Mlle Caro has been spinning electro and rock as a resident DJ at the seminal Rex Club in Paris since the 90s, but not too long ago she hooked up with composer-turned-DJ Franck Garcia and they began making music together. Grabbing attention in 2006 with their single Far Away, the legendary Ben Watt was one such person who was mighty impressed – so much so that he signed them to his revered Buzzin Fly record label to release their debut. And the results are Pain Disappears, an 11-track release that blends minimal, electronica and rock sounds in a fusion that’s all their own.
It was aptly described by one reviewer as a marriage of the “tech house bump and indie jangle”, which will give you a good idea of what to expect; even if the pair themselves prefer to describe it as “melancholic electro-pop”. ITM talks to Mlle Caro about the album.
Hi there Mlle Caro. For some years now you’ve been a resident at the Rex Club, which seems to be a big focal-point for electronic music in Europe. How has that affected you creatively?
Listening a lot of different DJs makes me more creative as a DJ maybe, but not necessarily as a producer. But the Rex Club definitely is one of the best clubs in the world!
How do you find the club differs to others that you regularly play at?
It depends on the soundsystem, and of course the people on the dancefloor.
How did you both get started producing? Have you always done this together, or have there been occasions previously when you did it apart?
We did started producing together a few years ago, and we’re not planning on stopping for a fears yet. Franck did do some stuff alone, and for me it is my first collaboration. We have this wonderful alchemy between us, and we want it to keep going on like this!
Your new album has been described by one reviewer as being a marriage of “tech house bump and indie jangle”, is this a good description?
The fact is that “tech house” means something particular in France, and it’s different in other countries. We very much like the description ‘melancholic electro-pop’.
All of the vocals on the album are sung by both you and Franck, have you both always been comfortable in front of the microphone or was this something you did more as a preference instead of having to work with guest vocalists?
At the beginning I was terrified of being in front of the microphone, I didn’t want to sing at all! But Franck convinced me to do it. Now it’s like playing an instrument and it makes our songs more personal.
In creating Pain Disappears, did you do it in a regular kind of fashion at your home studios, or did you take the ever popular route of heading out into the country for a bit of isolation?
We used to work in our own studio on south of France, and take inspiration and write some songs on the road.
Is there a particular routine that both you and Franck have for collaborating and writing music together?
Yes of course a lot of Coca Cola, a lot of cigarettes and lots of talk about sex.
Did either of you go on an equipment buying spree before recording, or did you work with a more simple setup?
We bought a computer and new guitars.
What is it like having a renowned DJ like Ben Watt as a your label boss and what is he like to work with?
It’s a real honour to work with an artist like Ben Watt, because we are fans since the beginning.
You’ve already debuted at the Luminaire in London with a live Mlle Caro & Franck Garcia show, what was it like and how did you translate what you did on the album to a live setup?
It was a great show, it may be out best yet as we put a lot of acoustic things in there for the live show, like a drummer and a guitarist.
How does playing live compare to DJing for you?
It’s two different worlds. In fact the risks are more important with the live performance because we are representing and defending our songs .But the result is very exciting for us!
Are there any plans to tour the album in Australia?
We hope so, it’s one of my favourite countries.
Mlle Caro & Franck Garcia’s Pain Disappears is out now through Buzzin Fly/Stomp, and you can check out the clip below for Dead Souls...
