Masomenos, is a productive partnership between Joan Costes, a graphic designer and DJ, and Adrien de Maublanc, a much-respected producer and sound engineer. Since first introducing themselves over a decade ago thanks to their cheeky, playful strand of minimal techno, the boys’ sound has since matured to the point where they’re now simply known for being fantastic musicians. Never ones to take things too seriously, their music maintains a certain joie de vivre, and they continue to leave their mark on dancefloors around the world as only they know how. Ahead of their new album, Unidentified Aerial Phenomena’ on Automatic Writing, we decided to check in to see what’s happening in their world…
How are you? What’s been keeping you busy recently?
GREAT! Lots of changes, we moved to the south of France. We’re still renovating the house which is going to host our studio. All our stuff has been in moving boxes for months now. So, we’re really looking forward to the unpacking day. It’s gonna feel like Christmas!
Your upcoming album ‘Unidentified Aerial Phenomena’ on Automatic Writing flickers between a variety of styles. What did you try to capture with the album? Do you have any favourite tracks?
A: I never try to do anything when I work on an album. The tracks that I produce are the result of a specific studio set-up, capturing a certain period in time and binding together to form an album. It encloses a chapter in a way.
Can you tell us a bit about the process of recording this LP? How was the experience?
First of all, it feels like this album is from a while ago. Before we moved, before the lock down… it’s a bit strange to release it now in a context that is completely different.
Any favorite bits of hardware / software you’re using in the studio at the moment?
Rahhh, let’s not talk about this!! We’re missing our babies… Can’t wait to get them out of their boxes.
What are the main ideas behind the music on this release?
It’s an exploration of what is our place in the universe as human beings. Who are we, who are they? The others? Maybe just a mirror? I don’t know exactly how it all came together music wise. How the whole story got unveiled. But just like that at one moment the story was told!
What makes your music unique do you think?What do you pride yourself on when producing?
Oh, no pride here! I just can’t do it differently.
Whenever my pride has tricked me into doing something more “normal” or “commercial” the result was sooo bad. I can just own and honor our weirdness!
What’s next, what else you working on?
The house, the studio, the show of UAP.
It already seems a lot!
Keep it up with Masomenos here.
