The Pilotwings: The ‘Ransom Note’ Mix

As they’ve grown, so too has their sound. It’s still fresh and psychedelic as ever, but there’s more focus on the use of instruments and a wider palatte of influences, plus they’ve brought a third member into the fold for their latest release, their second LP on BFDM – Les Charismatiques.

Their own solo projects are just as worth your attention too: under Eiger Drums Propaganda Louis makes tripped out ambient weirdo trance while Guillaume’s output as Jonquera is a dub-wise downtempo affair.

Following the release last year, we roped them in to doing a mix for us, a request they gladly accepted. Their ‘Back to the rave machine’ mix is a wild ride through trance, acid, psychedelia and house. Get stuck in.

Who are you, where are you and what are you ? 

L: I’m Louis De La Gorce. Iʼm writing this in Lyon, the city where I use to live during nine years. Itʼs been three years Iʼm living in Athens now. 

G: I am Guillaume Lespinasse and I live next to Lyon, in the nearest suburbs. 

L: Together we join our forces to give life to The Pilotwings, “malicious duo” as every French media love to call us. 

What does your music sound like?  

L: It used to be a melting pot of Balearic house, Synth-Pop & Soft Trance. A dedication to different music genres from 80s & 90s, where percussions, kitsch synths and birds samples were combined to get a funny but not sleazy result. Weʼre growing up and our music taste, production skills and psychedelia adventures are growing too. Itʼs hard to describe precisely what our music sounds like nowadays… More instruments, more music genres and eras fused, and sometimes more psychedelic. 

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

We made a nice drawing. 

Where was the mix recorded? 

L: The mix was recorded at my studio in Athens after we gathered some tracks with G. 

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

L: Before going to a rave. Or maybe after… Even party home on this must be a good idea. 

G: On the A7 to Marseille. 

What should we be wearing? 

L: Cowboy hats!

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

L: At The Acropolis, with booze. 

Which track in the mix is your current favourite? 

L: Matisse – Klaipėd. = Detroit 

Simple, great progression, smoky atmosphere, very trippy ! 

G : Krjuk – Тайна (Edit) 

Wh%tʼs your f%vourite recorded mix of %ll time? 

L: Wow, Thatʼs a tuff one. The music spectrum is very wide so I canʼt decide between these two mixes that I’ve listened to so many times: Johan Ressle @ Camp Cosmic 2016 / OEJ Mixtape XII – Ursa’s Reef plays Portuguese Trance 

G: Iueke – 90ʼs UK rave mix for Rinse (2015) is the first one that comes to mind.  

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

L: DJ Pastis. No specific reason. I love makin.. 

G: Aki Gratte-Ciel or Tiësto, both long time mentors. 

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

L: 15 years ago, I was playing my burned Trance CD with a Behringer VMX300 Mixer. 

Now two XDJ-700, one PLX-1000 and a Phonic DM 3010 Mixer. 

G: One technics SL1200 + Traktor and a UC33. I only kept the SL1200 because  I never DJ at home! 

Whatʼs more important, the track you start on or the track you end on?

L: First track, hehe. Guess why?

What were the first and last records you bought? 

L: First record haha, probably this: Nikita (Egbert Remix) – Marco Bailey. Last record: Νίκος Ξυδάκης – Μανία 

G: My first record was The Prodigy – Jericho. Still the best. Last one was John Fahey. 

If this mix was an edible thing, what would it taste like?

G: Exterrestrial Sichuan pepper 

If it was an animal what would it be? 

G: My favourite kind of duck, the Indian Runner. 

One record in your collection that is impossible to mix into anything? 

L: My first track ever recorded 15 years ago, that G pressed on 7inch (Only one copy) & offered to me for my birthday last month. Itʼs too good to be played unfortunately… 

G: Our Zouk collection.