Romain Plutta aka DJ RC% belongs to Lyon based artists we should keep an eye on. In 2022, he founded with his friends Analog Catharsis, a collective which invites respected names of the Techno scene. As a ​​staunch defender of the vinyl culture, it’s at Unité Centrale where I met him. The trained drummer explains how he got from rock and progressive metal into electronic music ; and speaks more about the next event that the crew organises this Sunday at Loupika with as guest Milo Raad from Belgrade. 

Welcome, a glass of?
Club Mate! 

Your teenage musical influences?
Metal and rock for sure! I grew up with this type of music, I started with Marilyn Manson when I was a child and a bit later, I discovered Slipknot who I listened to like crazy; I was fascinated. By then, I was also listening to a lot of progressive music like Tool, Porcupine Tree, Dream Theater… I have always loved the storytelling in music and this mix between a hard edge backed by groove. 

Speaking of which, I heard that you come from a family of drummers!
Yes, my uncle is a drummer. He showed the drums to my older brother Kevin when he was only a 4 years old child. He loved the instrument right away and worked on it his whole life. He is now a professional drummer and played for many metal bands, among others. He is specialised in demos and he recently played for the Bag’show at Le Trianon in Paris (The Bag’show is the largest event and huge gathering of drummers and percussionists in France organized by La Baguetterie Paris, Editor’s Note). It was his dream to play there! The line-up was amazing: Chris Coleman, Simon Philipps, Jay Weinberg (ex Slipknot’s drummer)... The show was fantastic! That’s because of this family passion and my love for rhythm that I started to learn drums from 13 to 18 years old. This experience helped me a lot to understand and learn about vinyl.

The first record you bought? 
"Portrait of an American Family" by Marilyn Manson.

How did you get from rock into techno music?
Yes. I started to discover electronic music when I was a teenager, at 14 years old, with my older brother Julien aka Djul who was mostly playing in rave parties. He was very passionate about the Spiral Tribe and he showed me the album "Chip Jockey 11" by Crystal Distortion with the track "Koochie Pak during vacations"; it was the beginning of something… But it’s later, in June 2014, when I was in Berlin for the first time, visiting a friend, where the true changeover happened. I started to be completely passionate about this music! I saw The Analogue Cops under their alias Xenogears performing Live at Tresor Berlin. The club and the music were completely insane and it was a big revelation. 

So, your current influences?
My main influences are from UK techno music like Sunil Sharpe, JK Flesh, Regis, Martyn Hare… I love how they handle the music in production and in the mix. This way of approaching rhythm and synthesisers to mix groove with an industrial edge reminds me of metal music. The way they play is very interesting, inspiring, authentic, precise and they know how to go to the point to ensure the right atmosphere. I love it. 

Your first experience with Djing?
My very first experience with Djing was at Le Paradox in Lyon, in 2019. I wasn’t playing vinyls yet, it was a small event for a painting exhibition. It was fun, the exhibition was upstairs and the booth for Djing was downstairs, like if we were in a cellar. I enjoyed playing in a public area a lot and felt a small crowd with friends who danced in this atmosphere for the first time. But with vinyls, my first experience in public was at the Ambuscade; at the end of 2021 at a small concert venue, very underground, in Lyon at the very beginning of Analog Catharsis. I did the closing and it was very cool even if a bit chaotic with our set up at the beginning (laughs) but the vibe was so punk and festive! It’s a beautiful memory. We grew up there with Analog, we were residents so we had a gig per month thanks to the managers, François and then Quentin, who trusted us. Unfortunately, this place is now closed and we miss it a lot… 

“Feeling the crowd”, what does it mean for you? 
It's about trying to understand the atmosphere of the venue and the audience so that we can support them as best we can in their dynamic. The idea is to be able to see where we can go in the set while being adjusted and allowing people to make it their own; which isn't always easy to do (laughs). 

Any ritual before a gig?
Right before playing, I like to check my vinyls in the bags, to see the full selection and then I put myself in my own bubble being with my close friends. 

