French DJ and producer Saint Lou has spent the past several years shaping an elegant and immersive house music universe.
Photo credit: @nacehmd
A musician first and foremost, he approaches each set as a living experience, blending original productions, exclusive edits, and unreleased IDs developed over long studio sessions.
His journey has taken him to Switzerland and Italy, as well as electronic music platforms including Fun Radio and Radio FG. He has also become a recurring guest at La Folie Douce in the French Alps, where he presents his signature sound to international audiences.
After sharing lineups with artists including Kölsch, Joel Corry, Konstantin Sibold, Klement Bonelli, Agoria, Arodes, Khenya, and Deer Jade, Saint Lou now introduces ‘Acuarela’, an EP built around emotion, movement, and creative freedom.
In this conversation, he discusses the project’s origins, the influence of live audiences, and his plans to develop a more immersive performance format.
EG: Hi Saint Lou, welcome to Electronic Groove. It’s great to have you with us. How have things been lately, and where does this conversation find you?
Saint Lou: Thank you! It’s a pleasure to be here. Things have been really exciting lately. I’ve been spending a lot of time between the studio and playing shows, preparing everything around ‘Acuarela’. It feels like all the work of the past few months is finally coming together, so it’s a very inspiring moment for me.
EG: First of all, congratulations on the incoming release of your latest EP, ‘Acuarela’. This record feels less like a collection of tracks than the introduction to a complete artistic identity. At what point did you realize this project needed to become the foundation of a new chapter, rather than simply another EP?
Saint Lou: At first, I wasn’t trying to make an EP. I was simply making music that felt honest. As more tracks came together, I realized they all shared the same atmosphere and the same musical language. The emotions are not the same, and each track has a different color. That’s when I understood this wasn’t just another release; it was the beginning of a new identity. Saint Lou became the natural home for that vision.
EG: The title ‘Acuarela’, Spanish for “watercolor,” suggests colors blending together rather than existing in isolation. How did that idea shape both the emotional narrative of the EP and the way you approached the production itself?
Saint Lou: I love the idea of watercolor because nothing feels forced. The colors blend naturally, creating something bigger than each individual shade. That’s exactly how I approached this EP. Every track has its own personality, but together they tell one story. I wanted smooth transitions, warm textures, and melodies that feel connected, as if you’re traveling through different landscapes while staying in the same world.
EG: You describe your sound as sitting between Afro House, organic house, and melodic house, but those labels only tell part of the story. What are the musical ideas or emotions you’re really chasing when you’re in the studio?
Saint Lou: I’m always chasing emotion before genre. I want my music to make people feel something, whether it’s joy, nostalgia, freedom, or simply the desire to move. Styles or labels are just a way to describe music, but emotion is what truly connects people.
In the studio, I’m really relaxed and confident. It’s where I love to be, just as much as behind the decks during shows. I’m at peace in both places, but the studio is where the magic happens. I have a workflow that allows me to test a lot of things when I make a track.
I’m chasing the groove. I believe groove and harmonics are the most important things in a track.
And never forget: less is more. When I’m in a studio session, that’s really my leitmotif.
EG: One of the most interesting aspects of this record is that many of these tracks evolved in front of crowds during your residency at La Folie Douce Avoriaz. How much did audience reactions influence the final versions, and were there any moments when a live performance completely changed the direction of a track?
Saint Lou: The crowd played a huge role. Playing unreleased music every week is probably the best way to understand how people genuinely react. Sometimes a small detail- a break, a vocal, or a melody – would completely change the energy on the dancefloor.
Those reactions helped me refine several tracks until they felt exactly right. Having an international audience of around one thousand people every day for five months really helps you step back and understand what works and what doesn’t work in a track.
“I’m always chasing emotion before genre”
EG: Tracks like ‘Nomad’ and ‘Uyuni’ carry a strong sense of movement and place, almost like musical postcards. Do landscapes, travel, and real-world experiences play a direct role in your writing process?
Saint Lou: Absolutely. Every place leaves an emotional memory. Whether it’s the mountains during winter, the Mediterranean coast, or discovering new cultures while traveling, those experiences naturally influence the music I write. I don’t try to recreate a place; I try to recreate the feeling it gave me.
