We are lucky as hell here at Yo-ster. We went out and hunted down the most awesome French disco indie label we could find and spoke with one of their great talents!!! Anoraak (Valerie, FR) makes the kind of pretty landscaping techno that makes your heart soar through centuries of love that has yet to come, leaving you sentimental for the future.
Tell me about where you are from, and describe your music.
Nantes is one of the main cities of France , on the west side, close to the ocean. It is known in Europe as a good living city. I came here to make music with old friends of mine, and that’s what I do most of the time. I think that it’s romantic music. I imagine someone dancing all alone in a club with their eyes closed, dropping a tear of melancholic happiness, and waiting for their soul mate. 
What do you use to record?
I use different gear but I won’t make a list right now. The thing that I really love in my studio is my Roland Octapad II.
You have four remixes listed on your myspace page – are these artists friends of yours?
The guys from Hail Social contacted me via the page, I didn’t know them personally.
What goes into a remix that gives it that smooth Anoraak feel?
I try to extract the heartbreaking part of a track.
What is this “Valerie” entity? I took a look and downloaded ten amazing mp3s. It seems to be a collective that does parties.
Valerie is our crew, all from Nantes. The core members are COLLEGE, MINITEL ROSE, THE OUTRUNNERS, MAETHELVIN and ANORAAK. We do parties anywhere and have a blog. Our blog is whatever we like, old and new, but you won’t find anything about Ed Banger or Kitsune.
Is Anoraak your sole musical outlet, or only one aspect of your creativity?
Surely it is only one side of me. I love rock from the 90s such as That Dog, and I also appreciate newer indie bands such as Les Savy Fav. I play drums in a project called Pony Pony Run Run (myspace.com/ponyponyrunrun) with good friends of mine. We go into Prince, Phil Collins, The Rentals territory. It’s hard to discuss influences. Antonin Dvorak’s New World Symphony was formative for me as a child. Early 80s TV and radio jingles and credits that used those delayed and detuned synths probably brought about this nostalgia for sleek, spacey sounds. You can hear how those sounds inspired other people, like Boards of Canada, and some electro bands like Console and Robots in Disguise. I’m excited by an Australian scene, beginning with Cut Copy and Midnight Juggernauts. Of Montreal is a great band, I saw them a few days ago in a little club in Paris, they just blew me out. Danger is a great new project from France. I’m definitely moved by the rest of the Valerie wave.
There’s quite a feeling of space and expanse in songs like “Endless Summer” and “Waiting for Your Call.” Is this the kind of mood you seek to create?
I have images in my mind of retrofuturism and robotic romantism. Space is where I feel most comfortable.
Are words like “space” and “expanse” kind of useless in talking about music?
Those words make sense, they describes the feelings inspired by some sounds.
What do you think about Trans Am? The band, not the car. Feel free to discuss the car, though.
The car is amazing, and the band is as well.
Stanley Kubrick or Michealangelo Antonioni?
Kubrick. I also love Korean movies.
Do you like the movie “Tron”?
I love this movie.
Are you looking to venture outside of France anytime soon?
I’ve already played in Berlin and Luxembourg , some people are asking me in the US, but nothing is planned yet. I hope to perform outside France more and more!
Is there an album or EP on the way?
Something’s on the way, but nothing that I can talk about right now.
Are you as sleek of a man as your music?
No, I’m a big mess, but making music helps to clean up my head.
Have you considered hooking up with an indie rocker and making a project to sell to teenage girls and license to commercials? I know some nice but musically lost folkies in Virginia who could use some of your polish.
I’m not sure you can plan this kind of impact. Let the time talk!
