We spoke with Antoine Becks in Austria, on the day he performed in Beatpatrol. Check out what Shannon Leto's partner told us!
What did you think of the show and the festival, even though it was raining?
Amazing. It was awesome, a great festival. Too bad it was raining, but at the same time when it is raining at a festival it ads a certain energy. It's cool. And after the show I just went out into the crowd and it was just cool.
Your performance was on jeopardy because Shannon Leto couldn't come. Why did you decide to come without him?
Because I still wanted to do the show.
Are you going to release an album?
I'm working right now on a bunch of singles that are almost done. There's a track I do with Shannon and a bunch of other tracks.
How long are you going to be touring on your own?
I'll be doing a bunch. Looking at August and gonna keep going.
Till the end of the year?
Yeah, on and off. There's a lot of studio time as well, because I'm doing a lot of dance tracks under the name Antoine Becks and I'm also working on the CB7 album. I'm writing songs. There's not release date yet, it's like a work in progress. I'm sort of working on everything and going out and doing shows. Which is great, because you can finish a track and go play it in the club and see their reaction instantly.
What is the difference between you as CB7 and you as Antoine Becks?
Antoine Becks is more dance oriented, it's a DJ set and I sing live vocals and CB7 is the full band experience.
Which one do you prefer?
I've always been doing both. Play guitar since I was seven years old, I've been in bands and also been doing dance music for a very long time and I'm super passionate about dance music – I had a project called Second Sun, and we toured all over the world doing live shows and dance music stuff. So it's something that will always be a part of me. I like doing both, so I don't see a reason why I shouldn't.
Will your partnership with Shannon go on when Mars releases the fourth album?
Yes, we'll see where it all goes but we'll continue having fun I'm sure. The tour hardcore.
Do you notice a difference between the time before you partnered with Shannon and afterwards, in terms of your exposure?
Oh yes, it's great. Through Shannon I've been able to meet all these amazing fans and it's been great.
Well you were talking about Becksters, what is that about?
Becksters are the people that are into what I do. Actually they came up with the name themselves. It's great. We're having a lot of fun, I'm looking forward to doing a lot more shows.
Do you have a lot of one-on-one talks with Becksters? You had a meet and greet in Beatpatrol
Yes, it's great. I just appreciate so much. We're just like one big family. Doing shows and meeting all of them... I wanna be able to give back.
Doesn't that ever get annoying?
Never. I'll give everything for my fans. I do as much as I can. I wanna give back, they give me so much.
What sounds are you exploring now?
For a long time I've always been into sound driven dance music. It's something I was doing in the Second Sun days. Even back in 2002 I was making dance tracks with male back vocals, sing over the track. And not many people were doing it back then, now a lot more are doing it. I'm into real songs, but still a club banger.
What DJs inspire you right now?
A lot. Dance music has exploded in the States. It's always been popular here in Europe. We're all a big family. There are so many. There's Sebastian Ingrosso I think is great, Knife Party is awesome, I like Magda, she's like a german Dj and she plays minimal tecno. Electronic music is a bouquet of flowers. You have bad dance music of course, a lot of shit, but... that I won't name.
You have tunes on SoundCloud. How about selling music through iTunes?
That is going to come out, like I said I have all these new tracks I'm pretty much done with. So I'm gonna start selling them and people will be able to buy them.
What do you think of the current moment in the music industry? Is it easier now to get your music known, but harder to make money out of it?
Fortunately, people still want to go out to shows. So that's cool. I'm against stealing music myself, I buy everything, unless it's something I really can't find. That's just what I believe in. Of course people can do whatever they want, but that's what I believe in.
From the industry perspective, what can be done?
The music industry is pretty much fucked right now. I'm not a business man, so I don't get into all that stuff. I just make great music and want to share love with my fans play great show. I'll let the record label people freak out about that kind of stuff.
Do you think we are in a transition time and we will find another way in the future?
Yes. I have a vision of what I'm going to be doing. But that's a secret. It's basically keep doing my thing, but I have a lot of exciting ideas, to where I want to progress as an artist. That's what I'm focused.
How do you plan your career? Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?
You'll see. There's a lot more to come.
We heard you might play in Portugal in August, is that true?
Yes we are in talks. As soon as the dates come up and I confirm I'll be posting them on my Facebook Page.
More than one date?
Yes. There's a possibility, we're talking about it.
What did you think of the Portuguese crowd?
Amazing. Every show is so much fun, I'm just having a blast. I love to see everybody so happy out there and I couldn't be happier. I'm doing what I love.
Where do you get so much energy?
When I start playing it's just like a whole switch. Whatever is going on in my life, or if I'm tired, doesn't matter. I was just stuck in Moscow and they wouldn't let me out of Russia. Because I was having a layover, flying from Minsk to Moscow to Vienna, and they were telling me I needed a Russian Visa just for the connection. And they said I needed a transit Visa and needed to go to the US embassy in Moscow and get a Visa and they didn't know how long it would take. I almost got stuck there, but they told me “you're not flying out of Russia”.
So how did you solve that?
