Dan Ghenacia is the undisputed kingpin of the Paris techno scene, one of France’s hottest DJ exports and runs the critically and popularly adored Freak n’ Chic label. Not bad going for a man who admits he once refused to listen to “anything other than 120bpm deep house†and was told as a teenager that he wasn’t “cool enough†to go raving.How times change! Dan’s love affair with music ignited when he spent a year in California, soaking up early West Coast house and psychedelia. Dan parlayed this passion into a record selling business on his return to Paris, but as a true fan of the music he didn’t just want to peddle vinyl – he wanted to play it. The next few years of Dan’s career flashed past in a whirl of light, sound and notoriety as he helmed a notorious after-party at Batofar. It made his name in Paris and started to generate a buzz around Europe, where he was increasingly travelling. But – at the height of its success – Dan pulled the plug. “People were really unhappy,†he recalls, but he had new challenges to meet.Quitting a successful night can break an average DJ – but it can make a great one, and Dan used his new-found freedom to accelerate his career, stamping his distinctive intelligent-techno-meets-deep-house sound on influential clubs like Fabric and The End in London, Tenax in Italy, and Space and DC10 in Ibiza.Always averse to peer pressure, Dan avoided Ibiza for years – until DC10 won him over – and he quickly scored a coveted residency there. “I was afraid Ibiza was going to be cheesy,†he grins. This caution about chasing “the next big thing†is apparent in Dan’s work – and it’s the trait that has enabled him to effortlessly ascend to the dance music A-list without ever compromising his style. Both as a DJ and producer, and as head of Freak n’ Chic label, Dan unfailingly stands for quality over quantity, substance over style, and, well, freakiness over mere chic.Now, with a new Paris studio to help give vent to his creativity Dan is looking forward to doing more production work ; as well as continuing to A&R great records for Freak n’ Chic and sister label Micro Fibres. And with the bookings pouring in, and a new home for Freak n’ Chic’s infamous Sunday after-hours party at Le Bus in Paris expect even greater things from Dan as he continues to pursue his unique musical vision.
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