Interview: Massane on Exploring New Genres, His New Album By the River, and Advice to Ignore

Hailing from France, Massane offers a garden-fresh approach when it comes to the world of electronica and melodic house. For those that have been following his journey for a long while, it’s clear that his discography is a testament to an unwavering commitment to musical exploration. Our initial gateway into his sound was through the iconic Visage EPs – a series of EPs that beautifully exhibit storytelling through sound. After the release of his debut album Another Dawn in 2021, it became clear that he was walking a path that’d lead him to be among the luminaries of melodic house, especially since he followed up his popular "Demons" remix with the hit title track “Another Dawn”.

Having graced the rosters of revered labels like This Never Happened (his home) and Anjunadeep, Massane has received well-deserved recognition from both fans and fellow artists. With the release of his sophomore album By the River coming out this Friday, the French producer seeks to introduce fans to his recent sonic explorations. And through this interview, we get to know more about the new album's creation, Massane’s background, and much more.

How would you describe your relationship with music when you were a kid, compared to your early adulthood?

It hasn't changed much regarding how I perceive it, music is always my "go-to" place to feel at peace. The main difference is that I became much more "active", I compose and play a lot more with it.

Throughout your career, you’ve experimented with different monikers and a variety of other genres too. Where do you think your insatiable curiosity to explore comes from?

Previously I was navigating where the wind carried me, through connections with people, friends, and bandmates. When I decided to be a bit more introspective, a more personal sound occurred and that led to Massane. Regarding being curious, I'm not surprised because we are all on a quest to feel and create something "different" so having different sources offer different angles / different approaches. Several times I have spoken about Metalcore / Hip Hop / Classical music to Electronic music producers and DJs.

At which point in your journey did you reach the moment where you said “Yes! THIS is the kind of music I want to make”?

When I created my track "Maybe", this was actually the first track I ever sent to Daniel (Lane 8). I felt a deep connection to what I was doing, I sensed that I was creating my own path. After that came the first 3 Visage EPs.

What was it that initially drew you to releasing with This Never Happened, and how did you know they were the label for you?

When I saw what TNH was doing early on I thought my sound could fit there so I tried to be a part of the story. Early on Daniel showed strong support for what I was doing, the label does an amazing job at presenting my music so it feels really good.

Out of the singles you’ve released for your upcoming album, we’re really loving the new one “Cryo” with Grigoré. Could you take us through how that release came together?

I was on my second tour and I was experimenting with darker vibes as my inspiration was clearly dancefloor oriented during those weeks. I always liked Grigoré releases and I had the idea of trying a collaboration with him. I sent a first shot at what would become "Cryo" and he was directly into trying something with it. He nailed it and after a few back-and-forths we were done, I love playing that track in the clubs.

What was going on in your life during the making of By the River?

It was right in between my last 2022 tour and moving to the USA, I managed to spend a lot of time in the studio in the south of France. I was inspired by the dance floor, nature, and the upcoming changes that were about to occur for me.

How are you trying to make people feel, or what kind of space are you wanting to put people in after they've experienced By the River?

Tough question as I'm more in a state where I present what I have to express regardless of how it could be received. The influence I have on my own music is limited, I accepted a while ago that I just need to be there, ready to compose and follow the flow. That being said, I really hope fans will love the album, they always showed strong support so they seem to connect with my way of doing things.

For you, what does a flow state look like?

Time stops and everything seems to work, anything that doesn't work is quickly dismissed with no bad feelings. It's very enjoyable :).

Which commonly heard advice do you believe could be misleading upcoming DJs?

I was a producer first before being a DJ, so a DJ would be best to answer that specific question. If we are talking about "upcoming producers": there is so much that it would require an entirely separate discussion, so I will try to make it short. Anything too generic, like "you should cut those frequencies on hats" is completely wrong, trust your ears, every sample/instrument is different. Learn why you are doing things, and don't follow some steps blindly, it pays off in the long run.