I spent a lot of my own money and it hurt. But I'll do anything to make it to a show and I don't want to disappoint fans.
What did you think of the show and the festival, even though it was raining?
Amazing. It was awesome, a great festival. Too bad it was raining, but at the same time when it is raining at a festival it ads a certain energy. It's cool. And after the show I just went out into the crowd and it was just cool.
Your performance was on jeopardy because Shannon Leto couldn't come. Why did you decide to come without him?
Because I still wanted to do the show.
Are you going to release an album?
I'm working right now on a bunch of singles that are almost done. There's a track I do with Shannon and a bunch of other tracks.
How long are you going to be touring on your own?
I'll be doing a bunch. Looking at August and gonna keep going.
Till the end of the year?
Yeah, on and off. There's a lot of studio time as well, because I'm doing a lot of dance tracks under the name Antoine Becks and I'm also working on the CB7 album. I'm writing songs. There's not release date yet, it's like a work in progress. I'm sort of working on everything and going out and doing shows. Which is great, because you can finish a track and go play it in the club and see their reaction instantly.
What is the difference between you as CB7 and you as Antoine Becks?
Antoine Becks is more dance oriented, it's a DJ set and I sing live vocals and CB7 is the full band experience.
Which one do you prefer?
I've always been doing both. Play guitar since I was seven years old, I've been in bands and also been doing dance music for a very long time and I'm super passionate about dance music – I had a project called Second Sun, and we toured all over the world doing live shows and dance music stuff. So it's something that will always be a part of me. I like doing both, so I don't see a reason why I shouldn't.
Will your partnership with Shannon go on when Mars releases the fourth album?
Yes, we'll see where it all goes but we'll continue having fun I'm sure. The tour hardcore.
Do you notice a difference between the time before you partnered with Shannon and afterwards, in terms of your exposure?
Oh yes, it's great. Through Shannon I've been able to meet all these amazing fans and it's been great.
Well you were talking about Becksters, what is that about?
Becksters are the people that are into what I do. Actually they came up with the name themselves. It's great. We're having a lot of fun, I'm looking forward to doing a lot more shows.
Do you have a lot of one-on-one talks with Becksters? You had a meet and greet in Beatpatrol
Yes, it's great. I just appreciate so much. We're just like one big family. Doing shows and meeting all of them... I wanna be able to give back.
Doesn't that ever get annoying?
Never. I'll give everything for my fans. I do as much as I can. I wanna give back, they give me so much.
What sounds are you exploring now?
For a long time I've always been into sound driven dance music. It's something I was doing in the Second Sun days. Even back in 2002 I was making dance tracks with male back vocals, sing over the track. And not many people were doing it back then, now a lot more are doing it. I'm into real songs, but still a club banger.
What DJs inspire you right now?
A lot. Dance music has exploded in the States. It's always been popular here in Europe. We're all a big family. There are so many. There's Sebastian Ingrosso I think is great, Knife Party is awesome, I like Magda, she's like a german Dj and she plays minimal tecno. Electronic music is a bouquet of flowers. You have bad dance music of course, a lot of shit, but... that I won't name.
You have tunes on SoundCloud. How about selling music through iTunes?
That is going to come out, like I said I have all these new tracks I'm pretty much done with. So I'm gonna start selling them and people will be able to buy them.
What do you think of the current moment in the music industry? Is it easier now to get your music known, but harder to make money out of it?
Fortunately, people still want to go out to shows. So that's cool. I'm against stealing music myself, I buy everything, unless it's something I really can't find. That's just what I believe in. Of course people can do whatever they want, but that's what I believe in.
From the industry perspective, what can be done?
The music industry is pretty much fucked right now. I'm not a business man, so I don't get into all that stuff. I just make great music and want to share love with my fans play great show. I'll let the record label people freak out about that kind of stuff.
Do you think we are in a transition time and we will find another way in the future?
Yes. I have a vision of what I'm going to be doing. But that's a secret. It's basically keep doing my thing, but I have a lot of exciting ideas, to where I want to progress as an artist. That's what I'm focused.
How do you plan your career? Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?
You'll see. There's a lot more to come.
We heard you might play in Portugal in August, is that true?
Yes we are in talks. As soon as the dates come up and I confirm I'll be posting them on my Facebook Page.
More than one date?
Yes. There's a possibility, we're talking about it.
What did you think of the Portuguese crowd?
Amazing. Every show is so much fun, I'm just having a blast. I love to see everybody so happy out there and I couldn't be happier. I'm doing what I love.
Where do you get so much energy?
When I start playing it's just like a whole switch. Whatever is going on in my life, or if I'm tired, doesn't matter. I was just stuck in Moscow and they wouldn't let me out of Russia. Because I was having a layover, flying from Minsk to Moscow to Vienna, and they were telling me I needed a Russian Visa just for the connection. And they said I needed a transit Visa and needed to go to the US embassy in Moscow and get a Visa and they didn't know how long it would take. I almost got stuck there, but they told me “you're not flying out of Russia”.
So how did you solve that?
I spent a lot of my own money and it hurt. But I'll do anything to make it to a show and I don't want to disappoint fans.
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