Album Walkthrough: Made in Paris breaks down her electrifying debut, Exordium

When it comes to Australia's techno space on both a homegrown and international level, Made in Paris is someone flying the flag. The Sydney-based producer/DJ has turned into one of the country's flagship dance music acts in recording and on the live stage, sharing gems of her techno and house charm throughout much of the last decade and touring them with shows spread across the world; the musician being one of only a few Australian artists with the capacity to sell out clubs in Europe perhaps even more so than what she does back home. 

Even in 2020, with coronavirus' lockdowns shuttering the club music world, Made in Paris continued to thrive. She put out more singles than she ever has before - the Pantheon-assisted Azibo, followed by Glad I Met You with Juliet Fox and the Gravity/Dystopia two-side - and when dance music artists were typically unsure what to do with themselves in the wake of international lock-downs, Made in Paris put in the energy and work into virtual performances; a stand-out act of Untitled Group's virtual day-time rave, for example.

As it turns out, a lot of the time was also spent held up in the studio, where Paris attempted to refine her craft and build a steady stream of songs that she could use to elevate herself when things began rebuilding in 2021, and today, we get a glimpse of the end product. It comes in the form of her debut album (of sorts) Exordium, which features six tracks drawn out to become a 30-something-minute odyssey of Made in Paris' production prowess, and her capabilities in storytelling even through the most robust of club productions.

It's an exploration of Australian-built techno, exploring the natural ebbs and flows of the genre's sound with the emphasis on taking you on a journey - not just delivering an album of club-ready thumpers that may seem attractive to other producer/DJ-types searching for a breakthrough moment. It's dynamic; placing as much emphasis on her sound and its darkest and heaviest as it does on techno at its most subtle and drawn-out, proving Made in Paris to be a master of both worlds when it comes down to it.

"Working on a larger in-depth release has been something I’ve been wanting to do for some time," she says on the record. "There’s a different energy in the studio when working on something larger than your usual 1-3 track releases. It was a sense of freedom, freedom to explore and experiment with my sounds on a broader playing field and releasing it on my own label Upon Access meant I could truly write what came to me without any big pressure.

"Most of the writing was done over the warm Aussie summer and chilly EU/UK winter of the end of 2019 into 2020. Looking back these climates bled into the tracks and the travel had great input into the inspiration throughout the release."

You can take a dive into the record below, alongside a track-by-track walkthrough that sees Made in Paris detail the foundations of the record's sound, and how the songs came about:

Exordium

The release begins with its title track Exordium. I wanted to create something exciting with anticipation to open the release with by providing a beautiful intro that builds with its sequencer and drum work. The eerie keys give it feelings of serenity as the basslines push a sense of direction and mood throughout the track. It’s a great one to have in my tool belt to open shows with.

Hornets On Mars

Creativity really kicks in with Hornets On Mars. Whilst toying around with my hardware, I recorded a bunch of sounds that are much close to the buzz of.. well the titled says it all really. It’s probably the darkest piece of production on the release with growling synths and basses, clonking percussion and devilish melodies. I can see this going down well in dark dingy clubs late at night

Elysian

Elysian, made in the warm weather of Sydney, was focused on more vibrant sounds. From the synths to its percussion and drums, it provides a bold yet delicate piece of production. The singing birds and piano keys in the background add a beautiful underlay for the track with its deeper styled bass anchoring it from floating away. It makes me want to frolic around in the dust of a festival in the middle of nowhere.

Wonderlust

Ideas ran wild in the studio with Berlin-based singer Simmone Jones when I came to the magical city for the first time late 2019. Wonderlust ties in the sounds of electronic pop and deep techno into one. Simmone taking on a haunting approach to her vocals that work so well with the arpeggiator, which really drives the track. The bass line sets a nice groove whilst noisy synths add intensity, creating the perfect balance between us both as artists.

Nodus

Experimenting deeper into my production, I took a different approach to my regular style drum work by creating a break in this beauty titled Nodus. Don’t let the airy pads fool you as once it drops they slide away with tough and obnoxious that really keep you on your toes. It’s strong and bleepy percussion is definitely notable and completes a new side to my catalogue.

Under Open Sky

Keeping true to my love for music having a sense of story, I closed out the release with a melodic journey Under Open Sky. There are many elements to the track that make this one special. From the evolving basses to the crisp arpeggiator to the simplicity of it’s deep vocal. I set in the groove with toms amongst other percussions. Adding another layer with an additional arpeggiator mid-track that creates extra groove before it all comes to an end.

Follow Made in Paris: FACEBOOK