Australian producer Palais (formerly Palace) has been on our watch list for quite some time. Back in 2014 we named him one of the top Australian producers to look out for. Since that time we’ve been keeping a keen eye on his releases and growth as an artist. After dropping the critically acclaimed ‘Don’t Stop’ in 2015 he seemingly disappeared. It turns out he was locked in the studio for most of 2016 creating his debut EP Apolis, which is out today.
The four track project is an embodiment of his versatility and range as an artist. Opening with ‘Chimera,’ the track blends upbeat, care-free melodies with a snapping trap aesthetic (think Sam Gellaitry). ‘Instant Crush’ is an instant smash; bringing together syrupy sweet melodies, infectious lyrics and a backdrop that is pure summer love. ‘Games’ retains the infectious nature of ‘Instant Crush’ while painting a picture of uncertainty. It’s works as a stellar stand-alone single and as an effective bridge between the upbeat vibe of ‘Instant Crush’ and the deeper tones on ‘Apolis’. The title track acts as the project’s conclusion. It’s a slow burning, heart-rending standout that feels organic and deeply honest. Apolis proves that Palais can do it all, from pop-friendly hits, to future trap and masterful compositions – all without ever sounding unauthentic.
With a huge 2017 on the horizon we caught up with Palais to discuss his EP, his new live set, the name change and much more.
How’s your morning going?
Good man, just woke up when you first messaged me. Was up late putting together the live set.
How’s that coming together?
So far, I’ve only just figured out how the tech is going to work together. Today I’m going to start arranging the set list and different sections
What kind of gear are you going to be using?
I’m using a Traktor S8 with Ableton Push and my Korg Minilogue synth. It’s pretty unique in terms of live setups, I haven’t seen too many people running a Traktor/Ableton setup. I spent all day nerding out and routing everything together.
Yeah, I’ve never seen it personally. When are you thinking of debuting it?
I’ve got my EP launch Friday (31st) in Perth, so getting it all together for that. My friend Sean Finney and I are working on short film about how the EP came about, what it means to me and we will also be getting footage at the launch party.
It was pretty intense with some serious highs and lows and for me this EP feels like the end of one story and the start of another.
That sounds incredible. I look forward to seeing it. Can you tell us a little bit about the creation of the EP and your goal in crafting it?
I started writing demos at the start of 2015, with the aim of getting the next single after ‘Can’t Stop’ out as soon as possible. I was also working on a remix for Carmada at the time, that didn’t end up being released and ended up becoming one of the tracks of the EP. Once I realised I had a few tracks on the go I just kind of incepted it into my mind I wanted to do an EP. The EP probably could have been released 3 times over 2016 as it took many forms. Songs were changed and some were completely cut and replaced. I started the year renting a studio space in a warehouse in the city, then moved out of that when I moved permanently up to Perth in my city apartment. I had to sell all my gear in the studio and downsize because my bedroom is pretty small, so the EP was actually formed between my original studio, my bedroom, my housemate (Loston’s) design studio, the City of Perth Library, planes, hotel rooms, etc.
My main goal once I decided I wanted to do an EP was to not pigeonhole myself into one particular sound. I think the tracks in a way do fit together but the EP has no underlying message it’s trying to convey. I think it’s more a reflection of where I come from in Perth, the most isolated city in the world. We’re a super young city lacking culture so we draw influences from almost anywhere and everywhere. We also have a very strong bass/dubstep/trap scene here which inspired a track like ‘Chimera’. 2016 was pretty life changing for me with the whole move to the city, the change of the name Palace to Palais as well as ending a long term relationship. It was pretty intense with some serious highs and lows and for me this EP feels like the end of one story and the start of another. Kind of like where I came from and where I want to be going with myself and my music.
Speaking of going from Palace to Palais, what prompted the name change?
2 main things. There is a band from the UK called Palace who are really good and I didn’t want to cause confusion there. They started before me but weren’t that big when I was starting so I guess they didn’t show up in searches. There’s also a skateboard brand called Palace Skateboards. When I started they had less than 10k Facebook followers and I thought to myself “running a clothing company is super hard, they’ll give up in a year.” I couldn’t have been more wrong, when I saw their video with Jonah Hill that was basically the nail in the coffin for me. I’d already been considering the name change in my head but that really solidified the decision. I’m stoked with it. I went for the French spelling because I decided I wanted to make music when I first heard Justice and Daft Punk.
You mentioned the EP going through several variations, when and why did you feel like, “this is it”?
I actually have no idea when my “this is it” moment was, I think I just forced myself a deadline. I was getting sick of listening to the same tracks day in day out and I really wanted to start on some new music. I was pretty flat at that time, so when I exported the stems for mastering with Naderi I just felt a huge weight off my shoulder. I didn’t let myself listen to the tracks for a long time after I got the masters back, but I’m so happy with the EP now. Naderi breathed a whole new life into the mixes.
The title track is a real emotional slow burner. Is there a story behind it?
Yeah, definitely my favourite track. I wrote it when I was feeling pretty down about the break up and I wanted to write something that reflected that but also had a sense of optimism about it too. It was the first track I’ve made where I just hit record and played the first thing that came to me. The chords/piano are played in, and much of the track was done by hand instead of mouse so I think this is the most genuine track I’ve made so far. It was also the fastest I’ve ever made a track. It was written in a few hours and finished within the week.
HAHA I’ve been waiting for this question for sooo long!
You mentioned that you’re living with Loston. Have you guys worked on any music together?
HAHA I’ve been waiting for this question for sooo long! You’re the first person to ask it. The past year, we’ve both been focusing on our own projects, whilst bouncing off each other for opinions and advice, which has been so great. He’s also just wrapping up his stuff at the moment which is sounding fucking amazing. We haven’t actively worked on anything together yet but there’s some stuff in the pipes
When we last spoke you mentioned you were taking your zoom mic everywhere to record sounds. Are there any crazy samples that make their way onto the EP?
Oh yeahhh! Let me think. Yeah, in ‘Apolis’ there’s some really trippy voices in the background which is a recording taken from a bar with heaps of people talking. I put a weird delay on that to make it sound all trippy and to give a sense of intoxication. I mainly use the zoom for backgrounds and texture beds for tracks.
What made you want ingrain that feeling into ‘Apolis’?
Maybe I’m reaching a little here, but I was doing a shit load of partying around that time. But more than likely I just used it because it sounded cool and spaced out the track more.
So that’s my plan for this year, create some really inspired music and be much more careless about it, so I don’t spend another whole year on 4 songs.
What can we expect from Palais in 2017?
Most importantly you can expect more music. I’ve made it my resolution this year to work on more music and work faster. I loved the Abstract series on Netflix and from the first episode a particular quote stood out to me, that goes something along the lines of “be a much more careless artist, and a much more ruthless editor”. So that’s my plan for this year, create some really inspired music and be much more careless about it, so I don’t spend another whole year on 4 songs.
I’m also working super hard on creating a unique live experience. My music doesn’t translate so well with DJ sets so I’ve just bought a bunch of gear to play live with and I’m really looking forward to debuting it, I’ll have a video made for everyone else to see who isn’t in Perth.
I think that’s the main plan for 2017.
