After spending the last few years flitting between the northern reaches of the Iberian peninsula and France, producer, DJ, and promoter Damien Pontonnier has settled down in Paris.Having already released material on labels like Correspondant and Clouded Vision, Demian's transitioned to the big leagues for Milestars, his latest EP and the first to be sent out into the world by Cologne's very own techno titans, Kompakt. A toned and tight three-tracker, the record zips from fine-tuned electro-tinged chunk ("Delicia") to old skool hands-in-the-air Kompakt klassicism (the title track) and airy end-of-the-night abstraction ("No Hype for the Fish") all of which go down like a dream.Which is why we asked Demian himself to stitch a mix together for us. The result sees the imprint's French fancy serving up a solid hour of churning house, slapstick techno, with a few bubblers, burblers, and bangers thrown in for good measure. We recommend you hop in the nearest hatchback and take this one for a spin on the closest A road you can find.Check out the mix and a quick chat with Demian below.
Demian: Right from the start when I started producing music, Kompakt was the label that inspired me and the one I admired most. It's strange but in a way, I felt that I was made for Kompakt, that we were talking the same language and sharing the same vision. So this release is a dream come true! Aside from the music, I have the deepest respect for what this group of friends managed to build stone by stone, following their instincts. They above all wanted to keep human relationships as the cornerstone of their company, which led to the family we all know today. Trust, enthusiasm, boldness and creativity: 24 years later, it's still doing very well!I'm told that the Milestars EP "will feed both the nerd and the dancer in you," but which are you? A nerd or a dancer?
Yes, I loved the sentence! Of course, I'm both a nerd and a dancer. But if I have to pick one of the two to describe me, no doubt I would opt for the dancer! Dancing is about vibration, emotion and imagination: a vital combination in my life. The nerd only drops by from time to time to feed the dancer.When it comes to recording mixes, what's your thought process? Are there planning sessions and multiple takes, or is it more of an in-and-out job?
It's an exercise I really appreciate a lot. When I play a DJ set, I love when it's a long one, because I have time to set the stage with all the details and colours I want in my story. It's like a journey; I take the crowd by the hand to show them the world in my eyes. When I do a podcast, it's quite the opposite: I have to tell a coherent story in 50 minutes. No time for explicit details, it's a kind of haiku but for a DJ set. So, I prepare a short selection of tracks I can mix together and which have a consistency in my view. Then I record it in one take to keep the energy and spontaneity in the mix. I recorded this one at Bermudes Studios Paris.The mix you've recorded for us really makes me wish I could drive. How come music sounds infinitely better in the car?
This is a great compliment, thank you! I've listened to a lot of music while driving when I was living in the South West of France and in Spain. I loved it! I think it has to do with the freedom you feel when you're driving and with the speed of course. You sometimes feel like in a spaceship, in a tunnel that could lead you anywhere. The title Milestars comes from this idea: you're in this spaceship, pushing your way through the night, with the stars flitting by the window.Finally, do you still play the sax!?
Ahah! Unfortunately not, no. It has been long time since I last played the sax, but I'm considering going back to it and why not use it in one of my upcoming tracks. Wait and see!The Milestars EP drops on the 24th of February via Kompakt and you can order it here.
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Can you tell us a little about your relationship with Kompakt?
Demian: Right from the start when I started producing music, Kompakt was the label that inspired me and the one I admired most. It's strange but in a way, I felt that I was made for Kompakt, that we were talking the same language and sharing the same vision. So this release is a dream come true! Aside from the music, I have the deepest respect for what this group of friends managed to build stone by stone, following their instincts. They above all wanted to keep human relationships as the cornerstone of their company, which led to the family we all know today. Trust, enthusiasm, boldness and creativity: 24 years later, it's still doing very well!I'm told that the Milestars EP "will feed both the nerd and the dancer in you," but which are you? A nerd or a dancer?
Yes, I loved the sentence! Of course, I'm both a nerd and a dancer. But if I have to pick one of the two to describe me, no doubt I would opt for the dancer! Dancing is about vibration, emotion and imagination: a vital combination in my life. The nerd only drops by from time to time to feed the dancer.When it comes to recording mixes, what's your thought process? Are there planning sessions and multiple takes, or is it more of an in-and-out job?
It's an exercise I really appreciate a lot. When I play a DJ set, I love when it's a long one, because I have time to set the stage with all the details and colours I want in my story. It's like a journey; I take the crowd by the hand to show them the world in my eyes. When I do a podcast, it's quite the opposite: I have to tell a coherent story in 50 minutes. No time for explicit details, it's a kind of haiku but for a DJ set. So, I prepare a short selection of tracks I can mix together and which have a consistency in my view. Then I record it in one take to keep the energy and spontaneity in the mix. I recorded this one at Bermudes Studios Paris.The mix you've recorded for us really makes me wish I could drive. How come music sounds infinitely better in the car?
This is a great compliment, thank you! I've listened to a lot of music while driving when I was living in the South West of France and in Spain. I loved it! I think it has to do with the freedom you feel when you're driving and with the speed of course. You sometimes feel like in a spaceship, in a tunnel that could lead you anywhere. The title Milestars comes from this idea: you're in this spaceship, pushing your way through the night, with the stars flitting by the window.Finally, do you still play the sax!?
Ahah! Unfortunately not, no. It has been long time since I last played the sax, but I'm considering going back to it and why not use it in one of my upcoming tracks. Wait and see!The Milestars EP drops on the 24th of February via Kompakt and you can order it here.