From punk bassist to cornerstone of the French electronic music movement, Étienne de Crécy has carved a distinct path across genres and decades.
Photo credit: Marie de Crécy
With seminal releases like ‘Super Discount’ and his work as part of Motorbass alongside Philippe Zdar, de Crécy helped define the French Touch sound of the late ‘90s. His evolving style has since ventured through acid, electro-soul, and boundary-pushing collaborations.
Now, with the release of his new album ‘WARM UP,’ de Crécy enters fresh creative territory. Written during the pandemic, the record moves away from club-driven structures to explore a more introspective, home-listening experience. Featuring artists like Alexis Taylor, Kero Kero Bonito, and Damon Albarn, it’s a testament to his ability to reinvent while staying true to his essence.
These studio tips reflect that spirit—balancing precision with spontaneity, structure with exploration. In this exclusive session, Étienne de Crécy offers insight on keeping things simple, listening deeply, and staying open to transformation.
1. Listening to Music in the Studio
It’s important to listen to music through the speakers used for production, no matter the genre. Enjoying the records we love in the studio, listening to new releases, and digging for music we haven’t discovered yet.
2. XO
I’m not sponsored by XLN Audio, but their XO plugin is great for starting a track. It scans all the samples on your hard drive and analyzes their timbre to classify them as kicks, snares, hi-hats, or percussions. A step sequencer lets you program beats in a fun way and easily swap out sounds—kicks stay kicks, and snares stay snares. It creates tons of inspiring surprises!
3. Arrangement
Making loops is easy, but building a structure is where the real work begins. I recommend getting into it early. When shaping a track, lots of options will emerge, and it’s best to start before getting tired of the loop—otherwise, you might end up adding unnecessary elements. That’s a piece of advice I struggle to follow myself!
4. Mix as You Go
I usually mix while building the structure. A beat can hold on its own longer before the bass comes in, depending on how it sounds. I shape the sound while arranging—usually, I don’t rework a track; I just keep working on it until it’s done. For the ‘WARM UP’ album, it was different because I had to rework the tracks after recording the vocals. It opened up new perspectives for me—coming back to a track weeks or even months later.
5. Simplicity
It’s the hardest thing. I love minimalism—finding the simplest idea that no one has thought of yet. (The four-kick break in ‘Music Sounds Better with You’ is the perfect example!)
Étienne de Crécy’s ‘WARM UP’ is out now on Pixadelic. Stream and download here.
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