Podcast
The Bogeyman
Discussion with Coren TinToday, for the first episode ever of Abracadabra Radio we are super happy to welcome : The Bogeyman.
Corentin Lamy aka The Bogeyman is a french, Paris based artist. Bogeyman has been active in London for three years, and came back to Paris. Recently hosting the 1 year of AMF with artistst such as 192, Azichuicho Crew (Beatnique, Duvi and Oscar Faivre), Ordinateuf & Ravier 2000. This analog and vinyl enthusiast, has cooked something with cutting-edge and uncompromising music.
Small videos from the AMF party :
I would love to talk about your career if you are into it, can you please tell us a little bit more about your background ? Did you have basic musical training ? Are you self-taught for mixing ? Do you play an instrument ?
I basically have no proper musical training whatsoever. I listened to a lot of rock when I was younger and wanted to play guitar but I never made it happen. Instead, I told myself that I’ll be able to afford a dj set when I’ll be in high school which I did when I finished high school. Maybe this was out of laziness or fear but I’m glad I made this choice.
Can you quote 5 big influences ?
Among many others I can think of Cobblestone Jazz (I always keep at least one CJ record in my bag at all time), Theo Parrish for his take on jazz when producing or djing, Giles Peteson and Worldwide FM who pushed me into discovering music, Justice who introduced me to electro and finally John Coltrane or Miles Davis.
I’ve heard in some of your mixes that there is a big Jazz influence, can you talk a little bit about it ?
I have a particular affection for Jazz as this is the first instrumental music I listened to. The more you listen to Jazz, the more you focus on background details, drums and rhythms. In a way, I can say that listening to Jazz made me self-conscious about deeply listening to a track instead of just enjoying it.
Can you please talk to us about the impact of living in London on your music ? And in Paris?
I decided to go live in London because of the diversity of its musical scene. I wanted to hear what Giles Peterson was describing on the radio and I was not disappointed. In London there is a huge freedom regarding music of all genres. All the record stores I’ve been to have something to teach you if you’re willing to explore different stuff. I’ve learned a lot by exchanging with the owners as they’ve heard more music that I will in my entire life. In Paris, things are different I guess. The mentalities in France are not oriented towards music as I feel this is still seen as a disturbance more than expression sometimes. In London, the city offers you the opportunity to truly experience music with different venues or clubs. This fairly influences the mentality of the people going out as well. I feel the British are more educated towards music than the French which greatly impacts the parties.
Fabric in London, does it have a special place in your heart ?
Fabric was one of the first clubs I went to when I arrived in London. I loved the experience especially on Sundays (parties are always better on a Sunday) and the soundsystem is impressive.. Though I wasn't a regular as I discovered other venues and the crowd was not my taste.
Why The Bogeyman?This is a fun one: I was watching John Wick on a hangover and they kept repeating this name in the movie. I thought yeah why not? This has a great pun in it with boogie as well.
Do you remember which record you bought first ?
I started buying some jazz records at first but I don’t remember the first one. However, I remember buying my first electronic music record, Bordeland, by Moritz Von Oswald and Juan Atkins. I am still impressed by this massive sound and the quality of production behind it.
You are working in the distribution for Yoyaku, does it help you to have a big range of appreciation regarding music ?
Yoyaku helped me to dig into electronic records, especially minimal when this was popular in 2016 - 2017 and I will be always grateful to Seb who is truly dedicated to his job. Now I like to explore other stuffs so the store or the distribution have less impact on my musical taste.
Can you choose 5 records from your collection, and tell us why they are important for you ?
Jay Richford and Gary Stevans - Feelings, this record is really important to me, everytime I listen to it I feel I’m cruising in Southern Italy. The production and even the artwork are really special.
Swayzak - Snowboarding in Argentina. Wow, what a masterpiece. One of the greatest album ever produced by Swayzak in my opinion. Each track brings something differentl to this magnificent late 90s vibe.
Akufen - My Way: Akufen takes you on a trip with compiled radio samples. Dancefloor killer. I can’t even imagine how long it took Marc Leclair to produce this album. The mastering is perfect and the tracks merge perfectly even if they can sound really weird at first.
Opik - Opik: Another early 90s masterpiece, I call it intergalactic house music haha. The whole album blends both acid, tech house and ambient and sounds terrific.
Lone - Galaxy Garden: Lone has always been part of my musical education and this is by far my favorite album. Deep pads, breaks, vocals and subs for another intergalactic house music release.
How did you prepare your set ? Do you have a different process when it’s a podcast and a set for an event ?
I wanted to merge electro and breaks for a club-like podcast. I guess the process is similar when preparing the bag for a gig. This just has to be coherent!
Is there a club in the world that you absolutely want to play into one day ?
Yes, Public Records or Resolute in Nyc and even as a dancer.
We know you as an analogic lover, can you talk about why you switched from a Condesa to an Isonoe ISO420?
I initially had a DJR400 which I found to be a bit aggressive and decided to sell it for a Condesa which I love but still found it a bit limited for my taste. I decided to go and see Justin Greenslade, the ingenior behind Isonoe, to see if he could upgrade it somehow. We then ran a series of tests and I was blown away by the 420.
What’s your favorite sound-system ?
For a small venue I was very impressed by the Klipschorns in Brilliant Corners in London. This set-up was perfect for this small intimate room. I’m not sure I have a favorite sound-system though I don’t like Funktion Ones that much.
How good is the Martion at the shop?
The Martion is excellent and the room is well treated as well which makes all the difference.
To me a good soundsystem can make you feel all the frequencies in the track without destroying your ears. If it sounds good and you can still have a conversation within the club then its perfect!
One tip for new people in vinyl ?
Buy the cheap ones and learn how to use Discogs.
Did you make this set with a magical mindset ?
Haha, well I think I tried to put some evil magic in it somehow.
How did you prepare it ?
I Sorted out the records from the shelves by listening to the movements in the tracks. I think the key is to decide which record should come first and which should come last.
What do Abracadabra make you think of ?
It evokes a childish feeling, something you can’t explain as a child and maybe this is what magic should be right?
Do you love magic ?
I love it :)