Paul Kodish, the drummer that played with Jean Michel Jarre on the Nuit Electronique, tell us in this brief interview about his work with JMJ at that time.
1. Please, tell us who is Paul Kodish.
IM AN ELECTRONIC DRUMMER FROM NORTH LONDON UK
2. When you started to play drums?
STARTED PLAYING AGE 4
3. We mainly know about you when you were drumming with Apollo 440 but in which bands did you played before and after?
PENDULUM .DJ FRESH .WHODINI .MAXIMUM ROACH.
4. We are a web dedicated to Jean Michel Jarre, so let’s talk about JMJ: did you know his music before your collaboration together?
OH YES HE WAS AN ELECTRONIC PIONEEER VERY AHEAD OF HIS GAME. HONOR TO WORK FOR HIM
5. When was your first meeting with Jarre? What was your first impression about him?
I MET HIM FIRST AT HIS HOME IN SOUTH PARIS 1998 .SUPER NICE OPEN MINDED DUDE. GREAT SENSE OF HUMOUR..NICE HOUSE TOO, HA HA
6. Apollo 440 made the remix of Oxygene 10 and after, in the Getting High in Your Own Supplly album, the rythm of this remix was used in the song For Forty Days. Did you made this rythm for the remix?
YES I PLAYED LIVE JUNGLE BEATZ ON THIS…
7. Later you played Rendez Vous in Eurodisney, en January 1998, with Apollo 440 and JMJ. This is one of the few performances of JMJ that we can find any footage about it. Please, tell us about this performance.
WE GOT DRUNK AND LAUGHED ALOT. AND MET PELE . PROBABLY GOOD THERE WAS NO FOOTAGE.
8. The single Rendez Vous 98 was a huge success. Did you played with Apollo 440 and JMJ in the studio?
MOST OF IT WAS DONE OVER THE INTERNET,BUT HE CAME OVER TO APOLLO CONTROLS FOR THE MIX’S
9. In July 14th 1998, you performed with JMJ in Paris, under the Eiffel Tower, on the Electronic Night concert. How were your feelings to play in front of 800.000 strong audience and in that landmark?
BEST EXPIERIENCE OF MY LIFE GREAT SHOW GREAT BAND . IT WAS BIGGER THAN BIG. VERY HARD TO PROCESS UNTIL A FEW DAYS LATER…
10. How were the rehearsals for this concert?? Please, tell us your memories about this concert and all surrounding this.
I REHEARSED IN JMJ’S HOME STUDIO FOR A MONTH CHOPPING UP BEATZ ECT. THEN WE DID PRODUCTION REHEARSALS IN A HUGE VIDEO STUDIO NEXT TO THE STADE DE FRANCE FOR 2 MONTHS..
IT WAS GREAT TO WORK WITH ALL THOSE FRENCH MUSICIANS .AND DANCERS .WE LAUGHED ALOT .AND MADE FUN OF JMJ’S CAR BECAUSE IT WAS IN SUCH BAD CONDITION LOL.HE FIXED IT EVENTUALLY.
HE WAS A VERY FAIR .NICE AND KIND PERSON TO WORK FOR..
11. On september 1998 yo played again with JMJ in Paris in the iMac Night. How and when JMJ contacted with you for this project??
WELL I LIVED IN PARIS AFTER NUIT ELECTRONIQUE FOR A YEAR SO WE KEPT IN TOUCH, EVERY WEEK WE WOULD HAVE A LITTLE SECRET DRINK IN PARIS AND JUST CHIT CHAT ABOUT DOING THIS 3D SHOW..
12. Please, tell us about your memories about this concerts, rehearsals, etc..
WELL IT WAS JUST THE SAME AS BEFORE ,BUT THE PRODUCTION WAS NOT AS BIG WHICH MADE IT EVEN A MORE PERSONAL EXPIERIENCE.AND I THINK THIS WAS A BETTER SHOW THAN NUIT ELECTRONIQUE .LESS PRESSURE..
13. In the iMac Night concert, you played some of the classics of JMJ such Oxygene 2, Equinoxe 4, Chronologie 6, Revolution, Revolutions… it was hard to you to play this tunes?
NO WE REMIXED EVERYTHING IN A DRUM N BASS ,TECHNO.HOUSE STYLE. SO IT WAS VERY INTERESTING TO PLAY HIS STUFF IN A NEW REMIX WAY …
14. How was for you to work with JMJ??
GREAT GUY..VERY OPEN MINDED . AND KNEW HIS DRUM N BASS…
15. Have you got any favorite song of JMJ?? And any particular JMJ album you like?
ALL OF THEM… ESPECIALLY EQUINOXE
16. Why didn’t you collaborate again with JMJ after iMac Night concert? Would you like to collaborate again with him in a future?
I WENT ON THE ROAD WITH MAXIMUM ROACH (APOLLO 440 OFFSHOOT BAND) THEN ENDED UP PLAYING WITH PENDULUM FOR 4 YEARS .SO IT WAS MOVING ON TIME….
17. Are you planning to perform again with Apollo 440 in a future?
HOPE SO
18. And, please, tell us about your future musical projects.
IM PLAYING WITH DJ FRESH ON HIS FRESH LIVE PROJECT , ITS A NEXT LEVEL ELECTRONIC LIVE BAND . HE WAS ONE OF THE PIONEERS OF DRUM N BASS.SO ITS A PERFECT GIG FOR ME ..
19. Have you ever played in Spain??
YES WE PLAYED AT IBIZA ROCKS ..AND A FEW SPANISH FESTIVALS WITH PENDULUM AND APOLLO 440 AND HOPEFULLY SOON WITH FRESH/LIVE