Distorted Dancefloors: Chloé on space, sweat, and suspended moments

IN CONVERSATION WITH DJ, PRODUCER, AND LUMIÈRE NOIRE FOUNDER CHLOÉ, WE EXPLORE THE SPACES, PHYSICAL, EMOTIONAL, AND SONIC, THAT HAVE SHAPED HER EVOLUTION AS AN ARTIST. FROM THE INTIMACY OF PARISIAN CLUBS TO THE SHIFTING ENERGIES OF DANCEFLOORS ACROSS EUROPE, SHE REFLECTS ON CONNECTION, ADAPTABILITY, AND THE IMPORTANCE OF CREATING TENSION AND RELEASE, REGARDLESS OF ROOM SIZE. HER FORTHCOMING DISTORTED DANCE EP DISTILLS THESE IDEAS INTO SOMETHING UNAPOLOGETICALLY PHYSICAL: ANALOGUE-DRIVEN, BASS-LED TRACKS BUILT TO HIT THE BODY BEFORE THE MIND.

AHEAD OF THE EP’S FEBRUARY RELEASE, CHLOÉ SPEAKS ON TESTING MUSIC LIVE, EMBRACING SUSPENDED MOMENTS, AND BUILDING BRIDGES BETWEEN EMERGING AND ESTABLISHED VOICES. FEATURING REMIXES FROM HANNAH HOLLAND, LEONOR, AND MILES J PARALYSIS, THE RECORD SIGNALS BOTH A CLOSING CHAPTER AND THE START OF A NEW ONE.

CHLOÉ

ANOMIE: Hi Chloé! Paris has always thrived on an ecosystem of small, influential rooms rather than mega-clubs. How important are these intimate spaces for artistic risk-taking today? 

CHLOÉ: It's true that Paris has a lot of things going on, it's funny to see how it's evolved. There are a lot of clubs and spaces now a bit outside of the city and in the suburbs. I do think it's very nice to play in smaller rooms, I like the approach and the fact that you can create a sense of intimacy. I also like recreating these same connections in bigger rooms, you can create them but touch more people, it's a multiplicity of reactions that is really amazing. I think whatever the size is, it's important to create this vibe, and as an artist, it's important to feel this connection with the public.

It's more about creating that connection and intimacy no matter how big the room is. I can see that there are some big artists that play only in big rooms, and then you bring them into the small spaces and they don't really know how to build a set. I think as a DJ, your goal is to adapt yourself in the room you are in, but also to impose your style and your singularity. 

ANOMIE: Each city or space you're playing has its own distinct personality. Do you find that you adjust your sets if you're playing in Paris versus if you were to play, say, somewhere like Berlin or Amsterdam?  

CHLOÉ: I think it's interesting because even in the same city, you can have very different audiences in different clubs. It really depends on the kind of party it is… I found, for example, in Amsterdam, I played in some small venues and then afterwards played in a bigger spot and the crowd was very different. Even Paris has the same thing, I mean, Paris has a lot of clubs going on, but so many different sounds, so many different crowds, so many different things. Berlin is the same, historically it has always had so many clubs. Around 10 or 15 years ago, I was playing Berlin a lot because it was more rich in music and there were so many things going on, so I was and still today am invited very often. Every city has its own energy but the vibe can change really from one club to another. It depends a lot on the promoters too.

ANOMIE: We gave your upcoming EP Distorted Dance a listen prior to its release later this month. The tracks feel engineered for physical reaction, tension, release, and sweat. They make you want to dance. What kind of dancefloor moment were you imagining when you made the track? 

CHLOÉ: Yeah, I'm glad that you really enjoyed it. It was really made for a physical feeling, the way I did it was using analogue hardware with the dance floor clearly in mind. It's made for this physical feeling and for this physical reaction for the audience. I like the fact that the bass takes the lead and is slowly growing in presence and tension. I had this feeling while producing it in the studio, this idea of the club, the sweat and something raw in the sound, so it’s really immersive and hits the body directly. 

ANOMIE: The EP includes two original tracks, and the other tracks are remixes by other artists of those tracks. Some of the pieces are a little bit more high intensity, and some of them are more atmospheric, more vibey. Were you very conscious of that when you were looking at the mood of the EP; were you aware that they all brought something different?  

CHLOÉ: Definitely, the idea of this EP was really to make something around the connection with the audience. What I like as a DJ is creating these kinds of suspended moments, you know, these feelings you don’t necessarily feel straight away when you’re listening. Then you see the audience live the experience, and there’s this kind of story happening between the audience and me as a DJ. I like building that. And then you arrive at this moment where you find those suspended moments, like you were saying, these more atmospheric moments, because for me that’s a kind of climax. It’s the idea of capturing this special feeling of a track in the studio and bringing it into the club. 

