Photo credit: Patricio Stuarts
Surfacing out of Buenos Aires, one of the world’s Progressive hives, Partenaire has crafted music for some of the genre’s most forward-thinking labels like Juicebox Music, Transpecta, ICONYC, Serendeep, and onedotsixtwo, which has become a sacred ground for the producer, as he returns to the UK imprint for the fourth time since its inception. Following his appearances in their first two compilations, Tripswitch’s ‘In At The Deep End’ and Gustin’s ‘Synchronicity’, and his acclaimed ‘Convergence’ EP in collaboration with Sebastian Sellares, the Argentine artist is now set to release his biggest creation to date with ‘Modern Mantras’.
A career-defining snapshot of Partenaire’s sound and vision, ‘Modern Mantras’ is a deep journey inside, a quest for inner truth in turbulent times. Born out of isolation, these six tracks provided an anchor and bestowed a sense of purpose upon the producer.
We caught up with Partenaire to talk about ‘Modern Mantras’, his personal views, and the current state of the music industry.
Electronic Groove: Hi Axel, and congratulations on the release of ‘Modern Mantras’ on onedotsixtwo. How has the reception been so far?
Partenaire: Hey guys! Thank you for having me over. It’s a true pleasure to be here. I’ve gotta say, it’s been a surreal feeling to see all the support it’s been getting so far. We’ve just done the premier for the official music video of ‘The Seance’, and the response has been overwhelming. And the fact that some of the tunes are starting to receive airtime from some of my colleagues and bigger players on the scene like Hernan Cattaneo and Solarstone is also something really cool. In the end, it’s why we put music out, I think. I mean, we do it for ourselves, but we share it so that it can soundtrack experiences for others. It’s all about that shared connection, right?
Electronic Groove: What can you tell us of the inspiration behind the album? Did the outcome feel true to its initial concept?
Partenaire: Particularly, these tracks were done in a short amount of time. My mindset and mood were pretty much the same throughout the creative process, even if the tracks represent different instances of the same journey. I guess, what inspired me was this need to find a compass. This record was my meditation (and medication). The pandemic had gone on for a couple of months when ‘Modern Mantras’ was done, and the intensity with which we live our lives had certainly deflated. I needed that injection of life. That is why the record is club-oriented at a time when most clubs are closed. That’s why the first track, ‘Rephlex’, for all its energy and colorful tones, still feels like a rude awakening. In all, I think the end result surpassed my initial expectations for the process.
Electronic Groove: Digging deeper into the production of the album. What equipment did you use? Can you share any special hardware, setting or production tip that enhanced the outcome of the album?
Partenaire: As I mentioned, ‘Modern Mantras’ was done in a month and a half, maybe two. I wasn’t really setting out to do so, but I rather came as a physiological need, I guess. I did more than just the 6 tracks that we selected as final cuts, so there already was a pre-selection of sorts before I showed them to the guys over at onedotsixtwo. After ‘Rephlex’ came about, the concept kinda laid itself out before me. Then, it was just about managing intensities and figuring out how I wanted the journey to play itself out.
I’d say 95% percent of the record was created in-the-box, using Ableton Live. Most of the synths are from Output’s Signal and Exhale audio engines; then there’s a lot of creative sampling (warping, chopping, stretching, etc) from a plethora of different genres (downtempo, D&B, Classical, movie scores, Techno, and more), and I do a TON of processing…there’s a lot of sounds that sound nothing like the initial audio signals, synths that become percussions, arp lines that become pads, the sky’s the limit in that regard. In that sense, I became a big fan of Output’s Movement processor.
Electronic Groove: As you’ve just mentioned, the album is released via onedotsixtwo. How did the connection with the label happen? Can you give us some insight as to who came up with the album idea?
Partenaire: My relationship with Nick Brennan (Tripswitch) is one of my favorites from all I’ve made in the music industry. Musically, I’ve looked up to him ever since I got into the scene. Some 4-5 years ago, he’d just released this beautiful album on Iboga called ‘Vagabond’ (go listen to that shit, it’s REALLY good), and I had made an unofficial remix of ‘Vagaries’, one of my favorite tracks from the record. So, I sent it his way. Just as a ‘thank you’ for the inspiration provided by the record. And much to my surprise, this guy who is miles up on the ladder answered in the kindest way. He liked it and remembered seeing my name from demos sent to his first label, Section Records. He mentioned he was setting up onedotsixtwo, and that he was on the lookout for new tracks for a compilation to kick things off. I sent ‘Yesterdays’, and landed a spot on the VA. He’s also pushed me to get better, since he’s always looking for something special in each track. As the label evolved, I got to meet Gustin & Steve, who are really cool guys and phenomenal artists as well.
