Q&A: U.R. ART FESTIVAL’S MUSICAL GUEST, GUILLAUME + THE COUTU DUMONTS

U.R. ART Music Festival, a day-party series featuring the best music, art, fashion, and food each month, returns to Bergamot Station in Santa Monica on July 20th for its second blowout culture installation — this time, the decks get blessed with Solar, Asadinho, Sean Patrick, Eduardo Castillo, John Wander and music man Guillaume + The Coutu Dumonts — who we zeroed in on for a proper sit down. This multi-faceted musician definitely knows his percussions and the ever-evolving Tsunami of music. Listen to his pulse: 

LA CANVAS: So, what’s up with you headlining U.R. ART Festival on July 20th?

GUILLAUME: Hahahaha… Not sure what to answer to that. In any case, I’m not a big fan of the term headliner. I think promoters and even party people give too much importance to what they think is a headliner. But yeah, I have the chance to be one of the “out of town” guest. Lucky me!

LAC: What are your thoughts on the concept of U.R. ART being more than just music?

G: I haven’t seen it in action so far.. but from what I gather it seems to be touching to fashion, food, design on top of being a music festival. Being a musician, I will always be a bit more interested in music then fashion (for exemple)… so as long as the music is good… whatever quality artistic stuff that is around makes the experience even more of a success.

LAC: What do you think of the rise (+ domination) of house + techno in LA?

G: Wow, that’s great to hear. I love it. Well.. it’s all about cycles no? It comes and it goes. I guess you guys had a bit of a low tide for a while so now let’s enjoy the Tsunami.

LAC: Are you interested in any specific style of music right now?

G: Always. I listen to everything I can all the time. I try to keep my ears open as much as I can.

LAC: How long have you been banging on percussions, and when did you start?

G: Well… I did it “for real” a long time ago. When I mean for real I mean, practicing 5 hours every day. Nowadays, I would say I don’t really play. I use a drumpad during the live set which I play… but it’s nothing like playing the real drums. I started when I was 15-16 years old. I was playing some old banged out drums over Santanas songs in my living room.

LAC: Was there a moment in time that you knew ‘music was the answer’?

G: That moment when I was playing over the Santana’s records in our living room. Made me feel good and it made the time stops.

LAC: If life could resemble any record…

G: Then death is a over-compressed shitty resolution mp3?

LAC: Your career is multi-faceted. Tell us a bit about your journey behind the decks…

G: Well, I started as a percussionist and then studied percussions, electroacoustic composition and then discovered techno and house music. So I guess I apply my baggage to what I do nowadays. I try to keep as many collaboration projects as I can. I also have a band project, Guillaume & The Side Effects (guitar, keyboards, saxophones and Dave Aju doing the vocals). That project will soon bare it’s fruits with the first album coming out in 2015. Other then that, this year will probably see the first album of Museum, a ambient more experimental project I have with my brother Gabriel Coutu Dumont and Frederic Aubourg. I’m really looking forward to this one as well.

LAC: Any secret music formulas you can share with us we should expect on Sunday?

G: Hahaha, formula… nooooooooooooooo. But one thing I like to do is really trying to shape my live set like if it was a dj set. I mean, I like to go up and down and left and right. I bore myself if I try to play the same kind of groove and songs thru the whole set.

LAC: Who would you invite to your fantasy dinner party?

G: What about a mystery and murder dinner (with Hercules Poirot, Sherlock Holmes, Mata Hari, Miss Marple, etc…). You know those one when you everyone dresses in a costume and plays a part. Wait, they made a film out of that idea… what’s it called again?

*There’s Rope, The House Of Yes, Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner, Gosford Park, The Last Supper…

LAC: Top 3 favorite tracks of all time…

G: That’s way too hard! I can probably do a top 3 tracks of the month.

Loose Joint, Tell you
Mandre, Rain
Taylor Mcferrin, Degrees of Light

LAC: Advice or words to live by for those emerging creatives?

G: Instinct baby instiiiiiinct!!!!!