Maoupa Mazzocchetti: The ‘Wednesday Alternative’ Mix

His most recent release, the second in a compendium of LPs titled UXY Dosing©, continues his quest to break down the constructs of contemporary dance music. An exploration of “MDM (Maximal Dance Music)”, a genre coined by Mazzocchetti which is linked to the over-consumption of dextrose associated with milk, the LP obliterates genre boundaries and invites you back into his consciousness-expanding universe.

Maoupa’s musical mind is a perfect fit for our off-kilter Wednesday series so we enlisted him to take care of this week’s. Get yourself acquainted…

Please introduce yourself… Who are you, where are you and what are you

Comp̴̛͉͇̘̤̍̑o̶̡̼̲̻̔̊s̸͕̰͚͐̍͝͠ͅe̸̡̛̮̗̤̙͎̲r, S̸͓͔̝̭̙̘̗͈͉̓̓̆́̀͐͑̇͐͜o̶͍̪͊un̶̡̨̟̦͖̫̑̿̈́̇̿̊͝d ŝ̸͔͎̱c̷͙̫̜͇̠͙̬͒̏͒u̸̯̤̯̦̠͎̦͉̦̥͆̏͛͑̒͛̎͐͝l̶̛̯̪͈͎͋̒͒̐p̵̨̬̜͉̙͕̬̳̞̎̂͗̌͆̚ť̸͍͎͜oŗ̶̥̪̒̋͋͆͂̇̎̇͂, mul̴̦͓̘͈̻̲̩̒̆̄̋̑̈́̓͊̋͂t̵̡̖̝̺͙̬̟̋̌̽͠ï̸͈͎̩̅̇-̵̛̹͓i̴̢̝̙̹̓̏͋́̌͌͛n̸̻͎͈̱̣̖͈͖͆̕s̴̡̨̜̥̣͈̹͈͉̃̌͆̎t̴̏͌͊̀̇̎̋͘͜͠ŗ̶̥̪̒̋͋͆͂̇̎̇͂ume̸̡̛̮̗̤̙͎̲ntalist̶̝͚̬͉͎͇͒̀͐̊͊͂ a̸͇̤͊͊̐̇̃̋̉̓́̓n̷̥̬͔͕̜̫̐̉̿͜d̷͈̮͓͍͈́̆̈̆̋͜͝͝ ̴̝͎̩̈́̈̇̋̀͊͌̋̈ḋ̵̯͓̲́̃́j̵̢̼̐̍̄̈̇͐̕.̷̫͇͔̍̃́̌͝

What does your music sound like? Can you draw what you think it sounds like for us (an image from the old internet is acceptable)? 

0100001011101010101101100010010000111101100101111001101010001111100011001

Where was the mix recorded?

At the LYL Radio studio in Brussels. Big love to Mika Oki.

What would be the ideal setting to listen to the mix?

Anywhere as long as there is something to listen on and some wasabi nuts.

What should we be wearing?

This.

What would be your dream setting to record a mix: Location/system/format?

Only bad craftsmen complain about their equipment.

Give me speakers and something to play two tracks on at the same time and we’ll have some fun.

Which track in the mix is your current favourite?

Rosalia. I’m so happy living in this century and waiting for her music.

I also really like Tara Clerkin Trio. I had the chance to jam with them during a live show on their song Hellenica. I was on trumpet. It was a beautiful moment.

What’s your favourite recorded mix of all time?

I’m not that much into DJ mixes to be honest. I mean, I like it finding new producers through tracklists or shazaming in clubs, but the art of DJing etc doesn’t make me really crazy. For example, I don’t really understand all this festival programming full DJ line up, and why DJs are put on stage or why people are all turned towards the DJ. 

Anyway, it doesn’t mean I don’t like it, because I love dancing or listening to someones DJ set – and I like DJing too. But it seems electronic music is too linked to DJing and what I see is that we are losing the concert format in this genre. There are so many producers I would love to see and listen to in concert and I completely don’t care to see them DJing music made by others.

But here are some of my favorites that I can remember…

Mika Oki. Check her in the club or through this mix, you’re probably not ready…

Jef Mills –  I watched this when I was young on Arte TV very late and it blew my mind.

Rabhi Beaini – We was sharing the same stage in Amsterdam at Studio 80 a couple of years ago, and he started with a hybrid DJ set full of tribal songs looped with three CDJs using a space echo FX. The result is indescribable, but completely danceable. Never seen that before, or after. This one opened some doors.

There’s also Traxx, Carlos Souffront and Nkisi… and many more.

If you could go back to back with any DJ from throughout history, who would it be and why?

I would prefer doing music with some DJ/producer I’m fascinated by, than any b2b, and it would be with AFX of course. And John Lurie too in another genre…

What was your first DJ set up at home and what is it now?

I’ve never had any DJ equipment at home.

What’s more important, the track you start on or the track you end on?

Both. First track I check people, so it depends… I can be polite or arrogant, same with the last one. Nothing less, nothing more.

What were the first and last records you bought?

Can’t remember the first.

Rosalia – Motomami, last week.

Upcoming in the world of …

04.06 – live – Marseille – GMEM

11.06 – live – Marseille – Jeanne Barret (with John T. Gast and Vanda Forte)

November – Residency – Angers – Abbaye de Fontevraud

Anything else we need to discuss?

That’s enough. Thank you.