Medline is one of the best beatmaker talent based in Brittany.  He is a French Chilean,  a digger, DJ, composer, writer and multi - instrumentalist. Medline defines his music as Amplified Soul, giving a musical expression to his invisible part. For three decades, his works has been a blend of styles, influenced by Afro-Latin, Jazz, Soul-Funk, and Boom Bap. Orlando aka Medline is also the owner of the label My Bags.  During the release of his 10th album "The Edge", we had the opportunity to interview him.

Welcome, a glass of?
Ginger, honey and lime juice please!

Where do you come from? 


I'm from France, Paris suburbs. I have a French mother and Chilean father. I'm now based in Brittany.

Did you start out as a DJ or playing a musical instrument? 
I've started as rapper in 92 and went quickly to turntables after being at a show of Dee Nasty in 95 and didn't stopped since.

Your first approach to beat making? 
I've been introduced in 1990 to music production on computer by a friend of my father on Atari 1040ST and Cubase plus many synthetizers. In 1995 I started to produce my first beats on EMU sampler in the Skyzophrene band's garage.

Could you define your sound and your artistic vision? 


I called my way to create as Amplified Soul. I'm creating to give a voice to the invisible universal part of me. Producing alone the music of an entire orchestra.

Your top 3 songs of « The Edge Lp  » and why? Listen and stream the full album with the player below.
It's not into a special favorite order: « Keep Quiet » because of the dynamic of the song and the nice way I managed to cover it. « The Edge » because it’s the core of this album, a challenging track with huge arrangements and emotional charge. Iconic tune because of Dr Dre but I don't like his song by the way. And « Coffe Cold », a nice tune to chill with a touch of West coast feeling, great to escape and drive along in a road trip. Sweet vibes.

Mountain or sea?
Sea for sure.

If you could teleport yourself…
In a lost part of Amazonia.

If I tell you AI? 
Will definitely put humanity into a concurence with ehanced machines. It's not intelligent at all, just programmed functions. This will profit mainly to the creators of these new computing skills and bring some huge societal changes in many professional sectors, music for sure. Soon beats, lyrics, DJ mixes, mastering by AI... 

Your top 5 new releases?
- Reman ‘Muddy Waters Too“
- Sven Wunder "Late Again“
- El Michels Affair & Black Thought “Glorious Game“
- Trio - Japanese Rare Groove from the Trio Records vaults 1973​-​1981 “Blow Up” 
- Tino & Marrrtin “Rite“

Your top 5 old releases?


- Company Flow “Funcrusher Plus“
- Outkast “Southernplayalisticadillacmusic“
- Ricardo Marrero “A Taste“
- Di Melo “Di Melo“
- Cortex “Troupeau Bleu“

Are you still diggin’ vinyl? What kind of music are you obsessed with?
Yes, at every occasion on flea markets. It's a way to add some cultural knowledge to my brain. I love Latin music, Carribean music, Afro American music. I love to find some scarse French rare groove wax.

12 or 7inch?
7inch for the gigs, only killer no filler.

Your first exhibition ? 
In 2009, with Stephane Carricondo from the 9eme Concept, I wrote poems and composed an album related to his illustrations and released in a book call "Infini". We keep working together on several projects that are about to come.

Your top 3 record labels?
Blue Note, Areito, Pay Day.

Your favorite audio and video link of your work?
Check my BC profile via Mybags.bandcamp.com

And my song and video "Music" with Mr Live. (Check it below).

 
Sun or shadow?
Sun.

What do you want to transmit through your work? 
The love of working from scratch and as self taught artist and keep using mainly instruments to produce music.

If you were not a beatmaker-musician… 
Historian - archeologist.

What’s next?
Probably an Lp dedicated to the music of KRS ONE, like the one I did on A Tribe Called Quest
And a duo with my partner in music Roni Alkekengi called Dos Angeles. We are finishing an Lp.

Interviewed by Supa Cosh…