Surreal reflections from Lyon’s Jonnnah
How are you today?
I’m doing well now, looks like the holidays are on their way.
What was the last song you listened to?
Nico Niquo - My Home In The Storm
Where’s your favourite place to listen to music?
Being on the train, one of those rare moments you're not doing anything, just watching the world go by.
What’s the best music discovery you’ve made recently?
The two releases of mysterious project Respite via Safe Distribution.
This project is gorgeous, and it's quite interesting that it's so far from where I'm usually digging. I love this link between ambient and dance music, and here, more specifically, between ambient and deep house.
Is there an artist or album you listen to a lot we might not expect based on your music?
Christopher Rau - Weird Alps
Beyond the fact that it's an incredibly interesting track, it transcends eras and I always come back to it. It's timeless, it's been with me through many moments, both good and bad, and that's why it feels so special. I used to listen to a lot of deep house these times and it echoes what I was saying in the previous question.
Tell us about how your new album came about. What were your biggest influences and how does it differ from previous releases?
My latest album Me, With You is a tribute to the many loved ones I've lost over the past two years. I wanted to dedicate a track to each of them, as a way to remember the moments we shared.
I honestly couldn't tell you how I managed to create them, it's more about emotions, aesthetics, memories that resurface and shape the moment, as well as whatever I'm listening to at the time, like Mammo, Intertoto, Cotton Mouth, Astrid Sonne, Shinichi Atobe, Mopcut, Malibu, Special Guest dj, Gaussian Curve, ML Buch … The link is ambient exploration, and I like to explore it in all its forms. And always trying to find the perfect scale, the perfect loop..
I can’t thank Conna Haraway enough for giving me the chance to release this on Co:Clear, I have so much respect for his work.
Can you tell us a little about your Theory Therapy mix? What were you feeling when you made it? Where did you record it?
It’s a re-recording of a set I played for the Terra Obscura crew at Ormside Project in London.
It was incredible for me to be invited to play a 2-hour set there, and I had so much fun doing it.
Where would you recommend listening to it?
Being alone is the best way to understand and to let go, maybe that the place doesn't matter.
Theory Therapy mixes are about sharing the music that you personally find therapeutic, cathartic or restorative. What does that mean for you?
I’ve always believed that making music is my personal therapy. When I don’t have time to create, experiment, or just lose myself in sound, I can really feel a sense of emptiness or low energy. For me, music is a way to process emotions, recharge, and find balance, it's both cathartic and restorative. Sharing these mixes allows me to step out of introspection and connect with people who are far away, sharing a moment together through sound.
Is there a particular album or piece of music that you find yourself returning to for similar reasons?
All Malibu’s work.
Tell us something exciting that's coming up in your life, music or otherwise.
I will release something new with the label at the beginning of October and will be playing in the US around the same time. I’m really excited to meet people there.