Francois X is world recognized DJ and producer, one of the most crucial figures on electronic scene in France. Francois is the resident of Concrete club with regular place in the DJ boots of Berghain and fabric.
Regarding his upcoming performace at Exit Festival, we spoke with this charming Frenchman about the scene in Paris, legendary Concrete events and his new releases named „Unicorn Paranoia“. Enjoy!
Hello Francois. As one of the key figures of the Parisian electronic scene, what can you tell me about the burgeoning techno movement in Paris?
Paris is definitely alive and well! The energy is very intense despite the horrific events that happened not so long ago. People tend to forget, but the french are by essence a revolutionary people. The scene is constantly flourishing, with a lot of new promoters and producers, sometimes i tell myself that everything that is happening is part of a hype, but I’m pretty sure it is not entirely true. We just could have a look at all the fresh french producers who are known internationally, like voiski, antigone, bambounou, roman poncet & dj deep, jeremy underground, lazare hoche… and the list goes on.
The well known Sandwell District gig back in the day made an impact on a lot of people. What was so special about it?
At the time Dement3d (my label) was a party, hosted in a club famous to be the inner core of the french electro scene (justice, brodinski etc…), the social club. We felt like pirates there, but at one point the usual crowd became regular at our parties and the gig with SD blew everybody’s mind and made it happen! You have to understand the moment, This album had been just released and was sold out in one day, everyone was crazy about it. Sd had its own cult one of the last in the techno movement. They were like rockstars! So what happened that night it was dirty nasty and sexy as hell. I let you picture it!
How did Concrete come to life and what was the journey like to becoming one of the most recognized party brands in the world?
Concrete came to life 5 years ago as a all long day party in Paris called TWISTED with no real plan established. But slowly it became a famous „rendez-vous “ praised by the parisians clubbing aficionados. One day they were looking for a place and found that mythical boat and the story began. It became one the most hyped party in town, acclaimed for the insane lineups, the all day long parties with that typical sexiest french atmosphere. The legend was on.
Marcel Dettman enlisted your „Rising“ on his famous Fabric 77 mix, and later on published your works on his MDR. How did the collaboration with Berghain icon come to be?
Very naturally…my friend DJ Deep invited ben & marcel for their first ever gig in France. It was a legendary party hosted at REX CLUB. Since that day we stay in touch and became quite friends.
I had the chance to have been remixed by him in 2011 on Deeply Rooted. He is one few Dj I really love and each time we play together I feel so inspired. At one point he pushed me to send him my music.
You not a big fan of Function One sound system. Why do you prefer the old school sound? Nostalgia?
Because for me it’s not a question of loudness, a sound system has to be physical, you need to feel the bass in your stomach. You need to embrace the vibrations. In that way you will live a very sexual experience. That the way it is to vibrate through the music. I was really fond of the ny sound with the GSA Audio equipment. I remember especially one gig i had in the city, it was a very tiny club located in the basement of a bar. The 205 it was, no more than 200 people in there but with an outrageous Gary stewart system coupled with all the urei mixer and isolators you need. It was massive, so bassy bumpy and as i said sexual. this is the way it should be.
As it was during the golden era of NYork with Richard Long and Larry Levan at the Paradise Garage, Mancuso and its revered Klipschorn and so on…The american dream you said ? No the physical dream
You will be playing Exit festival this summer at its No Sleep Novi Sad stage, dedicated to promoting independent electronic music and contemporary culture. Do you think that people are overusing and abusing the term „art“ in underground music today?
Underground is a word that everyone uses in the wrong way, it means you have to act in an undercover way because the thing you’re doing is forbidden somehow. So it’s preferable to use the word subculture. From this point you could easily use the word art in any manner you want.
What is art, it s a tricky question, for some it’s the act of creating for other it should be some kind of mastering a creative subject.. In any case art for me is to be creative, to be free and able to translate your thought to reality and pass your emotions to people.
Your Parisian Boiler Room set is one of the best sets from the City of Light. How do you pick the music that ends up in your case?
By instinct only. no matter what the gig is, I mostly rely on my inspiration and my emotions. And thank you for the kind words on this boiler room set.
What are you looking for when it comes to your label Dement3d? What’s the story behind it and where did the name come from?
Dement3d was at its beginning a party where we have hosted all the major player of the electronic scene: Dettmann, Planetary Assault System, Scuba, Shackleton, Moritz Von Oswald.
After 2 years of promoting parties the label was launched. The music was already set as we were surrounded by some friends we wanted to produce. Now it s more or less the same spirit, friends quality music and fast forward thinking. We are also strongly dedicated to the visual aspect of the label, done by the excellent AD; Matthieu Cannavo. The name comes from the track TRES DEMENT3D done by Carl Craig and Laurent Garnier.
Your next EP „Unicorn Paranoia“ will be published soon on your label mentioned in the previous question. „Vivid Dreams“ is our favorite. Could you tell us something more about this release? Why is it called „Unicorn Paranoia“?
„Unicorn Paranoïa was inspired by a kind of mental Utopia that I have of the Club and the electronic music movement as a whole. What I’m trying to transcribe through those few tracks is a daydream that appears to me once in a while, of a New-York City street in the twilight of a starry night. This picture is for me an incarnation of these moments of escape, that I lived many times after every night where this idealized House and Techno movement got me dreaming. It’s that particular fantasy at work on the track Vivid Dreams, for instance. The music coming out of that record is without a doubt techno with raw character. Nevertheless, there is a subtler and more delicate aspect to it that reflects one of the angles of what I feel is my approach to music. Dreams and Utopia have had a central role in this record’s composition. The Dream, this ultimate pleasure indulged by music, by the passion dedicated to it; and the Utopia (this of the club), which makes us continuously endure nostalgia, sadness, and sometimes even bitterness in that perpetual quest toward an experience that may be found only in The Very First Time“.
What can audience expect from you at Exit?
Love, Melancholia, Utopia. Something mystical.
Photo credit: Manu Obadia
