Pole Folder probably has a lot to thank Señor John Digweed for. One of his earliest tunes, the tripped out and spacey Apollo Vibes was used to open Digweed’s landmark Global Underground 019 compilation, a release that famously marked progressive house’s slide into the K-hole in 2001. Getting signed to the Bedrock label to release his debut Zero Gold album was certainly a great way for the Belgium producer to get started; but since then, Pole Folder has done a great job of striking out on his own and finding his own destination. Namely, a steady presence as a producer and gigs all over the world, with a big presence in South America in particular, as well as an expansion of his live performance to include keyboards and guitars, a process he describes as fusing “a rock and roll soul in an electronic body”.
And he’s finally dropped his debut mixed compilation that goes by the name of Destinations on Frisky Records, named after his radio show of the same name. And according to the ITM review, it’s a ripper. “In summary this is one of the best progressive albums I’ve heard. Ever. Full stop… As Destinations burns a hole in my stereo player after being on repeat for two weeks, rest assured, this album will stand the test of the time. Pole Folder finally has shown us what we’ve all known he was capable of from his productions, and he is truly one of the world’s finest progressive artists.” ITM talks to the man ahead of his shows this weekend.
How many months of the year do you tour?
I play every month at different clubs around the world. It’s still surprising for me to get the chance to play often so far from my hometown.
Where primarily do you tour?
I tour quite a lot in South America, but I play worldwide every year. Asia, USA, Europe, Central America….
Are you able to pick up musical treats from the road, or is the advent of digital music distribution making it more homogenised out there?
It’s much easier these days to be updated with the new tracks when you’re on the road, thanks to the digital store or being sent promo links. And it’s a very interesting point for discussion, as digital generates some problems too like the fact that there is too many tracks online available without any real quality control, and that’s sometimes a real waste of time for the people who check the new stuffs online.
How does international touring affect your life? For example, do you find you have to take time out to chill out at home to ensure you’re mentally and emotionally able to keep going?
Well it’s not easy to combine a regular life with the frequent travels, but at the same time it’s still amazing for me to share music with people all around the world. The most difficult side is to still keep the energy for work in studio when I’m back, as I want to continue to produce on a regular basis. From a mental perspective I can handle it, even if I had some real boring moments at the hotel. But none of it rrally mattes when I’m playing in the club, and I made also a mobile studio so I can spend times on a best way between the gigs.
What’s your favourite city in the world?
Without hesitating, Buenos Aires.
What do you enjoy doing outside of music?
I like to spend times with my friend around a nice bottle of wine. Watching a good movie. But the biggest part of my life is dedicated to the music.
Do you see your audience differently when making an artist album versus a mix album?
Sure. An artist album give you the opportunity to forget rules or established canvas as a mix album has to respect and follow the club atmosphere and energy. But I enjoy both work perspectives.
How would you describe the central theme of the Destinations CD?
It was not easy to capture in 80 minutes the complete feeling of a night. When I play I evolve in different genres and BPMs, but my sets most of the time are around 3 hours, sometimes more. The purpose here was to show a concentrate of what I could play during a club set, like a snapshot of my actual selections.
Are there global or regional trends when it comes to music-making? For example it’s often been said that the US tends to be several years behind England and Western Europe. Is this true anymore?
No. I don’t think so. With internet everybody has access to the latest sounds. And the fact that a lot of DJs are touring worldwide is helping a lot too.
Outside of your home country, where have you been surprised to find your biggest fan base?
Probably Argentina and Serbia. But everytime I go somewhere I always meet fans so I’m pretty lucky with that.
What elements do you look for when evaluating a track? What is that draws you to a piece of music?
I listen to everything and every genre, almost. When a sound or an atmosphere or a melody appeals me, then I’ll grab the track. But I don’t have boundaries.
Will you be bringing the guitars/keyboards to Australia with you on your forthcoming tour? What has the reaction from audiences been like in integrating them into the experience?
I’m not sure I could do it as I have a broken rib. The reaction has always been amazing. I think the audience is always very reactive to organic elements as live guitars, keyboard, drums…. It’s also a great experience for me to play live, and I guess we exchange a great energy the audience and I.
You come from a classical music background; how much do you think that has affected your production method and the melodic character of your music?
I think it affected deeply my method of working, as it’s all about melodies in my work.
Which film do you wish you’d been asked to compose the score for?
Nothing comes in my mind directly but I love directors who combine images and music on a high level. Like Tim Burton with Danny Elfman, Luc Besson with Eric Serra, Sergio Leone with Ennio Morricone and so forth.
How do you describe your sound to people outside of the scene, ie. your mum?
I do electronic music with rock n’ roll soul.Finally, what would you spend your last 20 euros on?
A good bottle of Australian wine sounds great to me.
Catch Pole Folder doing his thing at the following club shows…
May 16 – Melbourne, Onesixone
May 17 – Brisbane, Family
May 23 – Sydney, Chinese Laundry
