By Ann Driscoll
Associate Editor
Electro-pop trio Liptease formed in January 2009 by alumnus Michel Heyaca, a producer, songwriter, and guitarist. The band’s live act features loads of synths, drums from alumnus Tom Manning, and vocals by student John Engle. Heyaca’s guitar technique and writing style are influenced by French house music, Mozart, and his Latin roots. Their self-titled EP is on iTunes, and they’re playing Café 939 on February 26.
Ann Driscoll: How’d you get started with Liptease?
Michel Heyaca: I’m a producer and songwriter. I do a lot of electronic music, and we asked John [Engle] if he wanted to sing on a project. It was cool, so we asked him to do the band.
AD: What kind of programs do you use to record your music?
MH: I use all of them. Protools, Ableton, Reason, Logic, almost all of them.
AD: Do you guys play out a lot?
MH: Last semester, we played around 15 shows in New York at the Bitter End and at any bar we could. We’ve played a few shows in Boston. And we’re playing Café 939 on February 26.
AD: Is it hard to translate your produced sound live?
MH: It changes a lot. What’s interesting is that we keep the energy of electronic music and mix it with live elements, mainly drums. It’s a complicated mix. Sometimes there are beats, sometimes there’s none.
AD: Who are some of your main influences?
MH: Prince, as far as songwriting. A lot of R&B, Michael Jackson, Daft Punk, Justice, David Guetta.
AD: Are you guys going to stay around in Boston?
MH: I’m in New York. The two others are not done. We’re going to keep on playing Boston. I’m making my own production company in Manhattan. I’m going to stay in New York and just commute back–go to Boston every week or two to rehearse with the guys. Everything is recorded at my home studio.
AD: Tell me about the songs that are on Dorm Sessions?
MH: We made ‘Ooh Ai’ because we wanted to make a song that was inspired by the French electronic music going on now. We’re using micro-sampling, taking really small parts of other songs, and when you put them together, you can’t recognize where it comes from. We’re putting those micro-samples to a pop structure, and with a real singer with a real R&B feel. The lyrics are mainly about dancing. It’s a party song. ‘Dangerous’ is more R&B-ish. It’s an R&B rock song. There’s a lot of sex in the song and in the voice. The lyrics are angry.
AD: What are some plans you have for the future?
MH: We’re trying to put together a little tour in Europe for the summer. There are lots of festivals in Europe, so there are lots of opportunities.
