CTM Special: D.I.R.T.Y. Soundsystem

D.I.R.T.Y.-Soundsystem gehört zu einer Gruppe von Musik-Enthusiasten aus Paris, welche sich um das Blog Alainfinkielkrautrock sammeln. Die Crew hinter diesem Blog wurde vor allem durch limitierte Edits von bekannten und obskuren Flohmarkt-Klassikern bekannt, die von wahrer Liebe zu Musik und Entdeckergeist zeugen. Auf der Club Transmediale 2009 trat das Kollektiv mit Pilooski, Zombie Zombie und Discodeine in der Maria auf - und erfreute mit  Rare Groove, House und erstaunlich technoider LSD-Disko das Publikum. Wir konnten Guillaume, einem Teil von D.I.R.T.Y., ein paar Statements entlocken - und außerdem das DJ-Set, welches sie auf der CTM gespielt haben! Das Set von den Franzosen findest Du im sonett77 Player!

As the title of the Club Transmediale festival is “Structures” - Have u ever relied on the traditional structures of music business like record companies?

Guillaume: Yes - but we soon discovered that we prefered to be small but independent (and free).

(Dirty Edits Vol.1 CD-Compilation Cover Artwork)

Some of your rediscoveries went later into the mainstream charts (as the Frankie Vallie Re-Edit of Pilooski that has been ripped by the Swedish pop act Madcon). Could u tell us how that happened?

G: We released a bootleg edit of Frankie Valli and we got contacted by Warner Music who owned the rights of the tracks. They released our edit on a larger scale and had the rights to deal it to Madcon. We don’t care about it (A bootleg is a bootleg!)… We just think that Madcon has done something weak with it, but it’s their problem, not ours…

Is it possible to earn enough money by making and promoting your music to satisfy your needs and feeding your family (if u have one.)?

G: Clovis and I (Dirty Sound System) have both other methods to make a living, fortunately… We need to keep the pleasure and excitment in what we do.

Most companies and labels say that their record sales have been going down for the last years. Do u have this experience? Does it happen for small, in-official labels as well?

G: Our Dirty Edit series we sold well and very fast eventhough the quantities are quite small. In fact we are so excited by releasing music that we’re already happy when we have the physical records in our hands. To sell them is another game… But until now selling our stuff hasn’t been a problem, fingers crossed.

The net has become the major distribution channel for music - unfortunately 90% of the spreaded music are illegal copies. Do u think that’s a problem that is going to become solved?

G: No.

Another distribution structure of music is its presentation in clubs and concert halls. Are you satisfied with the common venues and rules of the game? Can you express and represent the music in a way u want to do it?

G: I don’t consider myself as an artist, more a “passeur” in Serge Daney’s words. Regarding the club thing, people come in those places to have fun, to loose themselves and not to get a music lesson. If they spend an enjoyable moment and if they experience something different, exciting and inspirationnal that’s even better… Club music is about entertainment therefore I tend to keep away from intellectualizing those things.

How do u discover the music you want to rework?

G: Crate digging / Friends / Promos / Illegal download.

The amount of music that listeners can access (not only producers) on a fingertip is growing. Will we see only retro-trends and re-edits in the future?

G: The edit thing was born way longer before us (Tom Moulton / Danny Krivit / Larry Levan). And I think it’s time to stop now, too many edits and too many bad edits are surrounding us… We released this series because we felt it’s funny and exciting to do so. As soon as it’s becoming a formula it’s getting boring. Our next projects are not associated with edits…

(Dirty French Psychedelics, Compilation, Mai 2009)

Your blog (Alainfinkielkrautrock) takes its name from a popular French philosopher. How about Alain Finkielkraut? Has he ever noticed about a site making fun of his name?

G: Alain Finkielkraut is my uncle so there’s no problem about making fun of his name. He’s currently working on a special “reactionary disco not disco” mix for the blog… He just discovered acid house and got really mad about this genre, he’s some kind of party animal, you know…

Das Set von D.I.R.T.Y-Soundsystem findest Du im sonett77 Player!