The idea of an album was not something I set out to do. I handed in a couple of demos back in October/November 2019, which we agreed on releasing down in 2020. As the months passed, I kept handing in new tracks, because I wanted Nick and the guys to be able to choose the best from the lot. And that’s when they saw that we were standing on enough material to put out a mini-album. But then something terrible happened. On July 11th (my birthday), my computer crashed and my hard drive got fried. Like proper fucked. I wasn’t able to salvage anything. Luckily, I had the pre-masters up in the cloud, but I had lost all the original project files.
And so I had two choices: to bitch and moan about it or to actually take care of it and get back up as soon as possible. I decided I would do both, and after bitching for a bit, in two days’ time, I had a new disk and all my software back up and running. And I just felt the life, you know? ‘Modern Mantras’ came out as I dove inside. An effortless process. After that, I told the guys that I would much rather put this version of an album out. This one had tracks cut from the same thread, as opposed to a ‘collection’ of tracks done over a long span of time. And I had the project files. So if I want to, 5, 10 whatever amount of years down the line, I can still do something new with them. They heard the new tracks, and the rest is history.
“We go to the clubs and festivals to profess love, we go for the communion of souls. These are OUR mantras”
Electronic Groove: From the 6 tracks, ‘The Seance’ was selected as the lead single. Why?
Partenaire: It’s probably one of my finest tunes to date I think. The groove just rolls effortlessly, and its fun, recognizable small arrangement makes for a somewhat catchy tune. And I think that the lyrics ‘Why are all the flags always half-mast? / Why do we always dress in black?’ evoke a very strong imagery. There’s a gripping story to be told and a very relatable one.
Electronic Groove: And, there’s also a video for the single. What’s the story behind it and how did it come together?
Partenaire: The video was directed by JAROP, in the streets of Miami, and it follows our lead character through the night, as she walks in search of answers she knows she’ll never find. And even if she does, it won’t change what has been. Replaying endless scenarios over and over, feeling the weight of the torture we bestow upon ourselves. It’s just a process we have to go through. The way out is in.
It was planned over a couple of months, going back and forth between JAROP, the production team over at Electronic Groove, the label, and myself.
Electronic Groove: Where does the name ‘Modern Mantras’ come from?
Partenaire: The pandemic gave us all a chance to slow down, and maybe more time to listen to ourselves better, more clearly, understand our desires and needs. I think I definitely made the most of it. I found light in the darkness, you know…I balanced it out, found my own rhythm, decided where I wanted to aim for. Basically, I somewhat got my shit together. But for that, I had to dive inside, find my focus. That place where you create and bend reality at will. These tracks gave me a purpose. I don’t know if they saved my life, but they certainly didn’t let me go under. And truth be told, I think a lot of us ravers, clubbers…we go to the clubs and festivals to profess love, we go for the communion of souls. These are OUR mantras. Where we find ourselves.
Electronic Groove: Moving into a broader subject…What’s your take on the evolution of the industry after 12 months of the pandemic? Do you feel we’re in a better or worse place?
Partenaire: I think you’ve got to look at this one from various angles. The whole industry is struggling. Probably, the only ones enjoying this are the soul-less shareholders over at Spotify. Venues have taken a massive hit, some might not be open by the time this blows over. Strictly music-wise, I think it’s been good. Touring DJs have had a chance to write more tunes, and up-and-coming producers have been able to sharpen their skills, translating into better quality music. It’s also true that means more music that might not be as good out there, clouding up the good stuff. But you gotta work to get that honey anyways. I think the most positive aspect has to be the fact that slowing down has enabled us to sit down and discuss issues that need to change, and think of proper ways of tackling them, and making sure that the change is there when we get back.
Electronic Groove: After everything re-opens and festivals and clubs are back on their feet, do you think we’ll be the same? Or are the seed of conscience for a better, more equal industry being planted?
Partenaire: I hope we are better. I believe in people. And especially, in character arches. There’s shit that just doesn’t cut it anymore. It should have never cut it, but it somehow did. 2021, and we’ve still got toxic shit that only keeps us in the shadows. That’s not the way forward. Movements like Rebekah’s #ForTheMusic are essential. I may be only 33, but I know that’s not the ideals that our scene was founded on. This place is meant to be a safe space. For EVERYONE. It’s time we make it so again.
Electronic Groove: Thank you for sitting down with us Axel! It was a pleasure. We wish you all the best going forwards!
Partenare: Thank you guys! I really enjoyed chatting with you. All the best to you too!
Partenaire’s ‘Modern Mantras’ is out now via onedotsixtwo. Stream and buy here.
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