EDM Cave Interview: Oovation
A boundary-pushing artist, Oovation blends melodic techno and progressive house in a seamless fashion. With French-German origins, and currently residing in Germany, he draws inspiration from his eclectic background to create a mesmerising musical style. Finding support from industry tastemakers Hernan Cattaneo, Gabriel & Dresden, Aly & Fila and many more, Oovation’s tracks have also been remixed by the likes of Paradoks, Jonas Saalbach and Ryan Davis. With an ever-evolving sound, Oovation continues to flourish into one of the most enticing acts in the electronic music space. We caught up with him ahead of his Purified Records debut, Innervisions.
Welcome to EDM Cave, Oovation! Great to speak to you today. Where are we speaking to you from?
Hello EDM Cave, thank you for inviting me. I’m currently speaking to you from my studio situated in Saarbrücken, a small city in West-Germany close to the borders of France and Luxembourg.
For those that are not familiar with you, can you introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about your journey as an artist?
I am a producer and live-act specializing in melodic techno and progressive house, currently based in Germany but grew up in France.
My musical journey started with the release of my first vinyl record at the age of 19. Since, I have accumulated numerous releases on well known labels and crafted a distinct signature sound that characterizes the Oovation sound today.
You are gearing up to release your massive new single ‘Innervisions’ on Purified Records. Can you tell us about this track, and what the recording process was like?
Usually I tend to start tracks by playing around with my analog gear, not so on Innervisions as I started the song around a chord progression, I previously wrote on the piano.
Those chords directly grabbed my attention, the emotion of this progression instantly immersed me into the track’s essence. Throughout the entire production process, I experienced a stream of creativity, the whole writing process just felt incredibly organic and instinctive. That’s the reason I called the song Innervisions, as it was crafted out of a moment of pure introversion and self reflection. For me this particular track is a very personal and also profound musical journey, and I’m happy to finally share it now.
How does it feel to be releasing on an imprint like Purified?
Undoubtedly, one of the best days in my producer career was the day as Nora En Pure wrote me she wants to sign Innervisions to her label. As a follower and listener of Purified Records and its radio platform for years, I’m feeling super honored and I can strongly identify and relate with the label’s ethos, style, and brand. I have always admired the label’s ability to seamlessly merge diverse genres under one sonic umbrella, which is a distinct characteristic of Purified in my opinion. Also, each release has an exceptional production quality. I’m super proud and thankful having the chance being part of the Purified journey.
We have seen clips of Nora En Pure playing the track around the world! How does it feel to witness your work being played on some of the world’s best stages?
As I saw the first video of Nora En Pure playing Innervisions in front of a huge crowd, I was super excited, but I also realized the real dimension and what it means to release a song with Purified. It still feels completely unreal, seeing my music being played by Nora En Pure around the world. I’m super thankful towards the team at Purified, especially toward Abel. They constantly update me with great footage, so I have the chance to see and relive those epic moments, on those big stages, with my song being played. I’m super happy and grateful getting such a big exposure for my music.
What have been some of the highlights of your career so far?
In the past I had the chance to get many high class remixes on my tracks, from artists such as inter alia Paradoks, Jonas Saalbach or even Ryan Davis.
But since Hernan Cattaneo played my track „Serenity“ back in 2021, I’m getting more and more support by Industry Heavyweights. A recent example is my full length artist album „Perception“, it was released on the iconic JOOF Recordings, which is hold by the legend John 00 Fleming. The label has a long tradition ranging over 20 years by now and I felt really honored becoming part of it. Also, last year my collaboration with Jordan Gill titled „Aer“ got signed by Markus Schulz and played by Armin Van Buuren at A State of Trance. But despite this the release with Purified and the support by Nora En Pure remains my greatest highlight.
How has the first part of 2023 been for you?
I’m currently trying to develop and refine my musical style into the direction I’m currently showcasing on Purified, so I spent most of the time in the studio working on new music and experimenting with new tools. I think you will see me creating even more cinematic and melodic music in the future, moving a step back from my darker stuff I showcased on the Perception album.
Where do you find inspiration when it comes to making new music?
I find my best inspiration in my daily life, in the memories and the experiences I’ve encountered. To me, music serves as a medium for expressing and communicating emotions, allowing people to embark on a journey through my songs, reliving my stories. Music, at its core, is about forging connections through our shared perceptions and emotions. It is about crafting a bridge between hearts and minds, inviting others to immerse themselves in the moments I’ve lived and allowing them to experience those very instances once more.
If you could host your own event anywhere in the world, where would you choose & why? Also, who else would be on the lineup?
Over the years, of being very active in the music industry, I met so many music related people. I’m talking about Producers with whom I collaborated, did remixes, exchanged etc. but also A&R’s. Visual artists etc. I think I would love to see all those people on the lineup, in order to get to know them and have a great time and party together. Probably the best place for this would be ADE.
Do you have anything you’d like to share with our readers?
As a closing sentiment, I encourage you to remain authentic, fueled by your passion, and always retain the joy in what you like doing most. Don’t let others dictate your path, forge your own way.
In the grand scheme of things, everything will fall into place.
Thanks for the interview.