Today, something that helps producers around the world is that you can travel with your computer and start producing a new track within minutes, wherever you are. Catching the feeling of the moment is easier than ever.
EG: Before launching Saint Lou, you had already released music under another alias. Stepping away from an established project is never an easy decision. What made you feel it was time to start over, and what freedoms has this new identity given you creatively?
Saint Lou: My previous project taught me a lot, and I’m grateful for everything it brought me. But after a while, I felt the need to create something that reflected who I am today.
Saint Lou allows me to follow my instincts without worrying about expectations. It feels more personal, more honest, and much closer to the music I truly want to make.
EG: Piano melodies have become a defining part of your current sound. What is it about that instrument that continues to resonate with you, particularly within electronic music, where rhythm often takes center stage?
Saint Lou: For me, the piano is still one of the purest ways to express emotion. Interestingly, I don’t usually start a track with it. Most of the time, I begin with the kick and the bass to build the groove and energy first. Once that foundation is there, the piano naturally finds its place and helps tell the story.
It’s quite ironic because I actually started my musical journey playing drums and guitar. Maybe that’s why rhythm has always been so important to me, while the piano has become the instrument that gives my tracks their emotional identity.
EG: You mention that freedom has become the guiding principle behind this project; not only musically, but creatively. After working within different contexts throughout your career, what does artistic freedom actually mean to you today?
Saint Lou: It means trusting my own instincts. There will always be trends, expectations, and opinions, but I’ve learned that the most meaningful music comes from being authentic. Artistic freedom is creating something because it feels right, not because it’s expected.
EG: Beyond the record itself, you’ve spoken about developing more hybrid performances that combine DJing with live elements and original productions. What excites you most about that direction, and how do you imagine the Saint Lou live experience evolving over the next few years?
Saint Lou: I want every performance to become more immersive. My goal isn’t only to DJ, but to create a complete experience through original music, live elements, and visuals that reflect the universe of Saint Lou. I think that’s where electronic music is heading, and it’s something I’m really excited to explore.
I imagine an immersive DJ set that crosses live performances with musicians in the future. To begin with, I’ve already started adding samplers and machines during my DJ sets.
EG: You’ve shared stages with artists such as Kölsch, Maceo Plex, Agoria, MoBlack, Deer Jade, and many others. Looking back, are there any conversations, performances, or collaborations that fundamentally changed the way you think about making music?
Saint Lou: More than specific conversations, it was observing them that inspired me. Every artist who has built a lasting career has a strong identity. Watching them reinforced the idea that authenticity matters more than following trends.
To be completely honest, I only had the chance to briefly speak with Kölsch, but he told me I’d played a great set and encouraged me to keep going. I also had a conversation with Deer Jade after one of her performances, and we both agreed that the only thing that truly pays off in this industry is hard work and giving yourself 100%.
Those simple conversations stayed with me because they confirmed what I already believed: there are no shortcuts. That’s probably the biggest lesson I’ve taken with me.
“Artistic freedom is creating something because it feels right, not because it’s expected”
EG: Finally, as ‘Acuarela’ introduces listeners to this new artistic chapter, what do you hope they understand about Saint Lou by the time they reach the closing moments of the EP?
Saint Lou: I hope people see that Saint Lou is more than just a collection of songs. It’s a project built around emotions, stories, and experiences. If listeners finish the EP feeling as though they’ve been on a journey rather than simply listening to music, then I’ve achieved exactly what I wanted.
But above all, I hope they understand that ‘Acuarela’ is only the first chapter. Saint Lou isn’t defined by a single release; it’s a constantly evolving project, and I’m excited to keep exploring new ideas, new sounds, and new directions while staying true to who I am as an artist.
EG: Thank you so much for your time. We wish you all the best with ‘Acuarela’ and everything ahead. Take care!
Saint Lou: Thank you so much for having me!
Saint Lou’s ‘Acuarela’ is available to pre-save here.
Follow Saint Lou: Spotify | SoundCloud | Instagram
