Miquette Giraudy interview

1) Firstly thank you for taking the time out from your busy schedule to complete this interview. Could you tell us a little about yourself and how you started your musical career?

I started my musical career with the invention of the synthesiser! Those machines with knobs and noises were the right media for my easily bored mind and body, I got bewitched and from the 1st VCS3 to all these plug in’s today I am still under their spell.

I remember trying to do one chord on Malcolm Cecil's Tonto, which was a whole room where every space was covered with mini-moog’s, you had to link them all together to make one chord! That was pioneer time ... the 1st synthesiser cowboys.

We were banned from the musician Union for stealing the work of real musicians!

2) Technology has changed quite dramatically since the 70’s when you joined Gong.  Production wise what are the major improvements for you and is their anything you miss about the old technology?

Technology changed but for me for the better and for the smaller ... what a pleasure not to have to carry 200kg of gear at every gig. I am not stuck in the analog-digital barrier, for me any means are good as long as it is good. 

Sometimes I regret the time when we were a whole bunch, mixing a track on a mixing desk and each one of us had a couple of faders and effects and the mix was like a live concert, but this now balanced by the fact that there is nearly no more mix, it is done at the time little by little as the track is taking shape it is more part of the creative writing process.

3) After so many albums since the self-titled debut album from System 7 in 1991 what approach did you use to keep the new album “UP” sounding fresh?

Sounding fresh .... well I guess this is a frame of mind, what I certainly don't want to do is to do again what i was doing 20 years ago, as Steve love to say "Forwards and Upwards".

4) Which artists currently impress you?

In this moment of time the guy that really inspires me is this piano player from Luxemburg called Francesco Tristano http://www.francescotristano.com/, he can play "The Bells" by Jeff Mills or Derrick May's "Strings of Life" at the grand piano and it sounds awesome. He plays with Carl Craig there is a fab remix done by Ben Klock as well, all this really vibes me.

5) Outside of the dance music scene what music do you listen to at home?

I mostly listen to dance music ... there is so much and so little time.

6) The festival season in Europe is in full swing where can people catch a live set in the coming months?

Well we will be playing 3 times (Steve 4) in Glastonbury festival as System 7 and Mirror System, Beautiful Days, Sonica in  Montenegro is going to be fun, Fuji Rock in Japan and Womb in Tokyo ...this is what i remember for now.

7) If you could play anywhere, where would be your ultimate venue for a live set?

Where I like to play the most are islands or seafronts of exotic places. Where the sun is hot, the sea is warm and the people are happy. Or on top of the mountains, somewhere the view is breathtaking while I am playing ... I love music and life.

Links

http://www.a-wave.com/