ANOMIE: When you play a track in front of an audience for the first time, does that ever influence the final production? Do you ever go back and tweak it based on how it works live, or do you prefer not to touch it once it’s out there?  

CHLOÉ: Yeah, it's funny, because I often play my tracks while it's being produced, I like to test it somehow. I like to play them before they are released, because then people don't know it's my own music. There is a lot of music that I receive from amazing artists that are really not well known that have super good singularity and are really amazing. It’s part of my role as a DJ to dig and to find this kind of artists and special sounds.

So I like to play my own unreleased tracks in a set, and then go back to my studio and think, okay, maybe that's a moment I should have edited a little bit. Or maybe I could make this break a little bit longer, because I had a feeling that it was working somehow, or rearrange some elements to find this intuitive moment. It's always this balance between finding these moments and constructing something real. Then, when it's released, sometimes I don't like to listen to it until, I don't know, a few months after, then it's okay, I usually prefer to hear other DJ’s playing it. Otherwise I hear all the things that are not correct, or that I want to fix or whatever. I like to just move on.  

ANOMIE: You mentioned listening to smaller artists and their take on things. How important is it for you for Lumière Noire, your record label, to bridge more emerging voices with established artists? 

CHLOÉ: I mean, my label was created because I was receiving demos from artists who were sending their tracks to see if I would play them or have feedback for them, there was so much music. When I do end up playing those tracks live it's nice to see the reaction of the crowd and see them dancing to music that they don't know and they think is good. I create connections with some newcomers that just need feedback, I give my own advice about production and these things. It's very important to make these interconnections of generations.

This is one of the reasons I created my label, you know, it's kind of my world. I create this space where I can promote and play. I stay more or less in this kind of electronic sound I have from Lumière Noire, but I also like this idea of trying to mesh some worlds, this is what I do as a DJ. I like to explore and dig and play the music from newcomers, this connection and music from the past, music from today and from the future.  

ANOMIE: It's very respectable also because when you're first starting out in music, I know it can be very difficult to get your name out there and to hear it from somebody who's more established. 

CHLOÉ: It's complicated also because there are so many offers and so many things going on and it's like, how do you exist inside this? But I think then to have this kind of nice communication with some artists, it’s nice to take the time to say what music needs and give some feedback. Just taking the time in this world where everything goes fast.  

ANOMIE: You juggle a lot of roles: DJ, producer, label owner, A&R. How do these different roles feed into each other? Do they ever clash, or does it all become part of one world for you? 

CHLOÉ: For me, it’s all kind of the same thing, always connected. When I started DJing, I wanted to understand how to make music, how production worked. Then I started producing, sometimes playing, sometimes not, but from the beginning I was always moving between club music and things slightly outside of it. That’s how people started asking me to make music for films or dance shows. They already knew what kind of music I was doing, that I was open to different tempos and textures. Sometimes the music is more club-focused, sometimes it’s more atmospheric, more about telling a story and following someone else’s vision. 

For me, everything works together. As an electronic musician, you spend a lot of time alone, working in the studio. Of course, going to clubs is essential, that’s what feeds me, but going back and forth between the club, the studio, and projects outside of myself feeds me again in a different way. It gives me ideas I wouldn’t have had otherwise.  

For example, I’ve been working with the French choreographer Maud Le Pladec, who is the director of the Ballet de Lorraine. I composed a piece for one of her shows called Static Shot. The music is at 140 BPM, which is very fast compared to what I would naturally produce or play. I usually stay around 128 BPM, and I rarely go above 132. This piece had a very intense energy, with a kind of shoegaze and techno feeling. It’s something I would definitely not play in a club, and I would probably never have produced it on my own. But I love that kind of challenge. It’s about exploring, really exploring, and that’s what keeps everything exciting. 

ANOMIE: You’ve composed music for dance shows, fashion shows, and a lot of different contexts. How does working on music outside of a club setting influence how you approach your own music? 

CHLOÉ: Well, it feeds me somehow. Whenever I start a new project that isn’t directly connected to my own work, but something for someone else, I like to approach it differently. For example, I might think about a new piece of gear that could fit the kind of music I’m supposed to make. I’m constantly challenging myself, playing with the gear I already have, but also adding new elements and just having fun. I come from electronic music, so I’m naturally curious and open to what’s happening, especially with modern technology. That can be artificial intelligence, new tools, plugins... When I approach it like that, it stays fun and creative, and it brings excitement to the project. 

