STM 272 - Paulie Jan

Paulie Jan is the moniker of Parisian producer Nicolas Birot, who is also a resident of the French techno collective, Container. Beyond his musical endeavors, Paulie has worked as a photographer, covering disparate topics ranging from fashion to war, and as a social and humanitarian worker. These rich experiences have profoundly influenced the sound he creates—Nicolas’ compositions are like thickly painted landscapes, enveloping you in their expansive spaces. They flourish with vividness and submerge you in their multi-layered depths. Dense and hazy ambient clouds shift into the intense yet refined rhythmics of industrialized techno, while still retaining a strong atmospheric sensibility. Paulie’s latest album, Yukio (A Brief Sonic Evocation), was released on Ritual Process and is dedicated to the Japanese writer Y. Mishima. Each track represents a “speculative narrative milestone in his life.” This release is undoubtedly among Paulie’s best. It is an emotionally gripping, touching, and captivating journey, unraveling in the form of sublime and majestic ambient.

Secret Thirteen Mix 272 encompasses all of the elements that make Paulie’s own compositions so vividly hypnotic. Fluctuating between blissful ambient, sharp-edged noise, electroacoustic oscillations, and IDM sound sculptures, it demonstrates the diverse ways emotions and experiences can be translated into sonic textures. The mix includes names from a broad spectrum of experimental music, ranging from Paulie’s own intense soundscapes to Hanchi’s refined techno, and from Karen Gwyer’s organ-led voyage to the moodier side of Japanese house legend Ken Ishii. Paulie guides us through various textures, landscapes, and mental states, while maintaining a coherent thread throughout. As a result, the mix feels like a touching meta-narrative of an abstract film yet to be made or a long train journey across picturesque fields and city spaces.