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Name: Paris Forscutt aka PARIS

Nationality: Australian
Occupation: DJ, producer
Current Release: PARIS's Mangata/Dreamstate EP is out via This Never Happened.
Recommendations: Book: The War of Art by Steven Pressfield; Album: Sometimes I Might Be Introvert by Little Simz

If you enjoyed this interview with PARIS and would like to stay up to date with her music, visit her on Instagram.



When did you start writing/producing/playing music and what or who were your early passions and influences? What was it about music and/or sound that drew you to it?

DJing came first for me around the age of 19 years old. It wasn’t long after that I found myself wanting to create music and put the two together.

Some of the first artists I was drawn to and playing out were Boys Noize, Tiga, Gesaffelstein, Erol Alkan, The Presets, Chemical Brothers and others alike.

[Read our Tiga interview]

I think what drew me to them the most was they were producing sounds that felt out of this world at the time, in their own ways and left you wanting to hear more. Innovative stuff!  

When I listen to music, I see shapes, objects and colours. What happens in your body when you're listening and how does it influence your approach to creativity?

Ooo I love this question! For me it’s more so sensations through my body.

Sometimes a surge or charge of energy comes over me with tingling sensations - this happens when I hear or make music that sounds like nothing I’ve heard before. Other times is can be this calming feeling of oneness and I just get the urge to close my eyes and take the music inwards.

These feels either spark inspiration or tell me I’m on the right path to creating something special.

How would you describe your development as an artist in terms of interests and challenges, searching for a personal voice, as well as breakthroughs?

Like many others, it has been a continuous journey. My taste and sound is ever evolving / changing. You never stop learning with music making so it make sense with each new tool or lesson you learn, it will influence your next project.

I’ve always had in my mind to do what fills my heart and feels right. If you’re not passionate about your craft, you can’t expect people to connect to it. There’s been moments over the last 2 years which I’ve had many setbacks due to the pandemic and crazy weather in Australia and it  effected my creativity immensely. I’m glad that I chose not to release a lot of the projects I was working on in that time as I could feel a disconnect with them.

A big breakthrough for me was to add “play” into my time in the studio and truly feel what I was doing instead of focusing on the end result. I’m really happy with the new music that out and is to come.

Tell me a bit about your sense of identity and how it influences both your preferences as a listener and your creativity as an artist, please.

I’ve always been a big feeler and quite sensitive to the world around me. These both have there pros and cons but I’d like to think they are pretty universal throughout most artists and is needed to truly delve deep into creativity and come out with something special.

It's also why music so healing for me.

What, would you say, are the key ideas behind your approach to music and art?

I like to approach anything creative with an open mind, feeling connected to myself and the space I work in.

I like to meditate before a session to clear my thoughts and allow more space for creative energy to flow. Try something new within the session as it brings more excitement and energy into it.

And if a session doesn’t get anywhere I always remind myself there’s lessons in every moment so that time is not wasted :)

How would you describe your views on topics like originality and innovation versus perfection and timelessness in music? Are you interested in a “music of the future” or “continuing a tradition”?

In my opinion innovation and timelessness are both very important. And if you have both of those qualities in a track, you have something very special.

Over the course of your development, what have been your most important instruments and tools - and what are the most promising strategies for working with them?

I like to play with hardware. A friend of mine once gave me some good advice which is to try pick a piece of hardware for each track and get the most out of it before reaching for others - make it the hero.

Ableton is also just a great tool / instrument that I use. Sometimes I have to remind myself that it actually has everything you need to make something amazing.

Take us through a day in your life, from a possible morning routine through to your work, please.

I get bored doing the same things constantly so my days are always changing.

Although I try keep to a routine upon waking where first thing I do is drink a big glass of water and do some kind of mindfulness practice. Either meditation, breathwork or yoga/stretching. Then the day cannot begin without a coffee!

After that it’s either some kind of work, studio session or an activity. I love to hike, head to the beach, take a long walk or most recently I’ve gotten into indoor rock climbing.

Could you describe your creative process on the basis of a piece, live performance or album that's particularly dear to you, please?

For this question I’ll talk about my mini album Exordium. This release really allowed me to express all corners of my creative ideas. This is what I love about bigger bodies of work.



It was a new process for me at the time and added more purpose into the project. It felt almost similar to curating a live show. Making the intro track and the journey through each track to creating different energies that all connected in some way and finishing on a feeler track like I do in my shows.

I’m sure there will be more releases like this from myself to come.

Listening can be both a solitary and a communal activity. Likewise, creating music can be private or collaborative. Can you talk about your preferences in this regard and how these constellations influence creative results?

There is a place for both with me. Some days you feel like you need to experience the sounds solo and other days you want to experience it with others and be amongst that feeling of the music bringing people together for a shared experience.

Your body will always tell you want it needs if you take the time to feel and and listen to it.

Art can be a way of dealing with the big topics in life: Life, loss, death, love, pain, and many more. In which way and on which occasions has music – both your own or that of others - contributed to your understanding of these questions?

Art has always been there to help me process or get through moments of my life. It gets you into your feelings which I have come to learn is how you truly process them.

How do you see the connection between music and science and what can these two fields reveal about each other?  

Science has proven that music can change our mood. So it's such a fantastic way to alter our emotions and experiences we have.

I’m so grateful that my work gives this to others and to myself.

Creativity can reach many different corners of our lives. Do you feel as though writing or performing a piece of music is inherently different from something like making a great cup of coffee? What do you express through music that you couldn't or wouldn't in more 'mundane' tasks?

I would say you can turn any task into a creative process. The difference between them will always be on how important the task is to you and how you are rewarded.

Music is vibration in the air, captured by our ear drums. From your perspective as a creator and listener, do you have an explanation how it able to transmit such diverse and potentially deep messages?

Our bodies are so complex and have come to survive through our senses that have developed throughout evolution and have been given meaning to one’s self.