In Session: Bambounou

There's something really rewarding about following an artist from the start of their career and seeing the stages of growth and maturity within their music. To have been a part of that journey, to have witnessed the progression and to have seen a clear shift in sounds is a pretty beautiful thing and Bambounou is someone we've kept a close on eye since his very first EP.

Jeremy Guindo has spent the last seven years creating expansive club music that could just as easily be filed under bass as it can techno. His sound is deeply influenced by his multiple heritages and nationalities – he was born and grew up in Paris, the son of a Malian father and Polish mother. It's evident when listening to his music that he draws heavily from his cultural identity.

His music has always centred itself around stark, percussive grooves, with scattered kick drums, African rhythms and intricate loops playing prominent roles but that's not to say it doesn't bear warmth and emotion. While his tracks, like 'Mass' for instance' often come across as steely and industrial, cuts from his second album 'Centrum' like 'I Ride' bubble with sweeping synths and melodies, in turn showcasing a hugely varied production set.

Parisian imprint ClekClekBoom acted as a base for Guindo from an early stage in his career and alongside friends and fellow producers French Fries, Coni and The Boo, his unique strain of techno began to pick up serious speed. The label, which was heralded as one of the coolest and freshest imprints to spring from France, skyrocketed in popularity alongiside Bambounou and once 50 Weapons caught a glimpse of the talent, his focus shifted to the German powerhouse.

The sub-label of Modeselektor's Monkeytown acted as a place where Bambounou could fully flex the spectrum of his sound. Numerous EPs explored slamming house with 'Onto This', grizzly techno with 'Take It Out On Me' and low-end bass rumblers in the form of 'Mass'. No style was left untouched and this is where we've seen Guindo really expand as an artist. Two LPs via 50 Weapons established that he was just as well versed at creating cuts for the club as his was assured, accomplished bodies of work that demanded attention.

As a DJ, he's one of the most passionate and energetic out there. Videos of him rolling out groove after groove at places like Concrete in Paris, Nuits Sonores Festival and Circo Loco at DC10 tell you that he's just as varied in his selections as he is his productions. Numerous Boiler Room appearances are crammed full of amazing, undiscovered gems and liberal genre jumps. His touring schedule as a result is unsurprisingly busy and he graces stages across Europe and the US all year round.

More recently, his productions have veered towards a more linear branch of techno, with his atmospheric remixes of 'Signs Of Change' acting as some of his first offerings of 2017. The emotion still courses through every track and he's also appearing on a Various Artists EP arriving via Tapion. In unmistakeable Bambounou fashion, the percussion is completely unique and bears his quintessential feverish sound. It's easy to spot one of his tracks yet never completely straight forward to understand just how he makes them.

As one of the most singular and promising talents on the circuit, Bambounou is still at the start of his journey and that says a lot considering what he's already accomplished. His In Session mix focuses on the deep, brooding side of what he does and it brings forward a sense of maturity and class, with tracks by Taapion Sound System, Phil Moffa and Yaleesa Hall lingering under your skin for hours after you've listened. At times menacing, at others beautiful, this mix is as complex as the artist who's recorded it.

Funster is Mixmag's Deputy Digital Editor, follow him on Twitter