French DJ and producer Jack Carver is attempting to redefine what it means to be live in the techno scene.
From his setup at RIG.FM, a local radio station, Jack crafts all his music in real time—every beat, synth, and bassline forged in the moment. No pre-recorded sets, just raw, unfiltered techno that captures the energy of the here and now. With a background that mixes gaming, poker, and a love for adventure, Jack Carver’s live performances are an unpredictable ride, fuelled by pure creativity.
Why did you choose “Jack Carver” as your DJ name? Is there a story behind that choice?
Actually, Jack Carver is the name of the hero from a well-known video game called Far Cry (the first one, released in 2004). I loved that game, and I thought the name sounded great—something that everyone could know and easily remember. I do have other aliases, of course, but I felt Jack Carver was kind of like a guy lost on a wild island trying to survive by any means necessary. It’s a bit like me and my music—where I had to get lost in the jungle of techno music like an adventurer and find my own style.
How would you describe your approach to techno? Do you have any major influences or a particular philosophy in producing your tracks?
Techno is universal; there are many types of techno music. In the early 2000s, I was a real party-loving teenager, and electronic music in France was quite new and often frowned upon. Back when I was around 20, we listened to a lot of music during LAN parties, which we called “LANs” at the time. Music was everywhere, and we always wanted to hear cool, original, and new stuff. We loved everything a bit forbidden and listened to a lot of techno and EDM from the USA, which was big back then.
The artists that made me want to make music were mainly deadmau5 and Aphex Twin. Also Jon Hopkins. My influences as a techno producer come more from artists today like Dax J—he’s got incredible groove. But there are others I love, like Klangkuenstler, 999999999, Max Rossi too, and definitely Perc. And I have a soft spot for Nina Kraviz’s music.
As for my production philosophy, it’s about finding inspiration in everything I do, read, or watch. My friends and family also feature in my productions—a sensitive piano that reminds me of my mother when I was struggling, not succeeding in what I wanted; a memory of a good time with a friend; or even themes like the environment, pollution, bee preservation, biodiversity, and climate change—all these are present in my work as a producer and artist. It’s about wanting to shift things, creating a sense of euphoria through music.
I also do digital drawings—it caught on immediately when I started making music. All the music covers I publish on my SoundCloud are drawn by myself.
Besides music, what are your main passions? Do these passions influence your music?
Before making music, I was a big PC gamer and a passionate poker player. In fact, I was a professional online poker player. Then one fine day in 2015, a friend gave me Ableton 9, and it was a revelation—actually, no, it was a nightmare and I sucked at it, haha. But I finally found something I knew I’d love long-term. I was sure of it.
It took me years to seriously learn computer-assisted music and production techniques. In fact, I watched tutorial videos on YouTube for at least two years. Back then, you had Live World and of course Sadowick Productions… but there were so many others, though I can’t remember them all now. I learned chords and the basics of piano, as well as the “principles of musical harmony.”
My passion for poker can also relate to my music, with its joys, disappointments, illusions, and occasional successes. I also like magical atmospheres like in the video game The Elder Scrolls… So yes, you could say my passions greatly influence my musical creativity.
Your new track, Galactik, is getting some buzz. Can you tell us more about the inspiration behind this track and what you hoped to accomplish with this release?
For Galactik, I wanted a kick that was both heavy and light at the same time. I was inspired by the movie Interstellar (one of my favorites!!), where explorers travel through a wormhole to get from point A to point B. So, the sound in this track is what I imagined hearing when they passed through the wormhole. Warning: slight spoiler ^^.
The vocal is the same as in my track “Object,” but I recreated an effect and sampled it. The end is completely improvised—I found that slightly delayed, unsynchronized rhythm suited the track’s vibe well. It was almost like the music was losing its emotion.
What are your upcoming projects? Do you have any releases or collaborations you’re excited about?
My projects are simply to produce and be inspired by my life so that it can show in my music, as always. I do live shows on a local radio station (RIG.FM) from time to time with a group of friends who are all sound enthusiasts—we have a blast! But obviously, my dream would be to release an EP on a big label like Monnom Black, for example—haha, I really love that label seriously, and I love what Dax J does.
Lastly, what do you think of the current techno scene? How do you feel about its evolution, and where do you see yourself within this universe?
Hmm, tough question: The current techno scene is completely “overhyped.” It’s really hard to find good inspiration since the music is, how should I put it, used in a “recreational” way. That disappoints me a lot because we could do so much more with techno, and electronic music as a whole. Rap is on a downward trend, rock is completely outdated, but we still have DJ-driven music. We have to continually evolve and find new inspirations, new ideas to innovate, and discover new ways of listening to music. We need to seriously rethink techno to never make it obsolete or boring. It’s up to all of us artists to never bore our fans and to not get tired of the art that we love so much.
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