XLR8R’s Inbox touches base with jovial French tech-house producer Etienne Jaumet, who has just come back from sharing the deck with Dirty Soundsystem on a Cosmic Cruise around an artificial lake in Paris. Jaumet gushes about Carl Craig, compares himself to crayon colors, eats too fast, and sets his sights on the next gubernatorial race in California. Jaumet’s Night Music is out now on Domino.

XLR8R: What’s the weirdest story you have ever heard about yourself?

Etienne Jaumet: People always imagine that I need to take drugs all day long to make my music… hahahaha!

Does the mood you’re in effect the music you choose to play, or does the music you hear effect the mood you’re in?

I don’t control myself very well, and don’t think too much. I don’t have an analytic approach to music; I just love to lose myself in the sensations and the emotions given by the music. The music feeds me.

What was your favorite song when you were 15?

“10:15 Saturday Night” by The Cure.

What has been your most disastrous live show experience?

One time we played last in a festival in Spain with my band Zombie Zombie. We could only play one song because they had a lot of late [acts] in the [lineup] and only 10 minutes left before the curfew—so frustrating for everybody!

If you could spend an hour in any city right now, which would you choose?

Benares, India.

Favorite studio toy?
Easy: my (tape echo delay)!

Which of the following Crayola crayon colors best suits you: “Atomic
Tangerine,” “Desert Sand,” “Inchworm,” “Laser Lemon,” “Macaroni and Cheese,” “Mauvelous,” or “Raw Umber”?

“Raw Umber” (because it reminds me [of] The Stooges album).

How would you describe your sense of style?

Old-fashioned modernist! Or post-traditionalist, if you prefer.

What was it like working with Carl Craig?

He don’t need anybody! He only does what he wants to. He knew so well the music and the sound! He’s a master!

What did you always get in trouble for when you were little?

Eating too fast. It’s still the same.

Which other artist would you like to work with next?

Brian Eno.

What’s the last book you read?

The Dice Man by Luke Rhinehart.

Complete this sentence: In the future…

I will be the governor of California. 😉

Describe your current surroundings in one sentence.

“Information is not knowledge. Knowledge is not wisdom. Wisdom is not truth. Truth is not beauty. Beauty is not love. Love is not music. Music is Best!“—Frank Zappa.

What’s next on your agenda?

We have to make a live soundtrack for the movie Potemkin Battleship of Eisenstein with Zombie Zombie! The premiere will be at La Cité de la Musique in Paris on December 12.