Creange’s passion for music quickly led him to play in Parisian clubs and produce his own tracks. He had the unique opportunity to remix Martin Solveig’s “All Stars” and “My Love” and shared the decks of his My House parties at Pacha Ibiza. Many huge producers are already supporting his work and there’s no doubt that the enthusiasm Creange communicates through his music will keep on spreading far and wide. On this occasion he brings us a work done together with Flix, an urban artist who breaks the gray monotony of the city thanks to a colorful & multi geometrical dimension approach. He’s multi talented: photography, painting, music and is interested in arousing emotions.
I know I might not sound legitimate as a Parisian producer to submit this track (is not proper latin music) but it’s an important one to me. Let me try to make this story short. I got a Venezuelan friend who has been living in Paris for years now. Her family is still in Venezuela and I vividly reminisce how stressed, worried and horrified she was when the riots erupted there in 2019. When I found that vocal sample saying “¡Venezuela!” I was thrown back into that period. I was struck by its attitude, its fierceness. It’s calling for freedom. It dawned on me I had to use it in a track. Once finished, I tried to find out who was the most talented Venezuelan street artist. I contacted Flix whose work was truly right up my alley. Luckily he enjoyed the tune and was willing to collaborate to create the artwork.
So this is how “Venezuela” was born.
I was browsing vocal samples when I heard this feminine voice. I immediately stopped and played it again and again and again, my spanish is kinda basic but I was struck by its fierceness and determination. I was really moved by her attitude and her tone, the topic she deals with is clearly a very deep one but once I heard those samples there was no way I could leave it behind, I had to make a track out of it. I got friends who are from Venezuela and this voice brought me back to how worried and horrified they were by the turmoils that were going on there. Music can be a way to escape reality, to channel emotions, but it can also be a powerful means to call for some ideals. Democracy is threatened in so many countries nowadays, art in general can help fighting against intolerance.
The brass hits in the track can be seen as an alarm call for togetherness. I built the whole track around this voice, I wanted it to have an urban and energetic feel. It had to be really minimal as I felt the need for this voice to be leading it the whole way. A few days after finishing it, I googled “venezuelan street artist” and found FLIX, I contacted him to ask him to do the artwork as I truly dig his art and skills. The way he plays with colors, space and dimensions awaken and arouse emotions. He listened to the tune and told me he loved it. It only took him a few days to complete it. That’s how we came full circle! “Venezuela” was born.
Flix: When Michael contacted me to propose to do a project in collaboration with him, doing the design of the cover of one of his songs, I really liked the idea and I felt very honored, since I really like the music he produces. When he spoke to me in depth about the song he composed, where he included the sampling of a woman’s voice saying “Venezuela” and all the spirit of struggle and freedom that it contained, I was even more moved.
At this moment my country is going through a difficult situation, where a criminal, dictatorial and corrupt regime has subjected people to misery, hunger, poverty and insecurity, where there is no freedom of expression and where young students and many people, they have been detained, tortured and killed during the protests, just for dissenting and raising their voices in the fight for a better country. That is why it is very important to echo and speak out in all the necessary ways. I believe that both music and art are great and powerful transformative tools that can promote and convey positive and emotional messages of change and freedom.
