Franz Kirmann

Music Producer

Franz Kirmann on SoundBetter

Established electronic musician, I specialise in working with analog and modular synths and drum machines. I work on film soundtracks, ambient and dance music. If you need a producer to finish your track with the best sounding synths and drum machines available I'm your man. I also help with arrangements, mix and sound design.

François Kirmann Gamaury is a French electronic musician based in London.

He has been releasing music since 2006, both as a solo artist and with composer/multi-instrumentalist Tom Hodge with their electronic/post-classical crossover project Piano Interrupted. His music has been released on Bytes / Ransom Note, Denovali Records, Tapeworm, Mercury KX, 1631, MicroCastle and Lona Records (Hong Kong) as well as his own labels Days Of Being Wild and Photogram.

Aside from his solo work, Franz regularly collaborates with musicians, filmmakers and artists.

Notable media credits are TV drama McMafia (BBC), indie documentary The Man Behind The Microphone (Claire De Lune Films) both with Tom Hodge and 2021 BAFTA winner documentary Locked In: Breaking the silence for BBC Four Storyville.

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Credits

Discogs verified credits for Franz Kirmann
  • Kirmann*
  • Catalepsia, Kirmann*
  • Various
  • Various
  • Nhar
  • Federico Albanese
  • Piano Interrupted
  • Fogh Depot
  • GLOK (2)
  • GLOK (2)
  • GLOK (2)
  • Hotel International
  • Piano Interrupted
  • Piano Interrupted
  • Trinovantes
  • Club Bizarre (2)
  • Piano Interrupted
  • Kirmann + Hodge
  • A Dancing Beggar
  • Piano Interrupted
  • Hotel International
  • Piano Interrupted
  • Piano Interrupted
  • Piano Interrupted
  • venoztks*
  • Sérine
  • Dj Salinger (2)
  • Various
  • Michael Fakesch
  • Michael Fakesch
  • Le Marchand De Sable
  • Rafa Siles
  • Various
  • Various
  • Various
  • Piano Interrupted
  • Various
  • Various
  • Various
  • Various
  • Various

Languages

  • English
  • French

Interview with Franz Kirmann

  1. Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?

  2. A: Co-writing the score to BBC McMafia was an incredible, especially working with the London Contemporary Orchestra and recording at Air Studios in London. Doing a remix swap with Glock (Andy Bell from Ride and Oasis) was certainly a highlight. Oh and having the late Andrew Weatherall calling my album Madrapour "achingly beautiful" - I could have stopped making music after he said that!

  3. Q: What are you working on at the moment?

  4. A: Am doing the soundtrack for a virtual reality art installation in London and I'm about to remix a Berlin based artist and as a British musician (can't give the name!) on Mute records. I'm also about to release my 5th studio album with Ransom Note / Bytes.

  5. Q: Is there anyone on SoundBetter you know and would recommend to your clients?

  6. A: MOWD in Berlin. We have worked together a lot and he's brilliant.

  7. Q: Analog or digital and why?

  8. A: Both! Analog synth are more fun than VST and sound better, valves and pre-amps sound great, analog tape delay is fantastic. But digital effects are now fabulous, and editing, tracking and mixing on a computer is the norm.

  9. Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?

  10. A: That it will sound good!

  11. Q: What do you like most about your job?

  12. A: The process of creating an exciting piece of music cannot be beaten. It's never boring! I love the creative process and exchanging ideas.

  13. Q: What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?

  14. A: Often customers are worried that their music doesn't sound good enough. I find that usually it is because they have 30 tracks of unnecessary VST that could be replaced by one track of analog synth recorded through a good preamp. Or sometimes they are stuck in the loop. It sounds good but it's boring because it goes around in circle.

  15. Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?

  16. A: That any producer can do the job you want. I think it's important to find a producer that you get on with and that you can have an open discussion with about your project. I sometimes get hired because I'm the "synth guy" without people listening to what I have done. And that can link to misunderstandings and disappointment.

  17. Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

  18. A: What do you except by hiring me, what are you trying to achieve? What artists do you like and identify with?

  19. Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

  20. A: It's best to listen to the music I have done before hiring me or understand that I work in the electronic dance music and soundtrack world.

  21. Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?

  22. A: One of my modular case, the Buchla music easel, Moog DFAM, a laptop running Ableton Live and my Rooster 2 to record everything!

  23. Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?

  24. A: I started releasing music on small labels in 2006. I then set up my own label Days Of Being Wild in 2009. Days Of Being wild release cold wave tinted dance music and is still going today. Around that time I started a project called Piano Interrupted and we signed to German label Denovali with whom we did 3 albums and toured Europe a few times over 5 years. We then got noticed by a film and TV producer and we scored the BBC Tv series McMafia, as well as some documentaries. Parallel to this I released many solo albums, either on my own label or with Ransom Note in London. I made loads of remixes and dance records as well through Days Of Being Wild under my own name, or as Sir Ouakam and Hotel International.

  25. Q: How would you describe your style?

  26. A: Cinematic electronic music meets slow mo disco.

  27. Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?

  28. A: Aphex Twin because I want to know how on earth he does what he does!

  29. Q: Can you share one music production tip?

  30. A: Less is more! Record a good instrument the best you can and you're halfway there.

  31. Q: What type of music do you usually work on?

  32. A: Soundtracks, dance music and ambient soundscapes stuff.

  33. Q: What's your strongest skill?

  34. A: Arrangement and electronic production with hardware synths.

  35. Q: What do you bring to a song?

  36. A: I have been making music for 25 years and releasing records for 16 years, I have had many collaborators, toured Europe extensively, DJed in the coolest clubs from Paris to Berlin, worked with orchestras and top engineers in London. I bring all I have learned from that and that's a lot.

  37. Q: What's your typical work process?

  38. A: First I will discuss what the artist / client is after and why they think I'm the right person for the job. If it's a production job, I will set up their session on my computer, and usually re-record the synth parts with analog synths or reprogram beats with drum machines. If there are composition issues, we will discuss structure and overall sound. When the client is happy I can then take the song to the mixing stag if it's what they want and to the mastering stage.

  39. Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

  40. A: I have different rooms I use. A programming room, I call it the creative room or the workshops. It has all the synths, drum machines, weird tape stuff. This is where I make stuff, create and experiment. I then use a mixing room with preamp, analog outboards and good monitoring / acoustic treatment and a dedicated engineer. I also have a mastering studio I work with which is state of the art and also has a dedicated engineer.

  41. Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?

  42. A: Producers: Flood, Alan Moulder, Brian Eno, Tony Visconti, Trevor Horn, Martin Hannett, Nigel Godrich, Andrew Weatherall. Artists: Trent Reznor, Aphex Twin, Fennesz, Martin Gore, Philip Jeck, James Holden, Four Ten, Kevin Shields and many more! I'm inspired by musicians and producers who have a unique sound and an exciting creative approach. I believe each project is unique and needs a personal approach.

  43. Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.

  44. A: Clients come to me to write soundtracks for the projects being a film, tv series, documentaries or an art installation. Artists come to me for remix work or help with arrangements and production as I have a lot of great sounding analog synths and drum machines that I can use on their productions. I also offer mixing services and mastering.

GenresSounds Like
  • Four Tet
  • Fennesz
  • Boards of Canada
Gear Highlights
  • Modular Eurorack Rig
  • Juno 106
  • Prophet 6
  • Buchla Easel
  • Syntrx
  • Make Noise Strega
  • Korg Minilogue
  • Korg Poly 61M
  • Pulsar 23
  • Culture Vulture Rooster2
  • Lyra 8
  • Moog 32 and DFAM
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