IN CONVERSATION WITH FOLAMOUR
Interview by Samo Šajn
French producer and DJ Folamour has spent more than a decade bringing his uplifting blend of house, disco, soul and funk to dance floors around the world. Following Movement Therapy and the collaborative EP Danse Méditerranée, he begins a new chapter with “Music Is Life,” a joyful celebration of connection and his enduring love for music. Ahead of his seven-hour All Day Long set at Amsterdam’s Kromhouthal during ADE, we spoke with Folamour about his latest release, creative evolution and the unique energy of extended sets.
Your new single, “Music Is Life,” feels like both a celebration and a statement. What does that phrase mean to you personally?
After releasing an album, I always take a moment to step back and think about how I feel about the album I have just released, where I want to go next and what is inspiring me. After Movement Therapy, I wanted to return to producing deeper music and go back to my roots. Expressing my love for music felt like the perfect foundation for this new chapter, even though what is coming next will be very different from this track.
The track is built around infectious energy and bringing people together. How did you translate that feeling of connection into the music?
I like anthem-like vocals, and I feel this one works very well. It translates the song’s message directly into its energy. The track was also built around a strong but simple chord progression, with a funky bassline that completes the uplifting, emotional atmosphere I was aiming for.
Your previous album, Movement Therapy, explored personal healing through movement. How does “Music Is Life” continue that journey while opening it up to a wider, shared experience?
I didn't create it with the specific goal of following Movement Therapy. I simply knew that I wanted to return to the way I was making music ten years ago, and this track came naturally. With its love letter to music at its heart, it also felt like the perfect way to announce where I was going next.
Earlier this year, you released Danse Méditerranée, featuring collaborations with Léon Phal and Flavia Coelho. What did each artist bring to the project?
It was such a fun project to be part of. Léon and I first had the idea for the EP around four years ago. We spent a couple of days in a studio in France with his band, where I brought in the drums and we developed all the other parts together.
We then spent two years waiting for the right vocalists for the two instrumentals. Flavia and Wolfgang both brought their incredible energy and found their own place within the project.
“Music Is Life” is a solo release, unlike the collaborations on Danse Méditerranée. Did working alone allow you to express something more personal or direct?
Yes, absolutely. It is closer to my own way of telling a story. However, I also enjoy it when a story is shaped by everyone’s experiences and perspectives during a collaboration. The result is often not exactly how I would have done it alone, but I never regret it.
Your extended sets are often described as a form of dance therapy. What becomes possible during a five or seven-hour set that cannot happen in a shorter performance?
Everything is different during a long set compared to a short one. They are almost nothing alike. I feel freer when I have more time because I can play anything and take the time to tell the story I want to tell. I can find ways to include very slow jams, original jazz tracks and the deeper side of house music. It is much more fun for me.
It is also a very different way of connecting with the crowd. It becomes less about immediate energy and more about something that builds throughout the entire set, creating a sense of understanding and shared emotion.
At ADE, you will take over Amsterdam’s Kromhouthal for seven hours. How are you preparing for such a long set, and what kind of experience do you want to create?
I do not really prepare for long sets because I prefer to enter them with a fresh mind and feel the atmosphere in the moment. I want to create a space where we can focus on the music, let go of expectations and move with the flow together.
After more than a decade of touring and performing around the world, how has your understanding of the relationship between a DJ and the audience changed?
I do not think it has changed much in the past few years. At a certain point, after playing so many shows, you begin to understand it. That does not mean you know what is going to happen, because DJing is a shared experience between the DJ, the crowd and the venue. The atmosphere depends on so many different elements.
Recently, I have been focusing less on peak-time moments, hands in the air and huge bursts of energy. I am more interested in creating something subtle, where we can lose ourselves in the flow. At least, that is what I try to do.
Your music is rooted in unity, freedom and openness. At this point in your career, what do you hope people carry with them after leaving one of your shows?
I hope people understand the message behind what I do, what I stand for and what I wanted to share with them that night through my song selection.
