Zimmer is a Paris-based music producer and DJ who’s been steadily leading the way in dance music. alongside his many friends at Roche Musique, the label he frequently releases his work on. Summer is the ultimate time to explore Roche and their roster, so with that in mind, we chatted with the talented artist and learned about the past, present, and future of Zimmer’s musical life.
Hey Zimmer, how’s everything going?
Great! Just got back home after a camping trip and working on some new music in Paris right now.
Let’s start with tour life. You’ve been on the road lately, for any fans who still haven’t seen you yet, what can they expect from during a live show?
In my DJ set I love to take dancers on a journey. I play a broad range of music, house, disco and techno even, as long as it fits my vibe. It needs to be melodic, dreamy, colourful and fun. I like contrast, so there’s always a surprise to keep the crowd going. I play for people to have fun whilst discovering new music.
You’ve sold out shows in Paris, New York, San Fransisco and more. Where is your favourite place to perform and why?
Those 3 major cities are obviously some of my favourite places to play. I would add Calvi on The Rocks for the amazing beach vibes, Le Bikini in Toulouse, which is my favourite concert hall, Beirut for its unique atmosphere and Seoul for the crazy crowd.
Your music has a very strong sense of summer. For the most part it’s upbeat, colourful and full of good vibes. Is it difficult to continuously produce this type of sound & where do you draw the inspiration to do so?
I think it’s just the music I relate to and that comes naturally. Influences comes from traveling, listening to music in certain contexts and from my childhood memories.
One of my favourite songs of yours is “Escape”. How did the collaboration with Emilie Adams come together? My manager found her on Soundcloud, I sent her the instrumental and a few weeks back she sent her beautiful vocals. Internet magic!
“Moonrise” is another one of my top picks, what would you say is your personal favourite track to date?
Thanks! Actually Moonrise is probably my favourite original. Remix wise it would be Vallis Alps’ “Young.”
Let’s talk about Paris. How would you say the city has helped shaped you become the producer you are today? I think Paris shaped me in a lot of ways. First of all, Paris is where I discovered nightlife, spending a lot of time at Social Club in particular, seeing DJs like Aeroplane, Alan Braxe, Tensnake, Todd Terje, Breakbot etc. Also Paris is where I met the whole Roche Musique crew, which is my true music family.
In the last few years, the producer scene has grown vastly, what are the pros & cons of maneuvering through Paris as an artist?
I love being in a city where so much is happening musically. If you want to hear good music there’s at least 3 shows worth seeing any night. It’s also fantastic to meet other producers and work together, there’s always a new kid on the block making great music. It’s great to be easy to connect with these people. Also the Paris scene has this sense of community, which is fantastic. The only downside is that Paris is not by the beach!
I noticed you went to school in Los Angeles, something I’m very jealous of might I add. How was your school experience?
I went to LA when I was a kid. It was a small, international school in Los Feliz. The classrooms were bungalows, which were on top of a hill and surrounded by palm trees… It was paradise. I think it deeply affected my imagery, growing up as a foreign teenager in LA, discovering the city, the desert, the beaches, going out with friends.
With summer in full swing, what are your plans for the next 6 weeks and for the rest of the year? This summer I’m on vacation in the South of France, then I have a 35 dates tour in the fall, playing Asia in September, North America in October and Europe in November. Can’t wait to be back on the road!
Written by Parth Barot
