FORM 004: Frou Frou
After a small break to do 'life', the Form podcast returns for our first mix of 2021…
After last year's banging XYSid mix and Willem's breaks-cellent trance effort, we return with something a little more accessible yet no less awesome. For our international readers, the word frou-frou is a French word referring to a rustling sound, especially that of a woman’s skirt (or man or non-binary because all skirts matter, ok). In Australia, however, Frou Frou refers to a Melbourne artist known for dabbling in exquisite electronic sounds - a familiar name to those embedded in the local club scene.
She is a card-carrying member of the Crate Mates Collective, a promo crew responsible for a highly recommended podcast of the same name (and one that has done more than its fair share to unearth local DJ talent). She is also part of Tesselate, a totally textured team of tactile teens taming taut tablas. Nah, just joking; no one in that crew plays taut tablas that we’re aware of - we just felt the urge to riff on the letter ‘t’ for fun. Anyway, Tesselate does club events - and good ones at that. Not only does Frou Frou perform at venues from Ferdydurky to Sub Club, but she also stitch DJ mixes together that command repeated listens. As this mix proves, Frou Frou can deftly journey from fun and light garage-inflected broken beats to serious 4/4 with a flick of a sweet transitory mix. For sure, she's a talent.
1) Hi Frou Frou! You survived COVID! Congrats! How was that whole experience for you?
It was okay for me. I lived with fun people, and I had a job the entire time and many creative projects on the go (which kept me busy). I was asked to do a few mixes throughout the time too. We had a live stream at our house for a Melt event - so I still felt connected to the whole DJ thing. I also did some music production. I’m generally a person who keeps busy, so, to be honest, apart from a few not-so-great days, I was all good.
2) Your mix makes us happy. Did it make you happy recording it?
Yeah, I loved recording this mix. Anything I record that makes me feel present and in the moment is probably a good sign that I enjoyed it and is more likely to come out the other end sounding alright.
Frou Frou
3) What is a standout moment for you on the mix that we should listen for?
I am super into that Nikki Nair track (the second one), from there until the DJ Life track. I think it's fun, and I liked mixing those tracks. I'm also into the contrast between the first half being sort of electro, dancey, breaky...whatever (I am so bad with naming genres), to the second half that gets percussive and ends with a downtempo track. Maybe it makes no sense progression-wise, but I like how it sounds.
4) The word Frou Frou seem to have more than one meaning. Our favourite one is the Urban Dictionary take on it: ‘Something or someplace artsy. Somewhat highbrow. Decadent in a refined manner.’ Does that sound like you?
Haha, it kind of sounds more like it is describing inner-Melbourne. I suppose it describes a part of me. I'd say I am artsy, but I wouldn't frame it as highbrow at all. Perhaps decadent in the sense that I can be over-the-top expressive. But certainly not refined – though I will say, the refinement in me can come out when recording a mix, attempting it about three times because IMAGINE if everyone heard my five seconds of train wrecking.
5) Anything you would like to tell us about? A show, a song, a restaurant, an upcoming gig…
I wish I had an upcoming gig to tell you about but nothing on the books yet. I will tell you though, a delicious Mexican restaurant one should consider is Los Hermanos in Brunswick. (ED: Totally agree)
