Out of France comes a blossoming new talent specializing in left-field bass and electronica. CloZee has quickly made her mark on the low end of dance music for her keen ear for sound design and for her moody, eclectic sound since her start in 2011, catching attention of other stalwarts like Emancipator, The Glitch Mob, and more. Having released her debut LP in 2012, the complex and instrumental OckeFilms Soundtrack, the arrival of her sophomore Evasion had been highly anticipated and comes with even higher expectations. Luckily, CloZee isn’t one to disappoint; Evasion serves as not only a fitting follow-up to OckeFilms Soundtrack, but also as a marker of her artistic progress thus far. She continues her play at different textures and free-flowing bass arrangement, telling a transcendent tale across ten tracks that feels even more put together than its compilation-focused predecessor. It’s the mark of an artist who spent a good while poring over her craft to put out the best product she could.

CloZee has been following quite the busy schedule as of late, touring in support of her album across the globe. Right before she set off on her leg around the states, we nabbed the forward-thinking musicmaker to talk about the inspiration behind Evasion, her identity, and beyond.

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How does this album compare to your previous work?
My past projects (‘Harmony’, ‘Revolution’, ‘Inner Peace’ etc) were all EPs, so quite shorter, including different tunes I made without thinking of the project as a whole. There were more like « compilations » of tunes I made thorough the year of the release, whenever I had time to work in the studio between all my different tours.
For ‘EVASION’, I took the time to sit in the studio for a few months to compose all the tracks during that period, thinking of the story I wanted to tell, inspired by all my past adventures and experiences while touring, traveling, meeting new people and discovering new landscapes.

How does your extensive travel influence your music-making?
What inspires me the most when I’m travelling is to discover new landscapes, different type of nature, and all the memories that come with those moments. It could be a sunset in Malta, a hike in Hawaii, swimming in a beautiful waterfall in Costa Rica, walking by night in an empty street in Tokyo etc. Those memories and experiences are what brings me inspiration when I’m back in the studio.

What sort of emotions/atmosphere are you trying to evoke with this new record?
All my tracks have different stories, inspiration, but the main idea I’m trying to communicate with my music is always positive, motivating. ‘Evasion’ in French means « escaping reality » when it’s music related. I want the listeners to be transported into their own secret places, feel in peace with themselves, and feel like they can overcome any challenges in their life.

Can you elaborate on your live show experience?
For this tour, I wanted to increase the visual experience, instead of common DJ setup. For the first time, we bring production (lights, lasers) and we’re pretty much playing the same live show and story every night. When they enter the venue, I want the people to forget all their problems: I want them to get lost in the music, lights and lasers. I want them to be happier and recharged at the end of the show.

How has your artistic identity in general evolved over the years?
I feel like with this album I came back to my beginnings, my original feelings when I compose music. When I started to make electronic music (when I was like 18) I didn’t give a damn about trying to produce music for the dance floor. I just made the music I wanted, depending on my mood and emotions. This is exactly how I feel now again, but it didn’t used to be like that.

When I started to play shows when I was 21, my music switched a bit on the heavier side, because this is what promoters would book me for. They don’t want to book someone who’s gonna play Trip-Hop or Downtempo (at least not from an unknown artist). I was more categorized in the ‘Glitch-Hop’ and ‘Bass Music’ scene, and was more DJing to try to give what people want (to dance to). I liked that period, but it was more to put my name out there, and get to tour in clubs. At some point, I missed the more melodic and ‘storytelling’ side of my sets and songs.

Since 2 years ago, I felt like I reached a point where I could do more experimental music, propose something deeper and more intimate. In my sets, I started to play more and more my own tunes, and produce tracks that are all a part of me.

What sort of legacy do you hope to leave behind in the music world?
I didn’t think about that actually, I’m just doing my own thing, doing what I love and trying to make people happy. If my music leaves anything particular behind, then I’d be very satisfied, but it wouldn’t be on purpose.

Grab a copy of ‘Evasion’ here

Photo credit: CloZee’s team

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Categories: Features, Music