After an international tour, the Marseille musician Kid Francescoli, whose real name is Mathieu Hocine, will settle down in Libourne, on the occasion of the Lucanes Invasion Festivalon Saturday May 25. His captivating electronic music, driven by several hits like “ Moon (And it happened) ” Or ” Explode ”, earned him recognition in many countries.
You continue your tour after concerts all over the world. What should we expect for this next date in Libourne?
Obviously, half of the set will be devoted…
After an international tour, the Marseille musician Kid Francescoli, whose real name is Mathieu Hocine, will settle down in Libourne, on the occasion of the Lucanes Invasion Festivalon Saturday May 25. His captivating electronic music, driven by several hits like “ Moon (And it happened) ” Or ” Explode ”, earned him recognition in many countries.
You continue your tour after concerts all over the world. What should we expect for this next date in Libourne?
Obviously, half of the set will be devoted to the latest album “Sunset Blue” and the other half will be a sort of best of previous albums. We chose the pieces that were the most effective on stage, favoring dancing, partying and energy, with music like “ Nopalitos “, ” The player » or others who are not necessarily the most listened to on the platforms. On stage, there is Raphaël Léger on drums, Andréa Durand who sings and plays bass and me who takes care of the electronic part and the vocals.
Is it important for you to have musicians on stage, rather than just one man behind his machines?
Yes, it’s essential because I’m not a DJ but a musician. I don’t arrive on stage with my songs already recorded or mixed. We sing, we play keyboards, bass, drums, we perform live. There will also be a scenography in keeping with the cover of the last album, which is a sunset in Marseille, a city to which I am very attached.
The title of your album “Sunset Blue” is also linked to your attachment to the Mediterranean.
This comes first from the blue of the Mediterranean Sea. Being of Algerian origin, having grown up on all sides of the Mediterranean, in Corsica and Marseille, this is something that speaks to me a lot. And the word “blue” in English also brings to mind “blues”, which translates melancholy. It’s a double meaning.
Would you describe your music as melancholy?
I don’t like being typecast. There is, yes, but it’s subjective. For some, melancholic music and for others, it is luminous. In my albums, it’s always a mix of everything.
How do you compose?
As seen in the music video for “Sweet and Sour”I spend time in the studio playing with the machines or instruments. But also by doing nothing or being a little bored. My best ideas come while walking, on a scooter or on a plane. It’s often by taking a step back or listening to other music that creativity arises.
Your music is very colorful and often used in advertising, series or cinema, is that a choice?
It’s true that what I like about music is that when I listen, I have the impression that everything becomes like a film. But I don’t compose with images in mind or for them to be used for that. On the other hand, it’s very gratifying that directors use my music, especially as a cinema fan. Besides, when I was asked to do the soundtrack for the film “Azuro”, it had the same effect on me as when I was asked to make a first album.
What are your musical influences?
Since my first album in 2006, I have had varied musical influences. At the beginning, it was a lot of pop, then later more machines with Air, Massive Attack and DJ Shadow, which then led me to hip-hop, then more electronic music up to French song. It all mixed up inside me.
In your latest album, there is actually a song, “Sweet and Sour”, which changes from what you usually do.
I don’t know how to drastically change my style, I prefer to maintain continuity by adding some different music from one album to another. But I always listened to hip-hop or rock and I was frustrated not to be able to reproduce these styles in my music. When rapper Bamby H2O asked me to do a collaboration, I was excited to jump at the chance.
Your stage name is a tribute to the former Olympique de Marseille football player, Enzo Francescoli. Is he aware of this and what is your relationship with football?
Being from Marseille and an OM fan since I was young, I regularly go to the Vélodrome to watch the matches. This club brings me a lot of happiness and frustration. What’s crazy is that when I play abroad, I often see OM jerseys at my concerts, in Boston, Toronto, Quebec… It’s incredible how popular this club is.
And less than a month ago, I played in Portland, and there was a fan in the audience who worked for Nike and managed to contact Enzo Francescoli’s son. He passed the message on to his father and there I received the absolute Holy Grail for me: a thank you video from Enzo Francescoli for choosing his name and making it shine internationally. It really moved and touched me. It was a magical moment for me.