LE BAIN: As a member of France's most creative band Club cheval, you're well-known for your knowledge of niche genres, from Japanese hip hop to Jersey Club. Do you keep that explorer's attitude when creating music?
SAM TIBA: I try to! I think that when you make music, you can never get away from your personal experiences, influences, and tastes. Everything that I’ve listened to in my life has made me what I am as a producer. So yes, I try to keep that flexibility alive when I make music. I often use samples from everywhere, any genre. Music is appropriation. I don’t get all these insane debates about appropriation.
Sam Tiba by Nick & Chloé
Do the time we live in and the available tools completely fulfill your creativity?
Nowadays the possibilities are infinite. What can frustrate and block you from expressing your ideas is your own skills. When you start improving your craft, the improvement also has an effect on your brain, your ideas. Sometimes it’s hard to have an idea of something that you didn’t even know could be done. We are very lucky to live at this time. The tools are amazing, accessible, and every 14-year-old can start making music in his bedroom. We're grateful for this.
What’s the best technological thing that recently happened to music?
I think it’s just the fact of being able to make music with only one computer, and to share it the minute after it’s done with the same computer. I used to play the trombone, but I never would have started producing if the tools had not been that easy. I used only a computer during two years, I think, before starting to use actual machines.
Sam Tiba Sunshine Pulse feat. SIROJ
Do you believe machines have a soul?
Machines don’t have a soul. But we all have one, and the mission of every artist is to infuse his very soul into each of his tools. So, no they don’t, but they do indirectly.
Club cheval is like a fragmentation bomb… from 1 supergroup to 4 super-artists. How do you keep up with yourselves?
We have a pretty rare trajectory. Usually what happens is that a member of a band gets fed up and frustrated and starts his own project. We did it the other way. We already had solo careers before Club cheval was born as an actual group. So, no frustration, no ego battles.
Club Cheval Discipline (Bromance Records)
How does your label Bromance keep us up with you all?
For Bromance, it’s super easy. It’s just five different artist with different needs (Club cheval + 4 solo careers), and so far, everything is going well.
Outside of art and technology, what puts you in a contemplative mood?
Wow, to be honest, nothing much. I guess everything can make you contemplative, but I guess some contemplations are more useful than others... I would say that love is another thing that puts me in a contemplative mood.
Listen to Sam Tiba's Not Dead Yet on Spotify and iTunes.
Header photo by Nick & Chloé
