f: How did you first get into making music?
Paris Cesvette: I started playing instruments roughly around the age of 5 which started with the recorder, then to guitar, saxophone, and then eventually keyboard. By the time I was 12, I had so much music in my head, living with a cassette and CD player in my ears, my dad purchased the music production software E-JAY which progressed my songwriting obsession over to a production one VERY quickly. The moment I became old enough to leave school I went straight into working as a session musician and songwriter. This enhanced my production abilities tenfold eventually being taken under the wing by Bugz in The Attic and as they say the rest is history!
f: What was the first dance record you bought?
Paris Cesvette: LIL’ LOUIS – Fable (Frankie Knuckles Director’s Cut Classic Club Mix)
f: How would you describe your sound?
Paris Cesvette: Romantic, musical, sexy, Jazzy & soulful!! If House Music had an R&B or Jazz department.. me and my music would and should be front and centre!!
f: Who were your musical influences and did they have an impact on your sound today?
Paris Cesvette: YES!! My sound today is a result of being obsessed with a few particular genres. Smooth / Contemporary Jazz, Rare Groove, Neo Soul & R&B are a massive influence on not only how I make music but why I make it too. Artists like Dave Grusin, George Duke, Quincy Jones, Earl Klugh, Bobby Caldwell, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Teddy Riley, Earth Wind and Fire and George Michael!
f: What was your first release?
Paris Cesvette: My first EVER release was Danism Ft Kathy Brown – You Light Up My Life. I was 18 years old and it was amazing to write with Kathy in the studio at such a young age. My first release solo production was in 2009 a song called Go The Distance featuring an amazing saxophone player from Tallahassee Florida called Dayve Stewart!
f: Which of your own tracks was the biggest labour of love to create?
Paris Cesvette: Ooooooh, that is a massive question, I am actually going to say the R&B / Soul / Jazz album I produced on Expansion records called Something’s Going On in 2011. It was for an R&B Soul artist called C. Robert Walker. I worked with the most amazing musicians Giuliano Veludo (Keyboards), Chris Pyne (Sax) & Slikk Tim (Bass) on every track of the album. There is something so raw and authentic about producing song after song with musicians on the same page / similar ear and can take your inital ideas as the executive producer and create music beyond your own vision. This album featured Grammy award winning artists like Paul Brown and Guitarist Peter White. It truly was my greatest Passion project. It was a great experience producing that for Robert. It was the first complete album I ever produced.
f: You’ve just released your brilliant new collaboration ‘Better’ with Hannah Khemoh, what can we expect to hear?
Paris Cesvette: Yesss! You can expect to hear luxurious and sexy chord patterns that you can feel from your head to your feet, a stomping bassline and bumping, funky house drums that create the bed to the floor shaking vocals from one of our country’s most talented vocalists. Like… Listen to her… AMAZING!!
f: And what was the inspiration behind the single?
Paris Cesvette: It’s a feminine war cry! A song in a declaration of love and strength.,. In this digital, fast pace age we rarely get the opportunity to get into the studio the way we used to. Even though we recorded this remotely we worked extremely close to get Better to sound like it does today. As a songwriter, her vision is very clear and she knew I would and could go that extra mile to produce exactly what she heard in her head. She would call me to say.. I feel I wanna sing this part a certain way, can you switch out the chords to this, she would sing the progression she needed down the phone, I’d play it and send it back just so she could sing it the way she really needed to. As the producer I want nothing but the vocalist to have everything they hear. Once we meet there I do the rest of the work. So it’s all in Hannah’s ear and heart to what inspired all of that!
f: How did you and Hannah link up and will you be working together again in the future?
Paris Cesvette: Hannah has been a target on my hit list for years… I even wanted to work with her when she was one half of vocal group Hanlei. It’s that old saying everything in its time! I approached her again about making a song together and here we are. We certainly will be, she has already given me the theme of our next song so you can certainly expect more from her and I.
f: Have you any plans to release a Paris Cesvette album?
Paris Cesvette: Yes, yes, yes!! I am so excited to be working on my second Paris Cesvette album. This project is already coming together. This album is a little more dance floor focused than my ‘Celestial’ album. It features some serious powerhouse female vocalists and a couple of male artists from my last album too. I just can’t wait to share it with you all.
f: You’ve worked with some big names in music, including Jean Baylor, Will Downing, Frank McComb, Leee John, and Omar, to name a few. Who else would you most like to work with?
Paris Cesvette: So many artists. I would love to do a record with Sting, Jonathan Butler, Gerald Albright, Durand Bernard, Mani Hoffman, Emily King, Vanessa Freeman, Raquel Rodriguez, I just have so many, but these are the top of my pick for sure.
f: What’s your studio set up like and what’s your favourite piece of kit?
Paris Cesvette: I think my studio setup is certainly moulded by my production style. Being a musician first producer it is all centred around instruments so I have my big 30″ MSI screens (I love cutting up audio so it’s always great to see my edits in HD), my Korg rk-100s, my midi keyboard which I am hoping to switch out to the Native Instruments Komplete Kontrol S61 soon. My favourite piece of kit would be my newest which is the AKAI MPK mini. It’s got triple black keys and it’s just such a smart intuitive little piece of kit. Great for producing on the road too! I literally put it in my Nike backpack along with my laptop and it’s on. I can make music anywhere!
f: As a DJ, what has been your most memorable gig so far, and where are you most looking forward to playing this summer?
Paris Cesvette: My most memorable gig would have to be playing for a private party for a brand called FAM at the Yamba bar in Portugal. DJing while watching the sunset over the ocean, it was emotional. One of my favourite moments ever. This summer is a studio summer for me. Working on so much music and preparing for tours next year. So I’ve got quite a few gigs over the next month then its head back down to then be DJing everywhere in 2024!
f: Who are your 3 favourite current producers?
Paris Cesvette: DJ Spen, Muzikman Edition and Terry Hunter.
f: What else are you working on at the moment that you can tell us about?
Paris Cesvette: I am currently creating a song for the amazing vocalist Scott Paynter. He has this gorgeous voice that is built for Reggae. My grandfather was born in Spanish Town Jamaica. So I always do my best to get my roots & heritage into my productions. I have been known to mix the two before and people loved it. SO… I am doing it again! I’ve also just finished an amazing song called Love Triangle with Tracy Hamlin, this song is a massive fusion of Jazz funk, disco and House. I was so excited to work with her and can’t wait for you all to hear that too!
Paris Cesvette ft Hannah Khemoh ‘Better’ is out now on Quantize Recordings.
https://www.traxsource.com/title/2005112/better