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Around the blockDJ Mehdi forecasts the forthcoming
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by JACK OATMON Respected member of the French hip hop clique, the most naturally talented DJ in the Ed Banger crew, and one of the central figures in the cross-pollination of Parisian house in recent years, Mehdi Favéris-Essadi, aka DJ Mehdi, has done more than his share of boundary-pushing over the years. He’ll be releasing a remix compilation on Ed Banger in the fall. The Mirror spoke with him about the latest in French club developments. Mirror: What’s the next thing to look out for in your circle? DJ Mehdi: I’m really looking forward to see Sebastian, Surkin and Brodinski transform their unbelievable club energy into a record-making science with the release of their respective albums. Cinema-wise, look out for Romain Gavras’s first full-length movie next year. If you thought Across the Universe and the “Signatune” and “Stress” video clips were good, wait till you see this. M: What records are you playing right now? What kind of sounds should people expect to hear this time around? DJM: More and more, I’m into house music. Coming from my French hip hop background, I have to say, it took a little while to fully understand the power of the Chicago early-’90s sound, and for me to feel natural and savvy enough to accept it as a part of me. Now that’s almost all I want to play. M: Are we going to see more of the kind of mixing and matching that’s been going on, or are producers and DJs getting more purist? DJM: Cycles and phases, that’s how it’s always been, and that’s how it’s going to be. There’s a time for purists of all genres, and there’s a time for a big melting pot. There’s a time for Sid Vicious and there’s a time for Joe Strummer. There’s a time for DJ Premier and there’s a time for Kanye West. There’s a time for Underground Resistance and a time for Ed Banger. M: What’s the big summer jam of 2009? DJM: My favourite this summer is “I’ll Make You Jack” by the Kikomoto Allstars, on Gigolo. WITH DJ CHERRY COLA AT |
