French DJ quartet Birdy Nam Nam have gone from spinning maestros to electro masters. Andrea Yu chats with Little Mike about haters, their new album, and trust in Justice

Tracking the collective 40 fingers that make up Birdy Nam Nam is no mean feat. At any given moment, Crazy-B, DJ Pone, Little Mike and DJ Need are twiddling controls, sliding crossfaders or spasmodically scratching records under a red hot needle. After their self-titled debut album in 2005, French uber-group Justice became a fan and produced a track on their sophomore release, the decidedly more electro Manual for Successful Rioting. For their latest record, these birds caged themselves up in the studio with DJ and producer Para One to create Defiant Order, released in September.

Hey Mike! Can you tell us how Para One ended up working on Defiant Order with you?
We met a few years ago at our new studio – also where Jackson and his Computer Band and where Para One is too. When we started the album we thought about a producer, but we didn’t really know who. And quite naturally when we met Para One we asked if he was into the idea of producing the album.

How was the experience of putting the album together?
We did it quite naturally. It was a great pleasure to work with [Para One]. He’s an amazing producer and he’s an amazing man too. Every day, we were taking the first coffee together and taking the last beer. It was something really close. We talked a lot about many things − about music, about life, about politics. I think we shared more and that it was a big human experience. Now with the internet it’s not really working like that anymore.

Justice helped to produce the track Parachute Ending on your second album. Was it a similar process working with them?
It was really different with Justice. They saw us playing live and they really liked us. They told us there are some tracks they would like to produce. We gave them the parts and they worked on the music and they sent it back. It was not long. We just gave our advice and it came back like that. We were not in the studio together.

Were you worried the track would end up being too ‘Justice’ and not ‘Birdy’ enough?
It was the main idea, to have the Justice sound, to have that taste. It’s why we wanted to work with them. They are our friends and it was a great pleasure for us to have that chance and for us to see their enthusiasm about working with us. It was really cool. We love those guys and we love their sound.

What have Birdy Nam Nam been up to lately?
We started touring in September. We did some gigs in Europe and then we started big venues in France that can contain 6,000 people. It’s like an entire show of Birdy Nam Nam. People are just coming just for us − it’s amazing. It’s scary. We did the first show and there was something like 3,000 people and I have to say it was pretty amazing.

Do you prefer to play big gigs over intimate venues?
I have to say it’s always different. Every show could be a crappy show but every show could be amazing too with 2,000 or 200 [people]. It depends on the energy of the public, of us too, of many things. Sometimes it’s a bit abstract but it works. I can’t say I prefer to play for 5,000 people.

France has seen a burst of prominent electronic DJs…
Yeah, it’s really the most interesting part of music in France.

Does that electronic scene hold a big influence on your sound?
When we started we were not into that scene. We are not only doing electronic music. We are also very hip-hop. At the very beginning we were into DMC stuff, the competitions – it was totally different. It was not the same world. It’s getting bigger because we also have David Guetta. Even if I don’t like his music, [he] has a big impact on Earth with that music. I don’t think we really match with that scene but it’s also electronic.

What has the reception been like for Defiant Order?
It’s been quite good. But with Birdy Nam Nam there’re always people who are a bit disappointed − they want to see us make the same album as the first.

So, what might you want to say to those who say they are ‘a bit disappointed’?
[Laughs] Go fuck yourself.

I’ve got that on record now.
[Smirks] Well, if someone tells you what you did is made for money or there is no soul in your work, it’s really tough for us because we’ve been working on that stuff for a year and a half now. We were working really hard to blow [away] everybody. We’re giving all our heart into our work so sometimes it’s difficult. But most of the time we’re just laughing about it.

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