Paris-hailing Tchami is often credited as one of the key architects of a sound described as “future house”. That, however, is wildly reductionist and completely diminishes his three-ponged talents as a selector, producer and recording artist. As a DJ, his sets have become world-renowned for his unpretentious meshing of genres and his insistence on prioritising fun above all else.
As a producer in his own right, Tchami’s music has won him the respect and adulation of his peers and found him fans far beyond the confines of the dance community. Which leads us to the third element. In recent years, Tchami has become a highly sought-after collaborator, being recruited by the likes of Lady Gaga to work on Artpop and co-produce CHROMATICA, as well as Ariana Grande for “Rain On Me”, “100 Doves” and “Babylon”. More recently, though, his work has returned to his own music, namely a collab with ATL rapper Gunna entitled “Praise”.
With touring still out of the question for now, Tchami is putting the time into cementing his reputation as the “Parisian powerhouse”, putting out a relentless stream of new music. Last year saw the release of his well-received Year Zero project, which he created between London, LA and Paris, and this year has already seen him drop a collab with Brit beatsmith Curbi and LA singer-songwriter Kyran Palmer, “Make Amends”, as well as a remix of Whethan’s “Freefall” with alt-pop star Oliver Tree. He’s also put a renewed focus on his Confession label, nurturing new talent and playing home to releases from friends and creative sparring partners.
We managed to pin Tchami down for an exclusive new mix and a chat for the latest edition of Complex Sessions. Tap in below.
Tell us a bit about your selections in this mix.
It’s a bit of everything I like at the moment: house, bass-house, and a bit of upper tempos. It starts off with a song called “Sweet Savage” from my album Year Zero, and you’ll also hear some tracks that we released on my Confession label recently.
What was the one track you absolutely had to include?
That track from Pantheros666 called “Don’t Stop”. This track will be released on Confession soon. I used to play his “Baby F-16” a lot back in 2015, so I’m glad to see new music from him.
Any tracks that narrowly missed the cut?
I wanted to add a song that I really like at the moment—DJ Q’s “All That I Could”—but I couldn’t find the right place for it so maybe in another mix. I always liked his work, whether it be remixes or his original songs.
What’s the first single or album you ever bought?
My first album was a vinyl copy of Method Man’s Tical 2000. I think my second was Étienne de Crecy’s Tempovision, which I still hold to a gold standard today.
What’s the last physical record you bought?
The last one was Sampha’s The Process. I streamed it a lot but realised that I wanted to have a physical copy. I also bought a vinyl copy of Cesar Mariano & Cia’s São Paulo•Brasil. That is an amazing album to listen to.
What do you want to see happen musically over the next 12 months?
I honestly miss touring a bit. As much as I like to be at home and make music, I hope we can be back on the road again at some point. A lot of artists rely heavily on touring, so I hope we can enjoy safe shows again for everyone soon.
What trend or scene absolutely needs to die right now?
That’s a bold question. Let’s just say that there is music I like and there is music I don’t care about. I can’t think of a musical genre that needs to disappear, honestly. I don’t close any doors when the topic is music.
Tracklist:
1. Tchami f/ Ant Clemons – Sweet Savage
2. Panteros666 – ID
3. Bijou & Dr. Fresh – Westside (Nostalgix Remix)
4. TCHDWN – Fuck That
5. Russ & Tion Wayne – Keisha Becky (Shift K3Y Remix)
6. SQWAD – Drop That
7. Cave Studio – Reallize
8. Tchami f/ Tony Romera – Monseigneur
9. Wa-Fu – Bad Habits
10. SOSA – Your Love (Promesses Edit)
11. KETTAMA – Eastside Avenue
