After releasing an underground superbanger that reached the first place in Beatport’s techno chart and which uncompromisingly fired up the club’s turmoil ’Hoodlum’, Romain Reynaud aka Traumer is back with another smashing piece of art. First featured in Papa’s mastefrul Essential Mix and now to be released in Cocoon’s 15th compilation on the 24th of August, ‘Kiraf’ is destined to become the raw techno anthem.
And for the launching of our premiere series, we are proud to present it to our audience. The Clubber also got a chance to have Traumer for a conversation which you can read further.
Can you tell us something about yourself for a start? What has shaped you as an artist and as a person?
Obviously, my parents had an important part about who I am as a person. But there is also my friends, every of them had/have an impact. They advise me, they orient me, they hugs me when I am bad, etc hehe 🙂
There are also some people who shaped me as an artist, but they also are some great friends now, like Electric Rescue, Maxime Dangles, Dawad and Joff Logartz (from IRM records, the very first label who trust in my music), Dj Deep as well, to say just few names. These great guys teach me about music, but also life into the music scene, and life in general.
Regarding me, I’m a 24 years old French man, from the south of France but now living in Paris for 6 years now. I’ve started to try making music 9 years before, I think, something like this.
What can you tell me about your first steps into electronic music scene? How did you get into production and what was the hardest decision for at the time?
My progression into electronic music scene has been very slow, because I never wanted to reach a „top“ or something – I just make music, and I’m very happy if that simple songs could please to someone else.
Now, this is my job since 3 years, and I just want to be able to keep doing this as long as possible.
I got into production with a not so glorious story – first I did some kind of edits/remixes of the music I listened to at the moment, like Linkin Park (I told you it was not so classy hehe). And then I started to listen to house music, commercial in the beginning, like David Guetta (I told you…)
But I don’t care, I mean I’m absolutely not into that king of mentality and way of doing music like David Guetta, but it’s a bit because of him I’m here now in a way, so…
Then I started to listen to more and more „underground“ music, digging more and more deeply.
You have to take hard decisions every time – I can’t tell any specifics ones, but the only thing I could say is that I had a lot to take these past 10 months.
What had the most influence on your music? Who were your role models and who are your favorites now?
Always hard to define the influences, there are a lot, into electronic music scenes in general of course – but I like to capture my inspirations into African music per example, in many kind of folk and traditional music actually.
I don’t really like the idea of role models, even if I think I have some hehe. I mean I’m in love with most of Ricardo Villalobos works, most of the Romanian scene as well.
What do you do in your spare time? How do you look at the evolution of your sound?
Spare time? What is that? Hehe
Seriously, I didn’t really have that kind of moment for a while – except very recently, I spent 4 days in the mountains with the girl I love.
My sound is always in movement, like my inspirations and my taste are. And first because I learn new things every day, and the technic is an important part. This is it which bring you the possibilities to create what you have in your head.
You have worked with labels such as Desolat, Cocoon and Ventura. How would you describe your relationship with them?
Regarding Cocoon and Desolat, these are new experiences, so the relationship is strictly professional – maybe something more friendly with Vladimir from Desolat that I could met a couple of times, and with who I have a good feeling.
Ventura is an older experience, the guys are cool, they are from Paris too, but I haven’t seen them for a while.
How would you describe your style and sound you make? What would be the details you use in your production that could represent your signature?
Always hard to describe your own work, ask someone else 🙂
About the personal touch I think I give to my tracks, I quite always put some „misc background sound“ in my music, most of the tack warped to bring a backgroove in the track.
Do you prefer playing in clubs or at festivals and why? And what about digital or vinyl?
It depends, really. The most important thing is that it has to be true and good – whatever if it’s a festival or a club (I maybe have a special vibe for open air party :))
Ahh that question 🙂
Actually I have the same thoughts about festival/club. Whatever if it’s good and true.
But I buy a lot of vinyls, as most of them are not available (or very lately) on digital platforms.
Your work is supported by great artists such as Loco Dice, Martin Buttrich, Hot Since 82 and Svan Vath, what does all this means to you and how do you look at it?
I’m happy but that’s it.
I’m not very fanatic of big Dj names. I mean I respect then a lot, like them – but I’m going hysteric when one of them play one of my track, I’m just happy.
Your tracks were charted several times by Resident Advisor’s Top 50 and Beatport artist charts, and your latest track Hoodlum got to the highest point on the Techno Top List. How do you comment on that and did you expect it?
I really didn’t expect that, really not. And you know what, I never sent any tracks to Desolat, my manager did it. To be honest, I didn’t really trust that track when I made it.
What are you preparing for the future? Which labels and artists collaborations can we expect
Surprise surprise 🙂
What do you see as your next great milestone when it comes to your career?
Keep doing this wonderful job the next year, and the year after, etc.
Here is my milestone.
How would you describe today’s techno scene? What is it like being a techno DJ in a city with a techno scene such as in Paris?
The techno scene is going better and better, stronger every year, like in Paris, where the scene has grown so fast and strong. That’s very comfortable to liv and work in such an interesting city like Paris.
You visited Belgrade’s club The Tube last year. How was it for you? What did you like to most and what is special about our crowd?
Was great! The club, the staff, the crowd…which very crazy! Can’t wait to come back again in this great club!
What can you tell us about your latest release on Cocoon Recordings? What is the main idea behind ‘Kiraf’
Ahhh what a question, you know I could tell you a very intellectual story but it’s not. I don’t say the music could not be intellectual or I don’t like that vision of music, that’s the opposite actually. But this track is just a photography of a moment, when I wanted an African infused groove with the „powerful“ and rawness of techno. That’s it 🙂
