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0027 // Octave
“Honestly I’m not so much into this Berlin thing even though I definitely understand how nice it is to live in a city that’s a big meeting point for Techno producers” Sylvain Le Goff, better known as Octave divulges when asked about the pull of the city, which appears to draw in techno producers from around the world with gravitational force. “You can see techno ‘colleagues’ all the time, have good fun making music, try new gear or just hang out with guys that have the same passion and meet a lot of people. I don’t know - I’m just not interested I guess. It feels like too much hype, and the city is overpopulated with DJs which is not something I’m looking for.”
Having been born and raised a Parisian, it’s refreshing to hear the producer talk about his home city with such enthusiasm. “I love the city, I have my family and friends here and have never thought about leaving. Even more since it’s very easy to travel from Paris, by train or plane which is cool for touring.”
First entering the world of production in 2007, it wasn’t long before the Octave project began to gather momentum - Richie Hawtin featuring ‘Past Flash’ on his 2008 released ‘Sounds From Can Elles’ CD for DJ Magazine. However arguably the most pivotal point in Le Goff’s career came with the establishment of his own label, Silent Steps. “I love techno and I love working with other people from the scene, but something I really need to work with people is the feeling” Le Goff says of the family oriented vibe to the label. “All my collaborations are based on the music of course, but the feeling you have with the person is something really important to me as well. I need both and I think that rules the way I work with the agency/label.”
Whatever the reasons behind Le Goff’s approach to running the label, its release history is testament to its success, having put out music from the likes of Audio Injection, Yan Cook and Impact Unit. The label has also seen several high profile artists take up remixes for the label, including London based Ali Wells aka Perc. “He did a remix for Silent Steps two years ago which was actually the first reason why we were in touch. It was a true honour for me and the label, this remix is still one of the tracks I like most on Silent Steps” Le Goff explains of his relationship with the Perc Trax founder. “After that I booked him three times at label nights in Germany so those were good opportunities to meet and get to know each other. He’s a true guy; easy and very nice. We have a nice, friendly relationship but I think I’m still, foremost, a big fan.”
With 2014 christened by the release of an EP Analogue Series remixes from the likes of Milton Bradley, Bas Mooy, Giorgio Gigli and Yan Cook, the rest of the year is set to be a busy one for the label. “I have a busy schedule of releases, all on vinyl, featuring amazing tracks and remixes from Impact Unit (Material Object + Luis Flores), The Noisemaker, Paul Birken, Subjected, DJ Hyperactive, Yan Cook, Mike Parker and many others, so you can expect a lot of music to come out in the next months. The agency ‘Silent Steps Booking’ will take up a lot of time this year as I really want to grow it and promote all six artists with me on the roster. It’s very important to me and I will dedicate time to it.”
Le Goff’s offering to our podcast series consists of a live mix recorded at Crucifix Lane towards the end of last year. “My live sets are always thought out and worked on a lot at the studio, but I also always leave room to jam and go on unplanned paths to keep it live and have more fun.”
No tracklist available.
0027 // Octave [Live at Crucifix Lane] by Stray Landings on Mixcloud
- Published
- Mar 18, 2014