JP Lantieri: "The risk is that over-production can kill the emotion"
In the electronic music scene JP Lantieri stands out for blending emotional depth with technical quality. With the recent release of the EP "Imagination Dream" on Sounds of Krafted, the artist takes us on a journey through progressive house and melodic techno. In this interview, he discusses the inspiration behind the project, the challenges of music production, and future plans for his label Flemcy Music.
"Imagination Dream" is your latest EP released on Sounds of Krafted. Can you share the inspiration behind this project and what you hope listeners will take away from it?
I created these three tracks with the aim of achieving a cohesive atmosphere while maintaining a distinct identity for each one. They reside somewhere between progressive house and melodic techno, with a touch of depth and darkness throughout. I believed this sound would fit well with the underground sub-labels of the esteemed Krafted label. When I approached them about their interest in one of the tracks, they immediately responded that they wanted all three. I was over the moon! Receiving positive feedback from established artists like Darin Epsilon, Gai Barone, Lonya, Gui Milani, Ruben Mandolini, DJ Taucher, Giuseppe Ottaviani, and many others has confirmed that my EP resonates within the industry.
I'd say that music production has evolved so much in the past decades that it's now easier than ever to create music: with a laptop and some software, you can produce decent tracks. As a result, there are now millions of producers releasing over 100,000 tracks or songs every single day! This is both a blessing and a curse. A blessing because music production has been totally democratized and is now very accessible, but a curse because it has led to an overwhelming and insane amount of music being released. I'm not sure if the quality of the music itself has improved with this revolution. In fact, I believe it has changed but not necessarily improved. However, the quality of production certainly has. Some tracks I hear are incredibly clean, clear, crisp, wide, and full, it's amazing. Yet, the emotion doesn't always come through even at this high level of production. This is my main challenge: I need my production level to be top-notch (and I'm always working on this), but I also need to convey emotion. The risk is that over-production can kill the emotion. My challenge is to bring great emotion within a well-produced track.
Your label, Flemcy Music, has a strong reputation in the music scene. How do you choose the artists and projects to support, and what qualities do you look for in an emerging producer?
How do I choose the artists? It's simple: if their music touches me and suits the general sound of my label. It must be music I'd be happy to play in my sets. Beyond that, the number of followers an artist has is not very relevant. However, I do appreciate artists who take their careers seriously: those who preferably already have some releases, even if self-released, a bit of presence on social media, a distinctive personality, and something meaningful to say about their music. I mention this because, in the early days of Flemcy Music, I worked with some newcomers who made good music but were quite amateur in terms of promoting their work and creating regularly. Some didn't even post about their tracks or remixes on social media when they were released. This is unfortunate, as preparing and promoting a release takes a lot of time and energy. When an artist doesn't help promote their own work, it becomes a waste of time for the label and detracts from the attention we can give to other deserving artists. Now, I select my artists more carefully, and it generally results in a win-win situation. That said, I've also welcomed veterans and well-established artists like Stan Kolev, Robert Babicz, Rick Pier O'Neil, Morttagua, Kamilo Sanclemente, Paul Hazendonk, Aaron Suiss, Galestian, and many more!
Can you describe a typical day in your life as a label boss, DJ, and producer? How do you balance these different responsibilities?
I often start my day with music creation while my mind is still fresh and uncluttered by the myriad of tasks I have to do. This helps me get into the zone more easily. This could involve starting a new track, working on a track in progress, mixing, searching for new sounds, samples, or presets, and creating loops or ambiences. When I begin my day with "urgent" matters (admin, label work, emails, etc.), they often don't get resolved within that day, and I’m not in the mood for a full music session in the evening. That’s why, whenever possible, I start my day with music creation or production. Each week, I also dedicate several sessions to DJing: listening to promos, selecting and analyzing them, and preparing my radio shows, particularly my Enigma Show (currently preparing the 169th episode!) and my residency on Maxximum radio in France. Although I don't DJ in clubs as often these days, I've recently had some amazing gigs in London and Berlin. My folders are always ready with the freshest tracks I'd be happy to play at any time. Regarding Flemcy Music, I usually allocate several sessions each week to handle artist relations, mastering, contracts, artwork, DJ promo pools, premieres, promos and PR, social media, playlisting, and more. Despite the help I receive on many of these tasks, it remains very time-consuming and repetitive. To balance all these activities, I prepare my weekly schedule weeks in advance, blocking time slots to cover all these areas.
Looking ahead, what are your plans both as an artist and for your label, Flemcy Music? Are there any exciting new projects or collaborations on the horizon that you can share with us?
My coach introduced me to a very talented producer who goes by the artist name Kashian. We collaborated on a track titled “Replicant”, and it went very well—it has just been signed by the India-based Zephyr Records label. Apart from creating my regular radio sets, I have recently been focusing heavily on music production and creation. Now, it's time for me to send all those new tracks I've created to various labels... including Flemcy Music! Very happy to have shared with you a slice of my musical journey!
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