In light of her latest release on Indira Paganotto’s ARTCORE, NŸX Records label boss La Kajofol talks to us about the EP, mystical techno, touring, and more.
French artist La Kajofol is making waves with her unique twist on contemporary techno. A self-taught musician, her mystical brand of techno draws inspiration from classical and modern composers such as Debussy, Tchaïkovsky, Hans Zimmer, Phaeleh, Massive Attack and more. Mixing psytrance, techno, and ambient soundscapes together, La Kajofol creates ethereal and psychedelic dancefloor oriented tracks that she serenades over with her impressive vocal skills.
In the short time she has been producing, La Kajofol has released on a string labels including Indira Paganotto’s ARTCORE, NŸX Records, Neoacid, KTK, and Obscuur to name a few, and has bewitched crowds across Europe at events such as Dour Festival, Insane Festival, and Acidelics.
We caught up with her to get some insight into her background, the new EP, and more.
You started producing music in 2019. What influenced you to follow this path?
When I discovered Ableton and music production, it was like a new world had opened up to me. Having the ability to become an orchestra, band, or singer without any compositional limits was amazing. It quickly became an outlet where I could place all my emotions and thoughts. Since then, I can’t do without it, I’m completely addicted to music production.
Can you share the story behind ‘Darkly Yours’? What were its inspirations?
My EP ‘Darkly Yours’ reflects my current vision of Techno. This EP sits somewhere between Techno Rave, Trance and Psytrance, with a mystical and dark atmosphere, elevated particularly by my vocals. In my opinion, techno today is limitless, and it seems to be mixing influences and styles. In one track, we often have several styles, and that’s what I like about music. The mixing of genres to create others.
Where did the connection between you and Indira begin, and how did you end up releasing on Artcore?
I had seen Indira’s post on Instagram a few months ago where she was calling for demos for her ARTCORE label. My favourite saying is ‘Nothing tries, nothing wins’, so I sent the first track by email. I got a reply from her saying that she really liked the track and asked for more music, so I sent her a few of my latest tracks. A few months later, here we are with ‘Darkly Yours’.
Can you break down the concept of mystical techno for us?
When I started producing, I didn’t have this concept of “Mystical Techno”, but my music already reflected it. Even when I was young, I always listened to mystical music, a bit oriental with ethereal voices. Music that transported me and made me feel something more, something different. My style of techno is mystical because I use my own voice in my productions, and as it is a rather singular style, I wanted to give it a special name that defined it well.
Can you describe your creative process in the studio?
Not having inspiration is a problem… but having too much is also a problem! When I started producing I had so many ideas and inspiration that it took me at least a month to finish a track, in which there were often too many ideas.
If there is one thing I learned and understand today, it’s that the more a piece is simple and refined, the more impact it will most likely have. It should have a main idea and vocal, and then everything else built around it.
Today, when I start a track, I always set a framework to prevent scattering myself. I wonder for whom, for what purpose am I doing this piece? Is it to experiment with things or to reach a specific label or audinece? Then I find a central element that will exist at the forefront of my track: a melody, a voice, and continue to build my song around this main element.
I think that over time, everyone finds their way of working, but at the beginning everyone experiments and tries new things to see how they go. Now, I can finish a track in a few hours, so I have come a long way, but that’s after 4 years of producing.
You have been on the road a lot recently. What have been some of your highlights over the past year?
This year has been quite busy! I love to travel, and today, I have found a job that combines two of my passions: music and travel. Regarding gigs, I had the chance to play at Dour Festival this summer, and I must admit that being in front of 10,000 people smiling and dancing to my music was a moment I won’t be forgetting.
I also released my first EP on my label, NYX Records, which I worked on for almost a year. It was composed of 4 collaborations between myself and 4 other artists. I really enjoyed collaborating, it’s something that I really enjoy and hope to do more of. That EP came out in august.
What’s next for La Kajofol?
So many things! I still have a lot of projects and goals. Lots of collaborations, EP projects on big labels and my own label. But in the long term I would also like to organize events and create a booking agency!
Life is unpredictable, but what is certain is that it will be rich in music!