Following a string of singles over the course of 2023, French electronic duo il:lo expand upon their foundation in downtempo electronic to deliver a dynamic, driving body of work in their ‘Myriad’ EP.
Photo Credit: Christophe Mauberqué
‘Myriad’ is il:lo’s most significant body of work since their debut 2019 album ‘Sloh’, and dynamically demonstrates the French duo’s development across the past 4 years in both artistry and production proficiencies as they continue to rise to prominence in the space. The past few years have seen the duo collaborate with top brands in dance music, including three striking performances for Anjunadeep Live at stunning locations in Montpellier, and Canyon Du Diable.
EG caught up with il:lo to learn more about the release of their ‘Myriad’ EP, their ongoing tour, future endeavors, and more.
EG: Hi guys! Welcome to EG. It’s a pleasure to have you here with us. How have you been? Where are you right now?
il:lo: Thanks for having us here! Things are doing great for il:lo right now! We are having a bit of rest between the Euro part of the tour and the US leg in July, we are enjoying time with our friends and families in France.
EG: First of all, congratulations on the release of your first full-length EP, ‘Myriad’! You guys must be very excited to share this one! What has the initial reception been like?
il:lo: Thanks! Indeed, it’s been 4 years since the release of our last EP, ‘Sloh’ in 2019. We took our time to gather the most relevant tracks we produced in the last 3 years. So yes, we are excited to deliver this new EP! We loved the feedback we received on the day of the release because people can judge the project as a whole, instead of quoting a piece or two. They described, among other things, that they experienced a musical journey, which is what we wanted to make listeners feel.
EG: So, what can your fans expect to find on ‘Myriad’? Is there a concept or trigger to these tracks?
il:lo: ‘Myriad’ is above all very melodic. We navigate between downtempo and deep house. The global orientation was more electronic in the sense that we experimented a bit more with synths. But at the same time, we wanted to stay true to what we like to do naturally: simple and rich music, mixing acoustic and electronic, samples, and synthesizers. Listeners should quickly recognize that they are indeed listening to il:lo! (laughter)
EG: What was the recording process for ‘Myriad’ like? For how long has the EP been in the works?
il:lo: As said above, we have collected the most coherent pieces of the last three years. Some songs were started during the lockdown in 2020, others in recent months. Some take us two years of back and forth, of a general overhaul before finding a solution, like ‘Peaks & Valleys’ or ‘Baume’. For others, we found the recipe immediately, like for ‘Soldiner’ or ‘Ink’. It was also the first time that we had a collaboration with a vocalist (Fractures), so it was very exciting and at the same time, it took us some time to find the right process to work with vocals.
“‘Myriad’ is above all very melodic. We navigate between downtempo and deep house. The global orientation was more electronic in the sense that we experimented a bit more with synths”
EG: We also know that there are some incoming live performance videos of ‘Shifted’ and ‘Peaks & Valleys’. Is there anything you can anticipate on that front? Did you encounter any hurdles during the process from the studio to a live setting?
il:lo: In general, we rework the tracks in depth to give more energetic and dancing “live” versions. ‘Shifted’ and ‘Peaks & Valleys’ already had enough energy, we just lengthened parts, mutated elements in certain places, etc. Most of the work was mainly to replay the synths and pianos live, we had to learn some scores! It was also our first time with a singer. That was easy with Fractures, he learned his texts, came to rehearse for an hour at home and we shoot the videos in stride. No need to re-record vocals in post-production. We had everything we needed!
EG: And, as you guys mentioned, you are in the midst of a headlining solo 2023 tour to support ‘Myriad’ across Europe and the United States. Congratulations! How has the tour been coming along? Any personal highlights so far?
il:lo: We are super happy to be able to present this project in all those places and to discover some new cities! So far it was great, we can’t wait to be back on the road in July for the US leg of the tour. It’s pretty crazy to see people react to the first notes of the songs. Before, nobody knew our music when we played it!
EG: How do you guys keep entertained when not in the studio? Are there any series, books, or records that have caught your attention recently and that you’d recommend?
Dejan: I set up a fairground circus company with friends, it’s a participatory show around the famous ‘Wheel of Fortune’. It goes in all directions. It allows me to have a less serious and framed project than il:lo in which I can express the madness and the clown that I have in me.
Andreas: I am mostly spending time with friends and discovering the city where I recently moved Berlin, getting back to analog photography & trying to learn the piano (I’m not very good so far…)
EG: Can you tell us something personal about yourself that only a few people know about?
Dejan: I said a lot in the previous question (laughter)
Andreas: I used to play in a metalcore band.
“We are super happy to be able to present this project in all those places and to discover some new cities! So far it was great, we can’t wait to be back on the road in July for the US leg of the tour”
EG: What’s next for il:lo? Where can your fans catch you next? (Upcoming Tour Dates) What new milestones are you looking forward to in 2023?
il:lo: We will probably play a few shows in Europe this fall, and regarding music production, we will explore other genres of music, such as UK garage… stay tuned!
EG: Thank you for your time, guys! We’re excited to see what’s in store for you and can’t wait to experience more of your incredible music.
il:lo: Thanks a lot and hope to see you on the road! Where are you catching us live? 🙂
il:lo’s new ‘Myriad’ EP is out now. Purchase your copy here.
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