By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter
French electronic artist Dimitri will liven up Seoul's party scene with his unique brand of house music, Saturday. Described as the ``French Ambassador of house music,'' Dimitri will play at Under Lounge in Hongdae, Saturday.
His music has been used in ad campaigns for fashion houses Chanel, Jean Paul Gautlier and Yves Saint Laurent. He has also worked on remixes for artists such as Bjork, the Cardigans, James Brown, New Order and Quincy Jones.
The stylish Dimitri is one of the first French house DJs to gain attention in international music scene. He knew he wanted to be a DJ when saw a hip-hop show for the first time in the mid-1980s. ``Before CDs existed, there were DJs scratching vinyl records and making some kind of musical noises with them. This was a life changing moment and I instantly wanted to do the same and become a DJ,'' he told The Korea Times, in an e-mail interview.
Dimitri grew up listening to a lot of classical music, which helped developed his ear for music. He describes his musical style as primarily disco, but is inspired by various genres such as hip-hop, soul and new wave, as well as original soundtracks, particularly from the James Bond series.
``It's pretty much a mixed bag of things but (my style is) always very musical with a lot of singing and live instruments as opposed to the electronic sounds that you hear in most clubs nowadays. I think the French sound became popular because it was an original mix of many different styles,'' he said.
It is probably Dimitri's mix of futuristic and retro sounds that has resonated with clubbers around the world. Throughout his career, Dimitri has sold over a million copies of his numerous CDs, which are released on independent record labels. He is currently working on ``Return to the Playboy Mansion,'' which is part of his popular Playboy Mansion series. The CD will be released worldwide in April, from the U.K.-based Defected record label.
As a world-famous DJ, Dimitri said he only wants to give people a good time through music. ``The more people have fun, the more I enjoy it! So I always try to find the most accurate blend of music for the clubbers I have in front of me. I never prepare my sets. My sets are always inspired by the audience I'm performing in front of,'' he said.
When asked if he has any advice for young DJs, Dimitri said: ``try to create your own style, if you play the same records as everyone else you'll disappear in the mass of DJs.''
Dimitri has already performed five times in Seoul, and he has always enjoyed it. ``I always had an incredible night in Seoul. The scene feels young and fresh. People are very open minded and receptive to my music. I can't hope for anything better,'' he said.
Tickets to Dimitri's performance at Under Lounge are 25,000 won. Visit www.riskei.co.kr or riskei.cyworld.com.