Interview : Nior | The Discus Thrower

There are some musicians whose musical style just catches your ear. For me, one of these styles was that of young French producer Nior | The Discus Thrower. With a solid remix of the Beatles classic  Elanor Rigby and  his Sax infused electro track titled Beside you, I was excited to talk to him about his music and his production!

How did you get into music production?

I started around ten years ago, at the time I listened to a lot of 90’s old-school hip hop and primarily worked on making beats. Then I started going out to electro concerts and it made me want to create my own electro sound. This is how my music changed. When I started to go to electro shows it really inspired me delve into the genre and I began experimenting with it and tried to create my own distinct sound.

 How would you describe your sound?

I try to give my tracks melodic and groove oriented and maybe just a touch melancholic. At the same time, I try to make them new and different by interpreting these traits through a wide range of sounds and melodies. I think this is a fundamental thing that distinguishes my music

What musical genres and musicians inspired you?

My favourite artist is definitely Stevie Wonder; I can’t get enough of his music.

I also love and get inspiration from the Californian sound from the 70’s (Artists such as Christopher Cross, The Doobie Brothers, Michael Franks, The Eagles, Chris Rea etc.) as well as English pop groups such as The Alan Parsons Project, Electric Orchestra, The Beatles.

What programs and hardware do you use?

I’ve been using Ableton for a few months. Before that, I worked on Fruity loops, but Ableton’s quality is better, and it software offers more possibilities both in production and  live.

What is in your playlist right now?

There are some tracks which I listen to over and over… such as  Stevie wonder’s- the best song ever. Other than that, I've been listening to a lot of blues artists such as Eric Clapton and JJ Cale.

As for contemporary music:
Dead living things by Jackson and his computer band.
Done Wrong by Pretty lights

Both are great tracks!

You recently did an amazing remix of The Beatles' Elanor Rigby, any remixes of other classic musicians planned?

Yes I have been working on a remix of Doobie Brothers’ “Echoes of Love”, a bit more funky than the last one. I find remixes to be a good way to attract people’s attention so I’ll probably make another mix if I get inspired!