Musical witchcraft by Fantastic Twins.

Authentic mix of psychedelic techno and avant-electronica, blended with her vocals - it’s all travel in sound guided by Fantastic Twins, formerly known as The Twins - the double-headed alias of Julienne Dessagne’s artistic personality. Supported by Hippie Dance and Optimo Music labels, she unfolds unique stories of sound, that talk to the audiences deeply and propulsively, shuffling through an imaginary stylistic library of personal stories, translated in beautifully constructed musical poetry. In this interview we talked about personal approach in a live-performing, her own “Microdosing” label and special conditions that transform a regular party to a spiritual experience.

- Can you tell us how you came to be involved in electronic music?

What was your environment like when you were growing up and when did you start thinking about music as a full-time career?

As a child and teenager, I was practicing contemporary ballet intensively and the choreographer who taught me was very much into composers like Philip Glass, Steve Reich or René Aubry. So that was basically my first musical awakening, before various other layers of influences then added onto it. I was born in St Étienne, in France, a city known for its industrial past. My grandads both worked in the factories. Perhaps that bled into my cultural DNA and quite naturally drew me to explore similar places in the north of the UK so I moved up to Glasgow, discovered nightlife, went out clubbing a lot. Afterwards I moved to London, worked for a famous nightclub Fabric assisting their booker. Eventually I got settled in Berlin, had more time on my hands so I started to make my own music, collected synths and machines, and quite quickly it became my main mean of expression and my job. There was never a master plan or “career” goals. I believe thinking your art in terms of “career”, “fame” or “success” is a slippery slope… It prompts you to make it fit into some commercial mould, follow trends, do “what works”, let people decide for you, besides other annoying compromises. The newer generation in this industry seem to love that, but it doesn’t appeal to me.

-What drives you more - creative studio process or live performing?

Both feed off each other. I tend to prefer working in the studio but without the experience I get from the shows, I believe my music would be incomplete. And I feel I sometimes reach some wilder states during my performances, things you can’t really experience whilst sitting comfortably in your studio. Live shows fill me in with a certain energy which I then pour back into the music I make.

- Once on your FB page you’ve mentioned that “Not sure people always realise how much hard work is put into a live set”. Where do you get resources and inspiration? Do you feel full or devastated after elevating your audience to genuinely altered states?

I believe sometimes people don’t make the difference between a DJ set and a live set. Don’t get me wrong, both require work and practice. But when you play live, especially if you sing too, you really have to let the beast out...you basically have one hour to transport people into your world - you can’t hide or cheat or rest. There is no middle way and the room for adjustment is quite narrow. To answer your question, yes, when I finish playing I’m physically exhausted and usually hyped up at the same time - but anyone who performs generously in front of an audience will tell you that. As for inspiration, well, anything can potentially inspire me, it’s mainly about being open to look at things with a different eye.

- How did you meet Rebolledo and what role he played in your career?

I met Rebolledo about 10 years ago in Cologne, as he was living at Superpitcher’s flat. He quickly became one of my closest friends. Rebolledo and Superpitcher played a big role in my musical journey, being the first people to release my music, supporting me throughout the years. They’re pretty much like family members.

-You have launched your own label called “Microdosing” in 2019, what is the idea behind it? Who else is involved in it?

"Microdosing" was mainly born out of the need to break up from the solitary nature of my studio work. I felt like undertaking something on a collective level. Hence the concept of doing various artists compilations exclusively - the more fools the better. I’m running and financing the label on my own but the artworks are made by French visual artist Geff Pellet and are key to the label’s vibe. Press texts are courtesy of Ivan Smagghe with his sharp sense of writing. I ask artists to create a track specially for the compilation keeping in mind the label manifesto. I’m not interested in releasing their “leftover” material, unless it’s really convincing me. It is a limited series that I will soon stop, so I’m all the more careful of the music I select for it.

- You’ve played in many venues, across different cities, made thousands of dancers move. Can you share one experience, the crowd, the venue, the music – which particularly moved you?

Definitely Convenanza Festival where I played in September 2019. Convenanza is the festival created and curated by Andrew Weatherall whose recent passing hurts so deeply. The festival was taking place in Carcassonne, south of France, in a magnificent castle part of the UNESCO heritage. Performing artists were carefully chosen, not the lineups you’d see everywhere, and warmly welcomed by a wonderful crowd of people who gather there almost as a yearly ritual, travelling from all across the UK and Europe just for the event. It was wonderful and Andrew’s generosity and charisma was written all over it. A very special night, perhaps I did not play my best ever set but that’s not even the point, it was beyond me, there was some true magic in there. As Andrew said, the “ritual invoked the Twins”. It’s exactly what it did.

- What can transform a regular party to a spiritual ritual?

Precisely what I just described about Convenanza. People who do things with love and with a vision strong enough for others to see it, believe in it and be moved by it. It may be a simple formula but few people succeed in it.

- Do you consider yourself as a spiritual person? Do your studio sessions and live performances take influence from any spiritual practices and meditative techniques?

Everything about my work, my alias, the sonic stories I tell have to do with a spiritual, imaginary world of witchcraft, self-made-up beliefs, chimera, mythical motifs and hallucinatory visions.

- Russian edition of "Rated R" event where you are performing is called “Te conozco Moscu”. What do you know about Moscow?

Too little. I played here some years ago but didn’t see much of the city. Happy to be back and in good company. Mutabor club looks ace, it will be a good playground.

Give love, share the music!

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