On Saturday 16th July, DJ, producer and remixer, the Reflex will be coming to Herd in Bedford, and we’re not his only fans. Nile Rodgers is a fan. Kid Creole is a fan. Disclosure, Jazzy Jeff, and Joris Voorn are all fans. From house music royalty Joey Negro, Dimitri from Paris and Mousse T, to the original DJ – remix pioneers John Morales, Greg Wilson, Danny Krivit, and Nicky Siano, all the way to Aeroplane, DJ Marky, Kruder & Dorfmeister, Horse Meat Disco, J.Rocc, Nic Fanciulli, Jazzie B, Cut Killer, Rainer Truby, Acid Arab, Nightmares on Wax… They are all fans of The Reflex.
Now living in London, French native Nicolas Laugier (aka The Reflex) took some time out of his wedding preparations to chat to us about his work and what Bedford’s got to look forward to:
Bedford Clanger: How long have you been DJing? How did DJing evolve into remixing?
The Reflex: I’ve been a full-time DJ / producer for over five years now, but I have been a DJ for over twenty years.
BC: Did you find the London DJ scene more receptive than the scene in your native France?
The Reflex: It’s a lot more open minded here and a lot more international. Things have changed a lot in France though thankfully, although it’s still is way behind in terms of music culture.
BC: What is the difference between a remix and a revision?
The Reflex: In a revision I’ll only use the sounds from the parts (multitrack or stems) and I don’t add any external sound. It can be quite challenging as I am limited by the elements available to me. But it pushes you to be creative too. In a remix I will add whatever is necessary to make the track work.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZxA6fHnnpU
BC: What makes a record ripe for a revision? How have you honed your skills?
The Reflex: It all depends on the parts that I find and the state that they’re in : if the drums are clean, if all of it is well recorded with great separation between instruments, there is scope to take the song to a whole new level!
BC: How important has it been for your revisions to be picked up by Gilles Peterson and Craig Charles? I remember seeing a video clip that Gilles Peterson shared of him playing Don’t Make Me Wait too Long on his show & his love of the track was so infectious!
The Reflex: Massive. That was the plan when I started doing this, to have all the top DJ’s playing my stuff. From Jazzy Jeff to Disclosure, Joey Negro, Dimitri, Francois K, Mousse T, Mistajam, Eats Everything, Karizma but also fans like Nile Rodgers, Noel Gallagher, Kid Creole… the scope of fans is very broad and keeps on growing, it’s amazing!
BC: What’s more satisfying: finishing a remix/revision in the studio or seeing an audience’s reaction to it in a club?
The Reflex: Both really cause some revisions might not be club material (like Angel Dust by Gil Scott-Heron) but great to make and to listen to. Although nothing beats the experience of instant feedback on a new remix when played out.
BC: We’re looking forward to seeing you here at Herd in Bedford. What can the audience expect?
The Reflex: A mix of what I like and what I do, with plenty of exclusives and work in progress!
BC: Thanks so much for taking the time to answer our questions. Looking forward to seeing you at Herd.
The Reflex: You’re welcome! See you in Bedford!
Tickets are available from:
Herd, 25 St Cuthbert’s Street, Bedford
tel: 01234 300193
