Wanderlust Awakened: ‘Dakar (Remix) City Stop’ by Bil&Gin

‘Dakar (Remix) City Stop’ by Bil&Gin

They connect cities and give them the pulse of the times. Inspired by the world’s metropolises, each city is musically colored with its associated emotions, which are then reflected in their work. 

The Brussels duo Bil&Gin, consisting of Michel de Launoit and Stéphane Grégoire, have released ‘City Stop’, an album characterized by an elegant blend of electro-pop and jazz that stimulates our senses. 

‘Dakar (Remix) City Stop’ is currently spinning on our turntables, evoking a feeling that transports us to the Senegalese metropolis and awakens our longing for distant lands. Michel and Stéphane, along with guest singer Woz Kaly, once again captivate us with a song that makes wanderlust resonate through its melodies and beats.

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Q&A

Who are the artists/musicians who make up Bil&Gin and how did you get into music?

Michel de Launoit and Stéphane Grégoire work in tandem. Michel comes from a production background and Stéphane from composing and producing music for films, documentaries, TV, etc.They work together at different stages in the creation of a track. OK, Stéphane plays the music, but the two of them discuss the path they are going to take. It's hard to explain, but it works :-)

'Dakar (Remix) City Stop' could be described as a form of global dance music. Do you remember what inspired you to create it?

Dakar is a song that came about following a trip to Senegal. Stéphane went there to work on the set of the film "Talia's Journay". He was able to hear some Sabars and one evening attended a concert by Woz Kaly. Back in Brussels, the City Stop project began. Stéphane wanted to incorporate the memory of this trip and pay tribute to the great singer Woz in a track for the Bil&Gin project. 

First there was the musical version, then the song came along to tell the story. A bit like flashes of different sensations felt there. In terms of form, the track had to be electro but still evoke Senegal. And Michel and I didn't want to do a track that belonged in the world music category. So we got in touch with Woz, whose vocals brought his country's culture and musical tradition to the track. We recently decided to give it a new lease of life. We wanted to make it even more electro, so that we could get people dancing to it more easily during a set. That's how the remix came about.

With Woz Kaly as a guest singer, how did that collaboration come about?

We had no contact in Senegal. We contacted him about a year after our return. Stéphane told him where he had heard him and how touched he had been by his singing. Bill & Gin then offered to work with him. He decided to ask to hear the track. Then he told us he liked the song. 

We sent him separate tracks so that he could go into the studio in Dakar where he recorded 2 versions. One in Mandingue and the other in Wolof. At first we decided on the Wolof version, but in the end we opted for the Mandingo with elements of Wolof. That's what happens when everything is too beautiful. You can't really choose :-)

What does your creative process look like in general?

We talk together and listen to other artists' songs. We pick out the ideas we like. Then we have to start from scratch and build a track using the influences we've selected. Once the creative process has started, we don't go back on the influences. You have to let your creativity flow and let the uniqueness of your project shine through. So it's often a question of rhythmic programming, bass and chords. All with sound work in parallel. 

The sounds inspire the melodies, chords and so on. Stéphane likes to make his own sounds. It's part of the composition. After that, we often add one or two real instruments to these electro sounds. And sometimes even vocals, or our vocals. We like that :) I've summed it up for you. In fact, it takes a very long time. A lot of trial and error. Then one convinces us and we dig deeper until we're happy with the result!

Do you have any plans to perform live on stage, or do you prefer to focus on studio work?

Bil&Gin works one of the DJ sets to share its music at festivals. We love to see people dancing to our music. And other people's music too :-). But creating our own musical universe in the studio is still very important to us. That's where Bil&Gin's identity continues to be forged. It's our base and we love it.

What are some of the things that matter most to you besides music?

All creative arts! The Bil&Gin project is often inspired by images and cinema. Besides, we like to combine our sound with your clips that we put together ourselves. (youtube)

Who would you love to have a chat with about music, regardless of whether they're still alive or not?

Nile Rodgers, Beethoven, James Brown

What do you have in store for the near future?

The release at the start of the school year of our new project, album "Electro City Stop", project to play festivals with these new sounds.

NenesButler - Indie Music Blog