French Music that Fries and Shakes—Etienne de Crecy - music producer/musician - Brief Article - Interview

Interview, Oct, 2001 by Nile Rodgers

THE SPIRITUAL FATHER OF FRENCH ELECTRONICA

NILE RODGERS: You were one of the first Parisians to release a house music track in the States and your debut album, Tempovision, just came out here. But I want to know about the gossip. I hear that you are from a very aristocratic background.

ETIENNE DE CRECY: Yes, I'm from a family that goes back to the year 1200.

NR: DJs say you're like the spiritual father to Air, Daft Punk and Alex [Gopher] and then they add, "And, you know, he's like the Marquis de Sade's brother." [both laugh]

EC: It's because in France the name de Crecy immediately shows lineage.

NR: That's cool. In America, most musical heroes are very working class.

EC: In the electronic and dance music scene in France, most of the producers are actually more middle class.

NR: Interesting, because they can afford to buy the equipment.

EC: Yes, it's true, many of my friends were able to buy equipment at a younger age because they were from a middle-class background, but I was working and it was the money I made from my job that allowed me to buy my first equipment. Most of my friends were actually students when they started making money, although being a student in France is free, since the government pays for you to go to college.

NR: The government in France is fantastic when it comes to subsidizing the arts.

EC: What's really good is that you can get unemployment if you work in performance, cinema, music, theater--any of those trades.

NR: Well, one thing I wanna say is that the French musicians are giving funk validity again. Just like how a few years ago, if it weren't for the Japanese, jazz music in America could've been lost.

EC: Funk saved Paris as well, because at the end of the rock era everything was really dull--funk breathed some life back into the city.

Nile Rodgers, who has produced tracks for David Bowie and Madonna, is currently working with Etienne de crecy.