Yuksek, real name Pierre Alexander Busson, has quite the knack for pumping out the kind of unabashed, catchy pop tunes that seem to resonate with electro lovers the world over. The Frenchman’s ability to produce songs with a certain uniqueness in a genre often too well known for its recycling and repetition, does a lot to explain his full on touring schedule. This guy is crazy busy, and so it’s not hard to understand why latest album
Living On the Edge of Time is largely inspired by constant travelling, and the sometimes consequent loneliness of life on the road. Gracing our shores this week for a stint at Splendour, we caught up with him for a quick chat about his latest offering and the isolation that sometimes comes with being an internationally adored beat maker.
Kate Gorfine: Hey Mr Busson! Have you touched down in Oz yet?
Pierre Busson: No, I’m not in Australia yet actually. I’m moving in tomorrow night.
KG: Last time you were here you described Sydney as feeling like your second home. What is it about Australia that you love so much?
PB: I don’t know, it’s just a beautiful country. It’s one of the first countries I ever visited, and I mean touring. I’ve come there six or seven times, and I’m still working with the same agents I have been for years, and so yeah, it’s a pleasure to be back.
KG: This time around you’re giving us a couple of sideshows as well as your slot at Splendour in the Grass. How do festival gigs compare to playing clubs?
PB: The thing is that when you play clubs, most of the time the people just come for you, because there’re no other options. But for festivals, people can come for anyone and people may have the chance to discover your music and discover something they like, so there’s always a challenge in playing in festivals... and of course I’m playing in open air, which is always very cool.
KG: So if you could only play one for the rest of your career?
PB: I think I would choose festivals.
KG: It has been said that you’ve never been an aspiring clubber or DJ, and I believe you’re actually classically trained, so I’m intrigued as to what drew you to electronic music?
PB: I don’t know. It’s actually very interesting. I like music in general. I listen to a lot of indie and dancey stuff as well as classical. I know I’m like most people; they listen to a lot of different things, from classic to new stuff to electronic. I’m very interested in the synthesizer and all the studio equipment that I collect… I don’t think really about new or electronic stuff, it’s just modern music. I don’t know, you just make stuff like this, and it’s not something you have to discover or think about.
KG: Tell us a bit about the inspiration for latest album
Living on the Edge of Time.
PB: Firstly, I wanted to sing all the tracks myself. That was the difference with the first album [
Away From The Sea]. With that, I invited a lot of people, so this one I wanted to sing by myself. With the music, I never really think about what I will do when I come into the studio. I’m just like, ‘Okay go, let’s do a track,’ and then it’s, ‘Let’s get through fifteen tracks,’ and then, ‘Let’s get through an album.’ I really like it this way. I didn’t plan it, but I’m much more proud of it than the first one.
KG: So the vocals are all you, but I hear you had some friends in like
the Shoes and
The Bewitched Hands to participate in the studio. How did this help in the process and how did it influence the final product?
PB: I had a couple of guys come in from the city but it was mainly to do things like the backing vocals, chorus strings, and the choir, because I needed it. I’m writing all the tracks, I’m producing it, I’m playing the records, I mean, I’m mixing it and everything. So sometimes, I just feel a bit too alone [laughs], you know? To finish the process, I just needed someone to make me think or just to offer advice. To tell me if I’m wrong or right, or if something is very strange or very good...
KG: As you’ve just said, you can sometimes feel a bit lonely when you’re touring and making the album and all of that, so with Splendour being a festival with such a huge lineup, do you get the chance in between playing to hang out with other artists and befriend them or whatnot?
PB: Yeah, it happens every time. But to be honest, this year I didn’t check who’s playing Splendour, so I don’t know if I have friends there. The thing is I’m just coming for four days in Australia, three shows, and I mean we have flights every morning, and after Splendour in the Grass, next morning at nine we fly back to France. It’s going to be very speedy, so I don’t know if I will have time to hang out too much this time.
KG: I was going to say, you seem to have such a crazy schedule. Do you ever get to just stop and take it all in, and you know, just step back and really enjoy it?
PB: Yeah, like in Australia I never have too much time off. I think I’ve just had a couple of days off in Sydney or Brisbane, and they are so good to see. I’ve started to know Sydney very well, but I don’t know, I haven’t really travelled in Australia. I would love that chance, but maybe to stay for a month and maybe turn it into a tour. But that’s going to be next time, next year I hope.
You can check out the galleries and review for Splendour in the Grass here.
WORDS: Kate Gorfine