RON COSTA INTERVIEW + GUEST MIX
A few weeks ago we caught up with Ron Costa, a unique producer who has been dominating the undergrowth of the tech house scene for many years now. His style and sound consist of a perfect blend between distinctiveness and recognisability. It is for these reasons that Ron has gradually risen to occupy a pinnacle position within the French underground Techno & House scenes. We caught up with him about how he works his craft, his hometown Paris and a few things in between.
Hi Ron, its a pleasure to have you for some questions. Let’s start at the beginning - how did you get into all this? Did you start DJing or producing first ?
I started as a DJs, it’s a family thing, my father and my uncle were DJs. I've always been attracted to music because of them, it was like a good virus in the family. My uncle had his own vinyl shop and he made me discover the funk & house music.
Can you talk us through how you go about making your music - what is the creative process and what hardware/software do you use to make it on ?
At the beginning, I work on a loop, I work on the groove and try to find something hypnotic and mental. I don’t like when my tracks have too much elements, it’s not charming for me. I think we all try to put more and more elements in our tracks to do something better, the thing is, sometimes you just need to be simple and the track will work properly. I don’t use a lot of VST (virtual studio technology) instruments but I use a lot of recordings. I record a lot of things with my voice : clap, bass, percussion and put into the mix.
Do you generally prefer to play more intimate club shows or the bigger stage events ?
To be honest I have no preferences. It’s all about the vibe, the energy and the crowd. However, I really like to have people in front of me at the same height, it’s really motivating for me. The most important thing is to have a good connection with the crowd. I played in intimate & bigger places and I always had a great time!
What is the techno scene looking like in France at the moment? Are there any new producers we should be keeping our eyes on ?
The techno scene is going very well, it’s great to see the scene in a healthy state. The clubs in Paris are doing a great job by importing interesting techno DJs. The crowd is one of the best for me, a lot of energy and with Dubfire & F.E.X we can’t wait to play at Rex Club in May, it’s going to be a really good party!
Ron playing in Sofia, Bulgaria
Durban, South Africa
Potobolo Records has always been synonymous with quality for us. How do you go about choosing which releases to go for, as well as maintaining that typically Potobolo atmosphere within the tracks ?
I will use the same argument I said above about tracks, I think we like it simple. We are definitely looking something with a good quality production. We don’t have specific criteria.
Do you take a hands on approach and get involved in the production process of music released on your label or leave the other artists to it ?
Normally, we don’t, but if we really love the track, yes, we will talk with the artist to change some elements.
'Let’s Go Dancing’ was a huge success this summer. How did this collaboration come about and have you noticed an increase in attention since it topped the charts ?
Eats Everything made this bootleg long time ago, it was not supposed to be released but we received a lot of good feedback so we decide together with Audio & Tiga to release it. He made the track more commercial and it worked. We are all happy about the results.
I would like to take this opportunity of the interview to say that everything was legal with the bootleg, Eats Everything didn’t steal my track « Gez Uri ».
If we were out in your hometown Paris, what clubs, bars & eateries would we find you hanging out in ?
I like the popular places in Paris around the 18e & 19e districts, you can find really nice bars & eateries around here and if you want to go to a good club:
Rex Club
La Machine Du Moulin Rouge
Le Badaboom
Social Club
Where is the most exotic place you’ve played ?
It was at the festival 'Afrika Burn' in Tankwa (South Africa). It was in the middle of the desert with a lot a crazy & exotic people. It was a really good and a wild experience. If you are getting in the desert when this is a windy day, you will have big chance to introduce a sandy storm! it was amazing with the sound, really EPIC! It’s one of my best souvenir as a DJ.
How much travelling do you do monthly for performances ?
Normally it’s around 3 or 4 gigs a month.