French Disco Ambassador Comes to Beijing

Known for his eclectic musical pairings, Dimitri from Paris has worked with everyone from Madonna to fashion houses Yves Saint-Laurent and Chanel. His latest project unearths the 70’s disco music of Philadelphia.

With your latest compilation, Get Down with the Philly Sound producers Gamble & Huff opened up their archive of multi-track tapes for the first time to an external label. How did you convince them to do that?

Honestly, I don’t know. We’d been trying to get access for three to four years. They kept saying no and we kept on getting back to them and after a while they just said yes. They’re a very secretive bunch. Gamble and Huff have done a lot, you know, they’re in the Hall of Fame. So I’m not sure how but one day they said do it and these are people that if they say do it, you do it.

You used to hate disco. What is different about the Philly sound?

There are two types of disco. There is Abba and Bee Gees, which is all glitter and not what I like at all. Basically, it’s white disco, which I hate. Then I found the other type which is predominantly black disco. I thought it originated out of New York or Chicago but it actually came out of Philly. I’ve been doing this for 25 years and consider myself quite a deep music collector so I figured if I don’t know about it, then maybe there are other people who don’t know about it either. The music is soulful – less about looks and moves and more about the music.

What are your first impressions of China? How does it compare?

It’s difficult to say because every part of China is very different. Hong Kong has all this new modern architecture while Kowloon has very old buildings. Shanghai seems a lot like Paris – you can tell the buildings have been there for a very long time. I figure that Beijing will be a sort of mix between the others. I know that Beijing has changed dramatically over the past 20 years so I’m really looking forward to seeing those changes and I’m also really looking forward to meeting the people who have changed with it.

Your stop in Beijing will be sandwiched between play dates in Japan and I heard that for a period of time you called yourself Dimitri from Tokyo. What keeps on drawing you back there?

I get my Tokyo fix at least once every year, but usually I go several times a year. There’s a lot of dedication to things in Japan and I’ve really found a place for my music there. One difference is that they view DJs as stage artists. When you play, they won’t turn your back towards you. They’ll still be dancing and doing funky stuff but they’ll all face you. It gives you hints to how your music is going and as a performer it’s very enjoyable for me. You can read the crowd and you’re able to do so because they want you to read them.

What one city—Paris, NY, Tokyo, Philly, etc.—has most influenced your music?

Probably New York because of the DJs and the music they play there. It’s a kind of Mecca for musicians – all the music from other cities in the US comes to New York first and then spreads around the globe. It’s how I first got into this kind of music because I’ve always lived in Europe. It’s been said so many times but New York is a melting pot. You have all sorts of cultures and peoples and the music that comes out is a blend.

DJing is certainly a tough business, a lot more difficult than people think. What are some of the challenges you face?

I’ve been doing this for 30 years. DJing is totally different from what it used to be. In the past, you were basically an employee of the club and you would go there every night and play. Now DJs get to go around to all these cities. I’ve got to make all these different people happy and people have these specific expectations of you. I never make plans because nothing ever goes as planned. It never does. I have to keep creating a new atmosphere. A lot of people say “Oh, you look so serious,” when they see me play and I say well, yes because I’m actually at work while everyone else is partying. Some people don’t believe that, but it is work to make people party.

What’s the greatest piece of criticism you’ve received so far?

Well, I guess it’s what I just said. People think I’m not having fun. I have a closed face and I’m so into what I’m doing, you know, turning my faders. I understand that it’s not fun to look at but people don’t understand why I do it. I suppose I should try to smile more. I keep “smile more” in the back of my mind.

Do you have any rituals before a gig?

No, not really. Well maybe I do and I just don’t know. Nah. I just check the equipment, put on my headphones and go.

What can people expect when they come see you at RoomBeijing?

Well, that’s the big question isn’t it? Disco is the ultimate dance music. You can listen to Lady Gaga but really it might be an ABBA song. To me, disco never left. You just rehash, rehash, and rehash. My music is warm and happy, and organic as opposed to electronic, because that’s what I want to do, make people happy. My music has its party vibe, but really it’s just happy disco.

Dimitri from Paris will be playing July 14th at RoomBeijing. Tickets are RMB 300.