Mickael
Open Labs Exclusive Artist Interview
- by Tatiana Ryckman, Open Labs Staff Writer
The first time I met Mickael he had just (literally) arrived in Houston (after performing in Corpus Christi, and Los Angeles before that, and Palm Springs before that). He was spreading himself thin between the Ozone Music Awards, our seven-person Open Labs team, and a recording session.
The first time Mickael met his love for music was as a 14-year-old 20 minutes outside of Paris, trying to DJ with a friend with a portable CD player. “We got a few mixed CDs from big European DJs and we wrote down tracks and the time where you could trigger between songs, kind of like a song, a scratch, a song ... of course it didn't work that well.”
He knew after that first party that he was hooked, that he needed to work with music in some capacity. A few years, numerous artists, and a hit song later he's definitely been granted his wish. While his day job, or night job, is performing, he's much more than just the singer on the catchy song “Cyclone”. “I've been DJing for years, I then went on to producing, later came the singing.”
Telling me what a “gear head” he is, I thought the MiKo that he always takes on the road was probably a good fit. While he's only had the board one year, his equipment-gathering habit started just after that first DJ gig. “I started saving up and buying more equipment, little by little, one turntable at a time. Then I got my first synth and started producing. It was a used MC 303 ... I still have it. It reminds me where I started at.” While this sounds poignant and meaningful he laughs when he follows it up with, “It hasn't been turned on in like, 10 years, though.”
One might think that a mild obsession with gear would ruin the joy of owning a product that boasts being a one-stop-shop, the beginning and the end, the only thing you need; but he doesn't see it that way. “Some (synthesizers) are irreplaceable because they are legends and have a value greater then money. The MiKo is irreplaceable for me because it's the center of my productions and I use it everyday.” He goes a step further and says exactly what we've been saying, “It would take like five different machines or products to replace the MiKo.”
The MiKo is a lot of things to a lot of different people. To Mickael, “The MiKo is to keyboards or synthesizers what the MPC was to the sequencer, what the jazz bass is to bass guitars, or what the U-47 is to microphones.” And since he spends so much time on the road, away from home, his studio, and his gear, he likes that he doesn't have to stop working. “I took the MiKo with me on the tour bus and it allowed me to keep working. We even recorded a track in a hotel room in Cleveland.”
Hotel room hits are a no-brainer now, but when Mickael first laid his hands on the board he had a few things to learn. “Being a hardware kind of guy I was only used to MPCs, modules, and keyboards. I never used a VSTi in my life before. Even so, I was up and running in a week or two – thanks to the great tech support you guys have. Matt, Phil, and David were extremely useful.”
As a 14-year-old Mickael managed to pull of an event, which he says went just fine – despite having nothing but a CD player and about 30 seconds of experience. “I think 14-year-old kids don't really mind DJing techniques, if they have music and no parents everybody is happy.” Today, when Mickael does a show, there's no shortage of experience, equipment, or talent. Just like his recordings.
“I want my album to be something people can enjoy one track at a time. I've been working on my solo album for four years now. I believe that if you want to deliver something good it takes time. I'm not into making one hit single and selling a 'garbage' album just to fill in the remaining nine tracks.”
Beyond his musical purity when it comes to quality, Mickael is one of few remaining artists. And to prove his music is more than a sales gimmick, he's giving it away for free. And not just on Myspace.
“I will pass it at shows around the globe. It's my way to let people hear my music without thinking about spending money. If they like the free stuff they will love the album. How can I ask people to buy something without knowing what it's worth? My goal is not to sell as many records a possible but to reach as many people as possible.”
When I had picked my jaw up and off my desk, he threw in, like a bonus track, “I'd rather have 5,000 people singing my song at a concert then selling 5,000 CDs ... almost all the tracks and remixes were done on a MiKo by the way.” I didn't even have to ask.
After a long night of watching awards, and recording music, and entertaining the Open Labs crew, I fully agreed with my co-worker, “Dude,” he'd yelled in my ear at the club, “Mickael is awesome.” I said I knew but he persisted, “No, not just as a person, but as an artist. I'm serious.”
We're serious.
Equipment Used
Purchased MiKo LX (Gen3)
Artist Links