Clozee, a true multi-talent is about to drop a new album on October 5th, titled EVASION. We thought it appropriate to do a little digging in personal archives and discover the conversation she had with SXSTV almost six years ago. A time when the dance scene got to know her musical journey through dance videos. A new work featuring two dancers of Amenti Collective was just released starring: Gil The Grid & Wesley Vāyu, Ayash Guermat, Liam Sanou.

13-1-2013 Everybody that knows something about the world of film making & dance has heard about Ocke Films by now. If not through Step x Step Dance then most definitely through the Yak Films or simply because your favorite Bboy popped up in Ocke’s playlist! Whatever the case may be, when you say Ocke Films another name should be organically attached to it: CloZee. A very talented young lady who is responsible for the incredibly dope beats that accompany most of their films. I have been intrigued and very impressed by CloZee’s skills for a while now and decided it was long overdue to get to know more about her.

Stefani: “For the people who don’t already know you, please tell them who you are?” CloZee: “I’m Chloé Herry aka CloZee, a 20 year old music producer from Toulouse, Southern France. I make music oscillating between Glitchstep, Glitch-Hop, Dubstep and Acoustic.”

Stefani: “Before I go any deeper into my questioning I would like to share this guitar cover Rihanna – Drunk on Love. You know you are dealing with real artistry, talent and passion when when a musicproducer can make you fall in love with the cover when you still strongly dislike the original.”

Stefani: “First time you played an instrument, how did you feel?”

CloZee: “(I will not talk about the first time I played the flute in school….) The first time I played guitar: awful. I was discouraged… I noticed the amount of work that’s necessary to play something that sounds well. Yet my first thought was: Wow, this sounds good…I felt like I discovered a new world… You forget everything and you just jump in it.”

Stefani: “Do you read sheet music (notes)?”

CloZee: “I can yes! I’ve studied classical guitar and music theory for five years, which gave me good basics!”

Stefani: “How do you create your guitar covers? Do you play all of them just by ear ?

CloZee: “To create a guitar cover I have to choose a melodic song. I listen to it several times then I start searching for the main chords / the bassline (which corresponds to the base of the piece). After that, I search and add the melody to this base (the singing, or the main theme of the song). And then practice, practice, practice until I can play it correctly. Yes i do it all by ear.”

Stefani: “When did you know that you wanted to make music your profession?” CloZee: “I study at BTS Audiovisuel, which is a very technical school: there is almost no room for creating. In the middle of my first year, I felt so bad that I needed to create. I couldn’t stop making music, it started to be something really VITAL. I’m still studying to obtain a job in this technical domain, but I only think about music. I’m working hard because I want to live my passion.”

Stefani: “So, you’re attending BTS AudioVisuel. What does this school teach exactly?” CloZee: “I’m in the SOUND section, it’s like an audio engineering school. It teaches skills and technical knowledge required to achieve employment in the audiovisual domain (radio, television, cinema, concert etc…).”

Stefani: “Coolest project you ever did in your school career ?” CloZee: “It’s not really a project but… it’s the first time I went to a concert with my primary school. It was a CLASSICAL concert! Fabulous!”

Stefani: “What is something you have learned outside of school and you think school could never have taught you?” CloZee: “It IS the subject: Music. My school tried to disgust me of it, by obliging me to play the flute and to sing ‘My Heart Will Go On’.” Stefani: “What styles of music or musicians influence you?” CloZee: “No one in my family was a musician when I started playing the guitar. Now, my 10 year old little brother plays guitar, violin and saxophone…okay (laughs) but my parents listened to a lot of different styles of music. So, this was- of course- a factor that triggered my passion! My main masters: Eskmo, Pretty Lights, The Flashbulb, Vicente Amigo, Ludovico Einaudi, Amon Tobin, Elsiane, Opiuo, James Newton Howard, The Glitch Mob (includes the solo projects of the members: ediT, Ooah and Boreta), Evil Needle, Arkasia, Bonobo, Cashmere Cat…. and many more.”

Stefani: “What moves you to make music?” CloZee: “Everything! It could be a sound, an atmosphere, an old memory, a picture, a landscape, a movie scene, a person, etc… Of course there are no similar dancers in the world : Dance is an inexhaustible source of ideas.”

Stefani: “Do you dance? Have you ever in the past?” CloZee: “I’ve always been sensible, fascinated by dancers, but I’ve never learned how to dance. I think it’s not something I want to do, I prefer watching and feel a real dancer moving to the sound. However I do dance in clubs when there is a crowd!”

Stefani: “What is your favorite break beat?” CloZee: “I don’t listen a lot of break beat songs, but I think “Blow Your Whistle” by The Soul Searchers is one of my favorites.

Stefani: “How and when did the relationship with Ocke Films start?” CloZee: “In may 2012! I contacted them because I loved their work. I wanted them to edit their next video to one of my tracks because it was one of my dreams, to see how they would

feel my sound. They asked me for a special one (‘Collapsed Purity’) for Mansour!”

