French producer Doline loves Yahama Reface CS’s versatility
“Never thinking about doing the same thing again is stimulating and opens up perspectives”
French producer Doline’s debut LP, Dompte-regard, is an exploration through IDM, ambient, and movie soundtrack-inspired dance music in the form of blissful home listening and adventurous club tracks. The tracks on it are strange and eerie, focusing on stuttering percussion and muffled melodies. The lead track features an acid bassline riff contorted to almost unrecognisable levels.
The majority of the LP was made in his home studio in Paris, where he talks to us from. In this strange space, he tells us about being inspired by strange artefacts made by his father and how he keeps other personal items close by.
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Tell us about the studio, Doline.
It’s a cocoon surrounded by all my world including some of my father’s masks and statues, old video game cartridges, memorabilia, books, and furniture that are familiar to me. Also, the aesthetics of my electronic instruments inspire me. This environment, that I want to feel ‘warm’, allows me to feed my imagination to compose.
What’s your favourite synth in the studio?
The Yamaha Reface CS, mainly because of its functionality and personality. It’s versatile and compact.
How does your signature sound take shape?
I really like to experiment with different rhythms, especially working on ternary and syncopation. For example, I sometimes compose songs in 3/4, which allows me to beat the measure on two different tempos. Never thinking about doing the same thing again is stimulating and opens up perspectives.
How did you design your synth sounds in Dompte-Regard’s title track?
Strictly speaking, there is only one synth line that comes from the Yamaha Reface CS.
I recorded about 64 bars of this synth line live, then varied the pitch with the Transpose from the Clip Sample section of Ableton Live. I then spent some time working on the effects and the mix.
What’s been the biggest investment in your studio?
The M.F.B. Tanzbär was my most expensive purchase. It allowed me to get a powerful, thicker sound for my rhythms.
Any advice for electronic music producers?
Cultivate your sonic uniqueness, and experiment as much as possible.
Check out the album via Doline’s Bandcamp.