How did you meet with Ghetto Bird and decide to launch Analog Catharsis? 
I met Ghetto Bird during our studies in 2014. We quickly became close friends, by then he already had a big culture in electronic music. He showed me many labels and artists I had never heard of before. We started to go to clubs together and it helped me to evolve in my vision of this music, particularly in the underground way. Many years later, after the covid crisis, we started to buy vinyls and get our own turntables. We moved on gradually together and I started to wish for something collective. Then, as I was hosted by friends to play in a party, I met Alexandre (Iloh/Pseudo500) who played Live. His performance was impressive in addition to being a great guy and the idea to create a collective together, mostly with live and vinyl, appeared like the right thing to do. As we discussed this, Alex introduced me to Bertrand (Baacus) and I introduced him to Jean (Ghetto Bird) and Léa (RFA). That’s how  it began.

I am curious, who is your guest for Sunday?
We invite Milo Raad, he is from Belgrad, a very good producer and Dj.  He released records on very nice labels like Mord, MindTrip Music, Faut Section… and more recently on Soma quality records with “Below The Surface”, a big Ep! All his releases are interesting and combine a deep and raw techno with a groove of his own. After a big tour in Asia a few months ago he is now in Europe and will come to play with us Sunday 24 November at Loupika for his first gig in France! We can’t wait, it’s going to be epic!

Great! And what do you know about Belgrade's scene?
I’ve never been there and I hope to be able to go there someday but I can see a lot of excitement about this scene. I heard about the Drugstore Club where the programming is very interesting and sharp and the club looks very dark and nice. They have artists who keep an underground vision of this music like Filip Xavi who releases such good records and of course Milo Raad.

I heard that Loupika is a welcoming place!
It’s a fantastic place of musical expression, you can do Live with machines, play vinyls and also organize concerts. When you play there, the crowd is at 100% in, you can easily get into your music and share this with the crowd with a good sound system. The barge is very well organized, you can get some fresh air on deck and, inside, the dancefloor is compact but very nice and you can dance easily. The staff is very nice and always takes care of the club and us, so that we can play in great conditions. I want to thank Christelle, Buck, Nina and Louis for this. To this day, our party in collaboration with Disidencia Records when we hosted Filmmaker and Sarmiento last May was one of the best. 

Analog Catharsis in 3 words?
United. Committed. Authentic. 

The Dj who recently made you crazy?
It was at Tresor Berlin this summer, the 31 of August! Regis was playing there for the opening, from 11pm until 3am and it was a fantastic journey. I think it is one of the most beautiful sets I’ve seen over the last few years. There was something special about the atmosphere in the club that night, very sexy.  The set was dark and intense for more than half of the set and then gave way to something more melancholic and groovier to end with some classic’s representative of the Tresor. An amazing night. 

The 3 qualities of a good Dj?
Passionate. Concerned. Creative.

Your favorite labels?
There's many, but here are a few: Earwiggle, Downwards records, KHIDI, Persephonic Sirens, Soil Records, Tresor records.

A good track in 3 words? 
Impacting. Narrative. Sensitive.

When you're digging for vinyl, what are you obsessed with?
It’s a strange feeling, there are many components. First of all, the record shop is very important: how the records are arranged, the listening spot, the vibe of the record shop, being able to think how you will dig for records… Then, when I start to dig it’s like a bubble of pleasure to discover new artists, new tracks but with a physical feel. You can touch the record, discover the artwork, sometimes I have no idea of the artist or the label of a record but I feel attracted by the cover so I start to listen to it and sometimes it’s a very nice surprise. I feel like there’s a human connection and a lot of unknown in the research, which creates a unique source of excitement. 

Your top 3 European festivals?
Ombra Festival (Barcelona, Spain), Astropolis (Brest, France), Time Warp until 2019 (Mannheim, Germany).

Your top 5 new releases? 
- British Murder Boys "The Set Up Man"
- Kerrie "Symbiosis"
- Tripolis "Hate yourself" (Sunil Sharpe remix)
- Lee Holman "Sea swell"
- The Exaltics "Parallel Reality"

Your top 5 oldies?
- X-101 "Sonic destroyer" 
- Regis "White Stains"
- Tube Tech "The End" (Boca remix)
- The Stains "Life In Sodom" (Extended version) 
- DJ Tuttle "Exiter Elément" 

Without music, life would be…
Unthinkable.

Interviewed by Sabrina Bouzidi