Podcast Interview with Joss Moog -- Paris-based House DJ and Producer
Transcript of Interview:
I have the great pleasure to have Mr. Joss Moog with me today. The creator of one of definitely the tracks ever called "Drumin' it. inch And this is Joss Moog.
Hi everybody, nice to meet you, virtually meet you!
You are talking from Paris, france right now, is it?
Yeah, I'm in the east of Paris, france, 20 minutes away from Paris, france. Not beyond the boundary to go for booking and to play in Paris, france. So that's cool.
So that's where you play mostly? Paris, france? Europe? What is your tour schedule these days?
It's going better and better in Paris, france you know. The house music scene is growing very fast since 3 or 4 years now. Paris, france obviously a very beautiful city, but in the past we used to have lot of commercial parties you know, now young people in Europe, especially in Paris, france, the around 19 years old are discovering house music and underground music. It's improving and better. Before I used to play most of the time in Europe, not in England, but now I get more and more gigs in Paris, france, and its cool because I need them. Buy Soundcloud Likes 
Yeah. So Paris, france is becoming a house capital to say.
Exactly, its growing faster and lots of young people are experiencing parties, creating labels, buying vinyls... you know. It is certainly good for us, because 4 years ago people used to say that we was playing music for old people, but not anymore.
Is the majority of the house scene happening in regular clubs and established locations or is it more about private parties, one off locations?
You have both. I think it works like this: if you have money you can have great parties in regular clubs like "Rex" which is really expensive. Only if you are a good marketer or you have money you can do that. Young people try to make it happen in underground places in Paris, france, but it is not really easy. You need to be careful in Paris, france, you know.
Yeah, one thing I know about Paris, france: it is very expensive.
Exactly!
What I would like to ask you is, what is your story? How did your DJ carrier take off? What was your break through experience?
As a child my initial thing is production you know. I used to make funky music and play the electric piano in a band, funky disco style. My first love was the French touch especially Daft Punk with "Homework". That's when i experienced house music and begun to produce some tracks. Then i met Phil Weeks. We became very close friends because we were doing sports together.
When you DJ, you learn a lot about how to produce
Phil Weeks is the Robsoul founder right?
Exactly.
In 2006, I released my first EP on Robsoul and then I didn't quit. We stayed very close and I have a lot of releases from Robsoul. And that is how i located production and DJing.
So your first access was production and insurance agencies successful releases you still have into DJing.
Exactly! And now I love both because when you DJ, you learn a lot about how to produce. If you are only working in your house or in your studio room, it's different thing. This music you have to play it in oder to understand it.
I completely agree with that. I think it's a perfect combination to produce and play. It both drives each other. This is also my experience: when you just sit at home and make tracks, they may sound good in your bedroom. But it's really a different story in the club.
Exactly! I learn every time I play. I listen very carefully to every track I play or other DJs play. Every time I come back home I'm very motivated to do new stage productions. I want to do this, I want to do that... Every time I go to gigs I take my computer and before and after the gig I want to do production you know.
Would you mind sharing what you use for production? Which tools you use? You use Ableton, Judgement or something else?
I used to work on Cubase for years. But now I have completely changed: I aquired a MPC 3000 -- hardware stuff -- and I'm really loving it. It changed everything. But when you have MPC 3000 you have to change everything in your studio room. So i am just developing a new studio room, because I want to organize everything around the MPC.
That's your central production tool? MPC? I used to have a MPC 2000 some 15 years ago and unfortunately I sold it.
It's the main stuff in my studio room now. And I'm buying everything to make the MPC sound better.