Interview with Le Code.

Interviewed by: Laury Verdoux

Hi Le Code, thanks for your time. You're a French ambient producer. Where does the name "Le Code" come from?

Hello everyone, and thank you for welcoming me on The Music Enthusiast blog.Well, the name The Code is directly related to the first style I had chosen for this musical project. In 2011, after playing in several bands, I decided to launch my solo project, something that would be like me. At the time, I was listening to a lot of synthwave and vaporwave, electronic music very strongly inspired by the 80's with synths and rather quiet rhythms.I needed a nickname that reminded me of technology, and I chose Le Code, reminding me of a communication device that we used in the 90's in France: the minitel. And to access some services, you had to type 3615CODE and the name of the service.Because of my artistic activities at the time, my project quickly evolved towards deep techno, then dub techno. I compose ambient music since 2020.

Can you tell us more about ambient music and what it means to you?

I've been interested in ambient for a long time, but without really embracing it. Until 5 years ago, I saw it as the music of enlightened people led by a new-age guru..But this is without taking into account the incredible richness of this style of music in terms of composition: the choice of sounds and effects is very important and can completely change a piece. I am a freak control, I now let what I call "musical accidents" guide me. Sometimes, with effects pedals, you can get incredible sounds or sequences without doing it on purpose. I really like to let luck decide certain things, it cures my obsession with controlling everything from an artistic point of view.With ambient, I feel like I've found the style I feel most comfortable with. It's a style that fits me best. I'm naturally stressed and anxious, so composing this music helps me to limit my stress, or at least channel it. I feel more at peace working on this music. It is undeniable that ambient has therapeutic effects on me.

You released an EP, 'Nereides', in March 2022 on the theme of the ocean and your latest release 'Shores' is also a reference to the ocean. Why this recurrent theme of the ocean? Is it an important part of your life?

I have always loved the ocean and the sea. My first label (specialized in dub and deep techno) is called Apnea, while I called my ambient label Mare Nostrum. Everything is related to water, and it wasn't until last year that I realized it was becoming an important part of my life.Last summer I spent my vacation by the mediterranean sea in the South of France. I realized that I felt at home by the water. I have a preference for the Atlantic Ocean and its wilder side.I live all year long in a mountainous region, I am far from the sea, so as soon as I can go there, I take advantage of it. I can see myself spending my retirement in a seaside town.Coming back to my latest releases, I released a first EP on the ocean theme Nereides last March with Are Morica, then Shores a few days ago. I called it the ocean cycle, which will end with the release of an album in June.

Is it harder to tell a story in music without lyrics like it's the case with ambient music or do you find it easier to express yourself that way?

The instrumental style naturally imposed itself to me. I've never been very good at writing lyrics and I always let others do that part.As a listener, I listen to the music first, the way the song is constructed, the arrangements and the choice of sounds before trying to understand the lyrics. I find it a very difficult exercise and when you see the poverty of the lyrics of some mainstream tracks, I am very happy to make instrumental music.I think it gives an extra dimension to the listeners to project themselves inside the music: they can find by themselves the images that the music makes them think, and letting listeners make their own interpretation allow them to appropriate it more easily.I don't know if I'm sending a message with my music, I like to think I am, even if its primary "function" is introspection and calming, things we need in our lives today. I then let the listeners make their own storyboard of it so they can interpret it the way they want and feel the best they can while listening to it.

What are your plans for the rest of the year?

Over the past year, I have become very active with The Code. I released singles and EPs in collaboration with Are Morica, but also with my band Belle Brume that I share with a friend.I have a lot of ideas in mind, and I would like to do a lot of things: first, I will continue to release singles or EPs very regularly, and even albums in the next months.Every two weeks or so I record ambient jam videos and post them on YouTube, and I want to continue with this work that I love doing. In parallel, I'd like to make some product presentation videos through the lens of ambient, I have some ideas of what to talk about.And then, in the next few weeks, I'm going to start doing livestream DJ sets: I love the concept of sound naps and I'd like to do that regularly online. I'm starting to think about how to do it, and I'm pretty much ready.

Other than being an artist, you have your own podcast 'Ambient Travelers' and you are at the head of 2 labels. Is it important for you to help other artists as well?

I've always wanted to help artists: I tried to create websites to help them get more visibility in the past, but it was a bit complicated at my humble level. I turned to creating labels, which was the most natural for me.I'm going to be lying if I say that it's easy to manage labels every day, we face artists with their sensitivity and sometimes their egos, you have to know how to work with all of that. But it's exciting, and most of the time, it's great encounters that we have with all these artists.I love the podcast format and the purpose is the same with Ambient Travelers: to promote artists, and try to introduce the uninitiated to ambient.

Who are your three favorite artists at the moment?

Ah, the tricky question! It's so difficult to make a selection, there are so many artists that I would like to talk about.zakè is undoubtedly one of my references when I talk about ambient: he releases an impressive number of albums or EPs throughout the year, and his label Past Inside The Present is full of incredible, original and worked. I am never disappointed.Loscil is also a very important artist for me: he is able to make music with nothing, and his songs are very rich in sounds and incredible finds. He can release tracks in the pure tradition of ambient or more electronica, and it's always done brilliantly. You never get bored with him.Finally, I would mention Lauge, which I discovered when I started composing ambient music. He also has a very rich discography and I trust him as an ambient curator to help me discover new titles or artists.

Connect with Le Code: Instagram