes when you’re collaborating, you have to make compromises. It’s difficult as well. We had something like 30 versions of the song. But eventually we found a common ground.
When can we expect to see the next single?
Klingande: Probably two months. After “Jubel,” I made “RIVA” one year later, which was too late. I want to put out new singles every 2-3 months. I have some interesting collaborations coming up, too. I want to do more of those. They’re not always easy, but they’re fun.
Tell us about the live saxophone player that you bring to your shows.
Klingande: I always bring him along. It’s what I like. I don’t want to be just a DJ. I like the live music, it adds another element to the show.
When you have a massive song like “Jubel,” how does that change your life?
Klingande: Well, it did all happen quite quick. It was still step by step though. I had time to prepare. Still, it definitely changed things. I had to drop out of school, and I don’t get to see my friends much anymore now that I’m touring. I love what I do, but sometimes I miss home.
How’s the EDM scene in France?
Klingande: We have a great music culture there. I used to love listening to Daft Punk and all those guys growing up. I love playing in France, too, because you can play underground music more than you can here.
Do you prefer performing or producing more?
Klingande: I like both, but I started off producing so I feel more at home there. I miss my studio. It’s hard to produce on the road as well. You can do remixes, but doing originals on the road is very difficult. But I enjoy DJ’ing too. If I ever stopped I’d definitely miss it.
That concludes our interview, but we’d like to thank Klingande very much for his time.