Stefani: “How does OckeFilms brief you about making a ‘custom’ track? Can you watch the footage first? Do you research the crew or dancer? ” CloZee: “Sometimes I have to make the sound for the finished video: I compose on the dancer’s movements and on the video’s effects. Sometimes I just make a sound and they create everything from the sound. For a ‘custom’ track I ask them for details of the atmosphere, the place, and when it’s possible: the dancer. When I know which crew or which dancer will be featured on it, I do research, I watch a lot of videos/performances, and Manu and Cédric tell me about their requirements: “They need a dark and powerful track” (S.U.N.R.I.S.E),

“He loves piano” (Haspop), etc.

With all these elements, I start to write out on paper all my ideas and what I’ll use for it :

– What I have to record (guitar/ objects/ outdoor sounds…) – What additional sounds I will need (If i don’t have them already I have to download them on the net), etc.”

Stefani: “What goes on inside your mind during the creative process?” CloZee: “While I’m composing I have the dancer in mind, and some possibilities of the shots, angles, point of view and editing effects. I imagine my own video. This is very interesting sometimes to see how Manu and Cédric added some of the effects I imagined, for example a slow motion at a precise moment of the song!”

Stefani: “Do you have people in your circle that are dancers and give you advice or feedback about your music?” CloZee: “Sadly, I don’t have any dancers in my circle. But, a lot of friends and my family give me their opinion, which are indispensable, and a lot of dancers email or contact me via facebook to tell me their thoughts or to show me their work on my sounds!”

Stefani: “Who is your favorite dancer to watch? And is there any dancer living or deceased you would want to make a song for?” CloZee: “There are too much dancers I love… Hard to choose, I can’t pick one main… Bboy Tricks, Yaman, Lil Steph, Michael Jackson, Mufasa, Poppin John, Jojo, Tight Eyez or Bboy Cloud… I don’t know. A massive beat for Les Twins would be sick. I think every sound they dance to becomes a hit (laughs). They are incredible.”

Stefani: “What is your favorite Ocke Films video and can you tell us why?”

Clozee: “My favorite OckeFims’s video is ‘Lost Sun’ with Jojo. I love his style, he really inspired me. I also love the camera work, and the colors of the place in this one. It was the first sound I made ‘to the video’: I composed it after the video was edited. It was hard. but really, really interesting.”

(As a suprise to CloZee, SXSTV asked Ocke Films about her)

“How does Ocke Films brief CloZee about creating the music?”

Cedric: “Usually we are trying to give CloZee as much details as we can, like describing the background/ idea/ story of the video and what the dancer requested etc. Yet, sometimes she sends us a track and then we imagine what could be done with it. The tracks are always chosen before editing.”

Stefani: “What are your favorite videos you did together?”

Cedric: “Our top 3 would be Mansour – Purity of Birth

Kwan – Hidden Personality”

Willy is Ocke”

Stefani: “Can you tell us something about working with CloZee?”

Cedric: “Working with CloZee is a real pleasure, her music match perfectly with our videos. We got along quickly as she became a friend and then a member of OckeFilms. It’s funny because we never met CloZee in person yet but it’s about time now!”

Back to the lady of the hour.

Stefani: What Beat makers/musicians do you admire and would like to work with?” CloZee: “I would love to work with musicians like Manu Delago (Hang Drummer) or Ludovico Einaudi. Melt their beautiful instrument and melodies, to glitchy elements and electronic basslines. Evil Needle is one of my favorite beatmaker of the moment… I’m in love with his melodies and soulfish synths.”

Stefani: “If you could pick only instrument to work with for you next track which would it be and why?” CloZee: “The classical guitar is my first instrument, I would pick that for sure. This is a very complete object: you can make the rhythm while playing the chords and I think it has a warm and sensitive sound.”

Stefani: “Can you describe a performance (gig) of yours?” CloZee: “I don’t have a live concept yet, I started mixing this summer. For the moment I only play some DJ sets in the clubs or festivals in Southern France. I mix my sounds with my favorite tracks of the moment, mainly from Glitch-Hop / Glitchstep / Dubstep / Trap artists. This is sick, I love it!”

Stefani: “What are some of your future plans?”

CloZee: “I’m working hard on my new EP called ‘The Poetic Assassin’! Five Glitch-Hop – Glitchstep tracks with a lot of world acoustic instruments, just like the sounds for OckeFilms (but much more massive, to play them live). The EP includes two collaborations with singer/composer The Calm Project and french singer: Swal. I also have to do some remixes for several artists, and of course.. a lot of sounds for OckeFilms!

Stefani: “Do you have a motto (to strive) to live by?” CloZee: “On a qu’une vie!”

Stefani: “Would you like to give any shout outs?” CloZee: “I’d like to give a shout out to all the amazing people who have supported my music and OckeFilms in 2012: Blogs, sites, dancers, musicians, dance/music lovers… Special thanks to my friends from TheWaxhole.com who are so supporting me! They recently released the ‘Waxhole Chilled Wax Vol. 1 Compilation’ featuring a lot of great artists like Ta-Ku, Libations & Oscillations, Sid Pattni and more! Some dancers should be interested in these free inspiring tunes!”

Step x Step would like to thank Chloe, Cedric and Manu for making this interview possible. Learn more about CloZee:

CloZee – Evasion Album Coming Oct 5th