LINKS: SCG GOES TO PARIS, WITH NICOLAS NEKMOUCHE.
It goes without saying, a lot of our favourite music is from France — Folamour, Teki Latex, Breakbot, you name it. “French artists have their own sound. By listening to the chords in a track you can tell if there’s a French producer behind it.” says Nicolas Nekmouche.
Born and raised in Paris, Nekmouche is A&R at Universal France, selecting new talents and building them up. As a producer himself, he knows the nuances of communicating with hot-headed artists as well as having a strong idea of which traits make up a big hit. In this LINKS interview, we’re taken through the creator’s day-to-day life and how he handles high-pressure projects.
Thanks for chatting to us Nicolas. Can we ask how you got started in A&R, what entry did you have into the industry and why you chose this path?
I started to make my own music back when I was at university. I always felt making music as an artist was a bit like being an A&R person anyway, ‘cause you need to have your eye on what is the freshest sound and also who the emerging artists are that you want to work with. So for me it started like that, organically, then as time went on, I launched my own label and released some EPs of side projects I had.
When you start your own thing, you have to do everything yourself, so I handled things like the marketing as well. And after that my label got integrated into a bigger structure. Then, about 4 years ago I joined Universal as an A&R-Product Manager. And that’s where I am.
...I was studying economics and was set to go down that route, so I didn’t choose this path, it chose me!
Working relationships are key, right. Can you tell us what the relationships with your artists like? And how does that help the work you do together?
Well as most of them know I also have a producer side, they trust me when I speak about music. That’s something very difficult when you’re an A&R — to get the trust of your artists.
Sometimes you have a vision you want to share with them but if they don’t trust you they will never follow your advice. The music industry is full of egos everywhere, the managers, artists, label execs and media. So you have to be very diplomatic, very smart all the time to make sure no one feels offended but also from time to time you must be able to be the one people listen to. It’s all about balance.
Who has your ear right now? Which new, unknown talent do you think will make an impact in the next few years?
Lately – I won’t lie — mostly French artists have got my ears, but with the Covid situation in Europe and Worldwide, 2020 was a bit of a blank year where everyone postponed their releases. So not much exciting projects for me right now.
How do you source new artists to work with — for example, on social media, or live shows — and what key points make you want to work with someone?
Storytelling is key. For me, having the best music is the most basic, ‘step 0’, that’ll get you an appointment with a major label, then once you have their attention, it’s all about the story you have.
Sourcing, I’d say having your mind, ears and eyes always open, as there are so many media platforms now, and new sounds could come from anywhere. But to answer your question I’m not a concert guy, I’m a bit agoraphobic so no live shows for me, hah!
How do you think the music business has changed in 2020? Is there anything you think is going to be different for the industry after the pandemic?
I think in some way it showed us that people can survive without constant ‘new music’. During the lockdown we saw that jazz, classical, and music for kids were the music people would listen to, for various reasons.
Long podcasts and TV shows rose in popularity a lot too, so I think the music industry will open it’s chakra to different forms of entertainment, ongoing.
What do you think are the biggest difficulties for French artists to break through globally?
Language isn’t such a huge difficulty anymore, and you can see it when you look at some rap or RnB artists from France doing quite well in Germany or the UK. I think the borders are starting to fade.
French rap is becoming a standard in Europe. In terms of electronic music, French artists absolutely have their own style. I think the main advantage is the harmonies they bring.By listening to the chords in a track you can tell if there’s a French producer behind it.
Tell us, what is the most high pressure aspect of your work? How do you handle stress and do you have any daily habits or routines (maybe meditation, or brain training) that help you perform at a high standard?
The most high pressure aspect? I’d say deadlines, you know, like last minute changes. Like, when you land in a different country and find out the management of your artist want to cancel a video shoot you’ve been working on for weeks, and it is supposed to start 24 hours later. So you have to figure everything out and make things work because the song is a global priority for the company.
It’s not a routine, but I guess in the kind of situation when you have a lot to handle in order not to be too stressed, I do split up the tasks, focusing on the long term goal by focusing on the steps one after the other. Not being afraid of the amount of things to be done, ‘cause one can easily be paralyzed by that.
What do you think is the biggest difference between the music industry 5 years ago and today? What advice do you have for new talents who want to break through nowadays?
Be authentic and unique, that’s the only thing that matters in this world.
Okay, something different — when thinking about the word ‘China’, what is it that you think about?
Curiosity. Also, China is a key actor of the third millennium world, and it has millennia of history behind it, but it also symbolizes the future.
Who can you link us to for our next interview?
You should definitely reach out to the Picard Brothers.
