By: Phil Cartwright
If it’s electronica/pop/rock you’re looking for – and a lot of fun – we have the answer ! We recently caught up with R-mione in Paris and spent some time over coffee catching up with our good friend. In fact, R-mione’s music covers a wide range. It can be very upbeat and driven and/or very soothing – mellow often owing to the artful use of electronics. We have to tell you that in addition to being extremely talented and energetic – R-mione is absolutely delightful and the when you talk with her the time flies by!
Hey! Great to see you! Tell us about yourself and your music background.
R: I was born in the south of France at Nice Côte D’Azur on the Riviera. I grew up for a time in Chalon sur Saône where
I started playing the piano and studying music theory. I can’t say I was a great student and early on I found I was interested in rock music and bored by music theory! Some years later, when I was fifteen, I moved to Lille in the north of France and started taking guitar lessons.
That must have been quite a change from the Mediterranean to Lille in the north!
R: Yes, that’s true, but we had to move because of my parents’ work. Anyway, I wasn’t there too long as at eighteen I moved back south to Niceand oursue my own life and interests. I worked at the National Theater of Nice to earning a living and pay for my studies at the university (letters). I also took music theory and voice lessons with a famous conductor. I joined a grunge band as lead singer. That’s where I met my best friend, Lord Speed, the leqd guitarist!
Grunge band? How did that work out?
R: Well we actually performed a lot and in 1997, the band had to move to Paris. It was at this time I really started getting attracted to production and I also met a lot of different artists across genres – especially rap and electronic. I started to aquaint myself with electronic machines, samplers, computers and home studios.
Okay, but that’s quite a step forward. How did you learn to use the equipment and how did all that change your music?
R: First, my music moved from rock to trip-hop and jungle influences came into play. Lord Speed and I left the band and started new projects. We signed with Bis Music FRANCE to do some albums in 1998. Second, at the same time, I joined THE SOUND ACCESS engineer school and was set to graduate in 2000. I became a producer at that time. Lord Speed and I created a label, SELVA CONNECTION. We made vinyls for DJ distributed by Under One Sun based in the U.K. One of the most famous is LWD.
We scored music for the cinema-like “Electron Libre” movie by Marie Donnio. Also we did “Petite Copine” by Frederic Defenthal. We also worked with Game One TV.
And your music at this point?
R: By now we had created a style of our very own by injecting a subtle mixture of all our influences – electro, rock, folk, and trip-hop influences. Our lyrics are in English and the voice moves from clearness to a blues emphasis – all sustained by a half-rock (bass/guitar) and electro (DJ).
What are you doing now?
Well, at the present time I’m working on a new album. New singles are “STOP”, “PRIVATE GARDEN” and “WHERE IS LOVE”.
Alright everybody, you can hear R-mione and see the vids for “PRIVATE GARDEN” and “ “WHERE IS LOVE” at http://www.myspace.com/rmione. Vids for all three songs are on YouTube (also check out the HorizonVU Music YouTube Channel).
R-mione, great to see you as always – you’re a good friend of HorizonVU Music! Best of luck to you!!! We’re
oing to leave you all with (probably) our favorite “PRIVATE GARDEN”!!!
HorizonVU Music celebrates the independent music community by supporting emerging musicians’ efforts to achieve a key business objective - recognition. www.horizonvumusic.com
