The last track of the night?
Francois K – ‘Time & Space’. Long and epic beauty that finishes like a symphony. Goose bumps guaranteed. It has a lot of live elements in it. It’s more melodic than the music I usually play and it’s hard to put in one genre – it’s house but has some progressive and deep techno elements to it. I always look for tracks that cross through genres. This one and the FK EP are my favourite modern Kevorkian work. I have a huge respect for this producer and his label Wave.
The best chillout record?
Steve Reich – Music For 18 Musicians. Almost anything by Steve Reich really. What a genius! His approach of repetitive music and minimalism was revolutionary. It’s the same hypnotic feel that you have today in a lot of electronic music. I believe ambient music wouldn’t exist without him and Brian Eno. I think Steve Reich is as important to techno as Kraftwerk, not for the use of the technology, but in the way he arranged a piece of music.
The best record for a family party?
James Brown’s Live At The Apollo. This should make both your three year-old nephew and your 95 year-old grandma breakdance. James Brown talks to so many generations. It’s dance music in the purest form. Again I don’t think hip hop or techno would be the same without him. It’s difficult to choose track one off this album, but when I think of James Brown I think first of the fantastic live performer he was, and Live At The Apollo is the best example.
The soundtrack to a lazy Sunday afternoon?
Serge Gainsbourg’s Histoire De Melody Nelson. There aren’t many French artists I love. Serge Gainsbourg is one of them and this is his masterpiece. He is one of the only French artists to be respected internationally. He was a very forward-thinking composer. The way he used his classical background to create beautiful melodies and combined it with the newest music trends made his work very unique for that time and still very relevant today. In addition, his sense of words made him a genius songwriter.
The record you’re proudest of?
My last EP, Special Day, on Circus Company. I try not to look too much to the past. Sure there are several records that I produced which had a bigger impact in my career than others (‘Acid Trix’, ‘Ze Theme’, ‘Just So You Know’, ‘Yo Momo’…) but I must admit I have a hard time playing my older tracks. Maybe one day I’ll look back and work on a live act or something, but it’s really not my state of mind for the time being. Therefore, this latest release is the one I’m the proudest of. Until the next one, that is…
D’Julz’s Special Day EP is out now on Circus Company. Find D’Julz on Facebook, Twitter, SoundCloud and his own website.