Usually, before delivering the final piece, I make a lot of music. Sometimes I end up with ideas that make me think, okay, this could work for an EP or an album. It brings new textures and ideas. I try to make everything work together, but it has to stay fun and intuitive. That’s really important for me. I’m not saying it’s perfect, but I’m trying to bring the best version of myself to each project. And then you see what happens. 

ANOMIE: Your record label releases a lot of physical vinyl. What do you think the physical format offers that digital can’t? 

CHLOÉ: The last vinyl we did was in November for an artist called Destiino, Yuksek’s side project. I think vinyl brings more commitment into the equation. It brings more attention, and it asks for time. Vinyl slows time down a little in a world that’s getting faster and faster. I like the idea that it also brings an object into the picture. It gives music a physical presence and a different kind of focus, it’s nice to have something permanent. 

ANOMIE: I love that. Music feels so instant now, especially with social media and streaming, and vinyl really makes you slow down. You’ve played in Amsterdam a few times, which is where Anomie is based. Are there any places that stood out to you, either for playing or just partying? 

CHLOÉ: Honestly, I often play in Amsterdam but I can’t always remember the exact places. One of the last times was at a DGTL festival in 2022, when I was releasing an EP on their label, DGTL records, which had a remix from Roman Flügel, so that was special. What I really liked was staying an extra day to experience the festival properly. I went to listen to other sets, in both big rooms and smaller rooms. That’s what impressed me. Amsterdam is incredible in how it hosts so many festivals and parties all over the city and they are all so full. It’s one of the rare cities where this can happen at that scale. 

It really makes Amsterdam an important cultural capital for electronic music, especially considering how the city is smaller compared to Paris or Berlin. The scene attracts people from all over Europe and beyond. It’s amazing. I also think it’s very important that clubs create spaces where people feel safe, especially for the LGBTQI+ community. Club culture has to keep this in mind, not everyone thinks this way, but it’s essential. More clubs and festivals are making this kind of statement now, and especially today, that really matters. We need things to have meaning. 

ANOMIE: Are there any artists or scenes inspiring you at the moment, inside or outside of electronic music? 

CHLOÉ: I listen to a lot of music I receive, so I’m constantly discovering new things. But I also have moments where I just listen to music for pleasure, something very different from what I would play. 

There are artists I feel close to in terms of approach. Oneohtrix Point Never, for example, is someone I really admire. He has such a strong focus on atmosphere, long-form progression, and a clear artistic vision. I love artists who experiment without fear of breaking traditional structures, but who still stay connected to something very physical and emotional. 

I’m really interested in this balance between experimentation and emotion, and in the line between acoustic and electronic music, while keeping something very human and intimate. Artists like this reshape electronic music, they exist somewhere between abstraction and emotion, and that’s very inspiring to me. I also love composers like Steve Reich or Ligeti. They all share this idea of long-term progression, which I find really important and fascinating. 

ANOMIE: Your EP is coming out very soon. What does this release mean for you creatively, and what do you want this year to look like? 

CHLOÉ: This EP includes remixes of Distorted Dance from artists with very distinct voices, as well as another original track, Eternity Bound. We have remixes from Hannah Holland, Leonor, and Miles J Paralysis. 

My idea was to bring together artists I really respect. Hannah’s sound moves between techno, bass, and house. Leonor is a Mexican artist who was living in Paris, and we met through demos for the label. We ended up releasing one of his tracks, and I really love his work. Miles J Paralysis surprised me in a really good way. His music is very different, more trippy, with vocals and slower electronic grooves. It adds something unexpected to the EP.

For me, this release feels like the closing of a chapter, but also the opening of a new one. It’s funny to say that so early in the year, but it feels true. I’m excited to continue the story, and I’ve already started slowly working on new music. 

ANOMIE: What still excites you about playing clubs and creating energy on the dancefloor, especially now that dance music feels so global and saturated? 

CHLOÉ: It’s always the same answer, really. I’m very club-originated. I loved being in clubs, and I wanted to be part of that world. That’s how I became a DJ. I just wanted music to be part of my life. When I started, electronic music was much more underground. Now it’s everywhere, and of course things feel saturated. But I still find excitement in digging, in finding good music among all of it. Sometimes it can be overwhelming, but we’re saturated with everything now, not just music.

I think it’s about taking the time to find your own way. I love discovering new artists, new tools, and sometimes rediscovering old records or plugins I bought years ago and forgot about. It’s about assembling all of this, being surprised by new things and old things, and finding an optimistic way to exist within this saturated world. 

GIVE CHLOÉ’S NEW EP ‘DISTORTED DANCE’ A LISTEN, OUT FEBRUARY 20