Poté, a Londoner born in Saint Lucia, releases a new EP where house flirts with nu-soul and African rhythms. PAM spoke with the young man who is discreet as he is talented.
It’s been about four years since the native Caribbean planted seeds here and there on the electronic scene through a handful of EPs, distilling a sound of his own that has enticed the ears of great DJs like Benji B, Laurent Garnier and Bonobo. Poté appeared on the last Fabric compilation (mixed by Bonobo) and more recently we’ve seen him collaborate on the latest Africa Express album alongside Damon Albarn. In his new EP, which is sure to earn him another round of praise,, we find the song “Rose”, a deep-house gem painted with Afro rhythms that surfs with melodic finesse. In the same vein, “Lonely” highlights the artist’s voice, reinforcing the soulful and moving side of his music which he brings to life in his new clip. Poté breaks down this and his other latest updates below:
What is your musical background?
I wouldn’t really know if I’m honest. I grew up hearing a lot of music which sort of didn’t make sense together, from country and western, which is huge in St.Lucia, to Dancehall and early Eminem records.
In the movie of “Lonely”, you are kind of fighting against the wind. What do you want to express through this song/video?
The idea Alex (who directed the video) and I had for the video was to physically fight against emotions and things you can’t hide away from or hurt. You only end up tiring yourself out and not moving forward. For the first time in my life I found myself in love but also very lonely. So we tried to portray the dynamic of those two emotions in a video. It also speaks on fighting one’s self/alter ego.
Producing house with an african imprint, while showcasing your own voice… Is this the style you want to carry in your music moving forward ?
My production has always gravitated towards that side of things, i’ve just become more and more confident in using my voice on it and finding how to best use it. It’s been a fun journey and there’s lots more to come for sure!
Can we expect an album or another EP this year?
Yes there’s an album, it’s …different. You’ll have to wait and see!
You are running your own label Versicolor. Could you tell us more about it and its purpose?
I started Versicolor as a means to put out my own tracks, selfishly. It was all part of a general frustration that productions made between worlds were never quite accepted by some labels, so I thought i’d do it myself. The sound I wanted to concentrate on was a really percussive world but with elements of techno and house music in it. Later on I had the honour of having a remix by my lovely friend Nan Kolè and started doing parties (first one in Paris last year) where Nan Kolè was invited. This year will definitely see more releases and parties!
Find Poté in our Noir Wave playlist on Spotify and Deezer, as well in our afro + club playlist also on Spotify and Deezer.
Roses EP is available since the 24th of January on all platforms here.
