Rather than bringing home trinkets, CloZee collects the unique sounds and chants of various cultures in her world travels. She then returns home to Toulouse, France, tinkers with her discoveries, and sets them into a backdrop of toned down beats. After many nights of experimenting and finding the perfect accompaniment for her treasures, she weaves them into her world bass albums, and gifts her adventures to her fans.
A classically trained guitarist, CloZee, otherwise known as Chloé Herry, counts a wide range of musical artists as influences, and the impact of each is wildly apparent. From Hans Zimmer, the award-winning movie composer who has set visual masterpieces to music, to Ludovico Einaudi, the Italian minimalist pianist who uses world sounds in his works, to the often simple electronic sounds of Bonobo, and the robust beats of The Glitch Mob, CloZee has learned from these masters and created something entirely new.
Like a journey around the globe, her sets merge disparate sounds that may not seem like obvious companions. From the national instrument of Japan, the Koto, to the Bedouin sounds of the Desert, to the age-old practice of using bodies as percussion, there doesn’t seem to be anything in this world CloZee can’t brilliantly set a beat to. Drawing inspiration from paintings, her own dreams, and even the weather, it’s unsfmfstaffising that I can envision myself in a Japanese garden with falling cherry blossoms in the middle of winter while listening to Harmony.
As someone who works over 80 hours most weeks to make a dream of working in music come to fruition, I find CloZee’s work ethic not just commendable, but absolutely necessary in this industry. When asked in a Reddit AMA what it’s like as a woman in EDM, she gives the perfect response: “I’m very determined … If they want me to work 10x harder to prove I can play a better timeslot, I’ll just do it.”
CloZee has toured the U.S. several times, and made quite a splash at Electric Forest 2018 when she stepped in for Action Bronson, who cancelled last minute. She ended up doing a total of three sets over two weekends, and confessed that Electric Forest is her favorite festival so far! Her world tours have exposed her to even more varied sounds and I expect her music to grow with every new culture she discovers along the way. Perhaps she will continue regularly touring the U.S. as she’s said the experience has opened her up to many new sounds due to the diversity we have in our festivals.
With only three weeks until I get to interview and see this crush-worthy woman for the first time at McMenamin’s Crystal Ballroom in downtown Portland, my excitement is slowly growing. Much like CloZee’s sets, it’s like a simmering heat that I’m sure will come to a bubble the week of. Until then, I’ll content myself listening to her newest album, Evasion, those amazing Electric Forest sets, and my favorite of her remixes, Baiana by Barbatuques. And if you’d like to expand your vision of CloZee, you can also check out her collaboration with Scarfinger, CloZinger. Click on her image below to see if you’re lucky enough to find her playing in a city near you!
*Featured Image Via BassFace Media*
