Some days ago she released her great
Concept Album "
Unica". Now we are able to present her in an interview. Read what DeLaurentis has to say about her influences, the Album itself or what's next for her.
DeLaurentis is..?
I am a musician, a producer and I love to tell stories with sounds, music and voices. I am French, I was born in Toulouse but I have lived in the “City of Light” for several years and I have just released my first album called Unica.
Who inspired you to make music?
I grew up in a family of musicians and my father is a jazz pianist. My first inspirations were Thelenious Monk and Claude Nougaro… and my first emotional memory related to music was the film “The Last Emperor” by Bertolucci with the soundtrack of Ryuichi Sakamoto. It was the first time that images and music have caused this effect in my heart ... later as a teenager I discovered Trip Hop with Bjork, Massive Attack and Portishead.
What or who inspired you to "Unica's Cloud"?
This is one of the songs from my Unica concept album that tells the story of my digital sister. This album is a modern and feminine vision of the Pinocchio tale through the prism of sorority. I am like Geppetto and I dream that one day Unica will become a real robot and a real artificial intelligence. Throughout the album, Unica grows and emancipates, and in this specific song, she invites us into her intimate cloud.
I have had the chance to listen to your upcoming album, it's really a great mixture of different genres, do you have a favorite one?
Yes it’s funny… I have a lot of influences .. jazz, trip hop, ambient, film music and pop… it's hard to choose and it depending on the theme of the songs, the atmosphere, the mood and foe each track there is a style which is essential .. and it is very difficult to have a single and unique genre .. it is more interesting to be inspired by various kind of music and to try to mix it into its own universe.
Also the selection of sounds creates a lot of different moods, how much time did you spend to find the right ones for every single track?
It takes a lot ... a lot of time .. it's a bit like a painter who always wants to add a shade, a color, a tint .. and the hardest part is to decide that the painting is finished.
What can listeners expect from the upcoming album?
I put all my heart and love into this album .. as a scientist I searched and spent a lot of time introspecting with my machines until I found my digital sister, Unica. And finally.. I like to believe that she represents my inner child .. the one who dreams, who imagines and the one who we forget growing up. So I hope that in this album the listeners will find their inner child!
When do you decide that a song is ready for the release or good enough to be part of an album?
A lot of the songs that I wrote were not on the album after all because they had no connection with the Unica story. I composed for 2 years to come up with these 10 songs.
Do you have a favorite track on the album?
I really like "Somewhere in between"; which I wrote and produced in collaboration with an AI from the Spotify research laboratory and supervised by Skygge, pioneer in the AI world. It was a great adventure and I am very proud of the result. I feel like Unica sings with her own voice in this track and it's almost meditative music. Peaceful and calm.
What is your creative process like?
I always start with a piano-voice, I look for chords and images come to me systematically. I used to watch a movie in my head and it inspires me a story with characters. Then, in a second time, I start to produce it.
What is the most useful talent you have?
I’m a daydreamer! and maybe it's not a talent… by the way ;)
What do you prefer, a live gig or the work in the studio?
It depends… I spend a lot more time in the studio than on stage. I love spending my days in my lab studio exploring .. but performing on stage is the culmination of work. This is the real meeting, the real exchange and the real sharing with the others!
If you could change anything in the past, what would it be?
I would have liked to have more confidence in myself .. but it is also something that comes with time and experience ... so expect that I do not change anything!
How do you feel the Internet (especially Social Media platforms) has impacted the music business?
It’s an incredible accelerator that gives the opportunity to become known all around the world! The competition is tough but at the same time everything is possible. However, we have to be careful not to mix up our artistic proposition and our private life. As Dr. Dre has said “social media has ruined the mystique of an artist.
What’s next for you?
My dream now is to travel with Unica songs all over the world! I dream of having a gig in Japan for example .. but also USA, UK, Irland, Norway…Australia…and Austria of course ;) Fingers Crossed !
Photo credits: Dominique Gau
