Music Tonic—Bob Sinclar - French musician - Brief Article - Interview

Interview, Oct, 2001 by Michel Gondry

WARNING! THIS MUSIC'S GOT A SENSE OF HUMOR

MICHEL GONDRY: When you use samples, are you referencing music you listened to growing up or just music from the past?

BOB SINCLAR: Well, in 1988, I discovered Eric B and Rakim and De La Soul, and hip-hop was the new thing for me. Later on, I met DJ Yellow who is now my partner, and we started Yellow Productions. He was responsible for my education. He owned a record store and he told me, "Don't think all the rappers are geniuses just because they use songs from the '70s and rap over them." Then I started to listen to jazz, soul, funk, disco--black music from between 1972 and '82.

MG: Pop music can call up unexpected memories and emotions, the way the madeleine in Proust suddenly brought back memories of childhood. Sampling makes things even clearer, because you really touch the nerve each time.

BS: I'm not a musician. I started DJing in 1988, then I started to work on parties, then I created my own label, and then I started to do some music. I just wanted to learn about music, so I was obliged to sample some. But then my ears became educated and I started working with musicians, trying to recreate sounds. Sampling, for me, means doing new stuff with old stuff and producing something powerful.

MG: Yeah, you can just take the essence of what you like best. When I listen to your music or to Daft Punk's, I really hear the things I like directly, but because you use them in a twisted way, in an abstract way, the result resembles pop art. I really like it, and I feel it's still modern.

BS: It's really funny because Daft Punk and I come from totally different backgrounds. They come from rock 'n' roll, and I come from jazz and black music. Sometimes our tracks can be played together because it sounds like disco. You can hear the old influence in the two different styles.

Michel Gondry's directorial debut, Human Nature, starring Tim Robbins, comes out early next year. Left: Bob Sinclar wears a shirt by VERSACE and pants by BOSS HUGO BOSS. Belt (worn around neck) by DIESEL.