19 - Le Code

Author

Giannis Kampiotis
October 25, 2022

Hello music people 👋

Today in the spotlight, Le Code

Coming from France, he is deep into ambient music.

In his process he blends software and hardware in a way it feels right to him.

He stripped down his studio but still keeps an eye on new hardware just in case something fits in his workflow. 🎶

Read Time: 9.5 minutes 📰

The Setup

Gear List

Who are you and what is your relationship with music?

My name is Alexandre, I live in France near the Switzerland border with my wife, dogs and a cat.

I started making music when I received my first instrument at Christmas. A Bontempi organ with which I became familiar with the keys and notes.

It wasn't until I finished school that I finally started my first rock-metal band, where I tried to sing. At that time, I discovered software to make music at home. It was the beginning of the home studio. I started working with the version of Cubase SX3 that everyone had and then I discovered the power of VSTs, which allowed me to create my 2nd real band, called Proyas, which was supported locally by various venues.

This band allowed me to gain solid live experience while perfecting my musical technique. I participated in a few Pop & Rock bands and in parallel, I created the Apnea Label. A dub and deep techno label.

It's only in 2020 that I decide to dedicate myself fully to my project Le Code by taking the path of ambient music. With a friend, I created the ambient duo Belle Brume and we host a podcast called Ambient Travelers.

Finally, I created with a Swiss friend the label Mare Nostrum dedicated to ambient music.

Unfortunately, I don't live from music as I would like. I work in the insurance industry where I am a webmarketing manager and specialize in SEO.

I would like to leave this job to devote myself fully to music, and with a friend, we propose musical animations to companies (blind test, karaoke, dj...), and this activity works very well. It is possible that in a near future, I will be able to live from it, so in a certain way, I will be able to live from music. It's not the same thing as living from your own creations, but it allows you to work in what you like.

What's the one thing in your studio you can't live without?

It is really difficult to answer, so many instruments and software are indispensable to me.

But if I think about the time I've been making music, one software comes up again and again in my productions: Omnisphere by Spectrasonics.

Whether it's for rock, pop or ambient tracks, it can do it all, and adapts to all styles.

What's your process?

In general, I start with a pad sound, generated by a software: Kontakt banks from Luftrum (Bioscape and Lunaris), Omnisphere, the Roland XV-5080, these are all insutrments I can start a track with.

Then, I like to use a sound that I worked on Parallels from Softube, a rather sharp pad that gives an atmospheric dimension to the track. Often, this is where the Prophet Rev 2 comes in, either with very warm pads or subtle sines. I can also work on the sounds with the Microcosm pedal from Hologram or the Big Sky from Strymon.

Once I have a solid base, I experiment with different sounds to add a more personal touch, something that would make a difference without being déjà vu. This is the hardest part for me but also the most interesting since it's where I try to express my creativity and sensitivity. This is also where I can add elements of field recording.

Then I mix the whole thing with Console 1 from Softube.

How would you explain your style?

I don't know if I have a particular style, I just try to be myself. In fact, it's a real exercise for me, because it can be easy and tempting to fall into plagiarism of other artists.

In all the bands I've had in the past, I've tried to bring in an electronic touch, something that would make a difference with all the local bands you could come across. I always thought that originality was the key, to stand out to be noticed.

I have my preferences in sounds and effects, I don't know if you can call it a touch or style, but I try to stay consistent while being myself.

Has this journey of building a hardware setup changed the way you think about music or life in general?

I was for a long time bulimic of synthesizers and software. I thought that having a lot of hardware would allow me to be more creative. This was obviously a mistake.

I lightened my setup and I know my tools now: I know where to go when I need a specific sound. Of course, I keep up to date with what's out there, but I'm still attached to my current setup, which looks like me.

More is the enemy of good.

What’s your ONE tip on music-production or creativity?

As I got older, I became more mature, and I realized one thing: you have to listen to yourself. Listening to your body, listening to your mind, that's what will make you feel better to create.

When I decided to devote myself fully to my solo project, I had to stop collaborations with other musicians, to leave a band... At the time, I felt very bad towards these people, I felt angry. Today, I have the impression to finally accomplish myself, to finally do what I like.

Listening to your body is also very important: too much pressure can lead to critical situations for your health (I have experienced it), you just have to feel what your body says: today, no, I don't feel like making music even if I am late, I feel more like going for a walk or doing some gardening. And when I come back to music, everything is so much easier.

Listen to yourself!

A book/movie/article that fueled your creativity?

Recently, I saw Nope, the movie by Jordan Peele.

I don't know if it will inspire me, but I still think about it regularly: to be honest, I don't really know what I saw, as this movie is so strange and out of all the formatted movies you can see these days. Same with Everything Everywhere All At Once, I like these movies that are different and that create surprise in you.

How can people find you?

For jams, knob-twists and pad hitting videos go to G.A.S. Instagram

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