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Dimitri From Paris - Le Disco Don

Author: 3D
Monday, December 1, 2008

Dimitri From Paris was one of the world’s first house producers, although his name is also synonymous with disco thanks to his hugely successful Night At The Playboy Mansion series. 3D caught up with the Turkish born DJ before he hits Sydney.

How did you first get involved with the Playboy brand, mixing the Night at the Playboy Mansion series-

I was playing at a party in Miami where Playboy happened to be involved. They liked the vibe and invited me to celebrate the launch of my next album at the Playboy Mansion. Problem was I had no album planned at that time. So I figured I could make one so we could have a party there – hence the first volume in the series.

Have you spent much time at the mansion recently- Does a Playboy kiss and tell-
Who says I am a Playboy- No one should ever compete with Hugh Hefner.

What was your approach with mixing the latest disc- Is it a progression from the others in the series-
The series was left without a label for five years until Defected tied a new knot with Playboy. Since I had a couple of releases with them I had an itch to get back at it. I approached my third volume with all the fans of the first two in mind. I wanted to give them something fresh to enjoy in the vein of what they liked. Many couples told me they met or made out to the sound of the first CDs so I made the new one with that in mind.

Disco’s making a comeback in a big way at the moment, is that something you envisaged happening-

Is it really- I like to think it has never really left; its ghost is haunting every type of dance music for eternity.

Who do you see as some of the major players in disco’s comeback-

I would have to say Joey Negro as the main guy and then Idjut Boys, Todd Terje and his Norwegian gang as the underground boys. A lot of the rest are bandwagon jumpers who were playing minimal/electro/breaks six months ago – they can rot in hell.

Have you been working on any remixes or originals in the studio at the moment-
I’ve done quite a few lately, most notably for Incognito and Ladyhawke.

You’re returning to Australia soon, what have been some of the highlights of your previous visits here- Do you have plans for spending Christmas in Australia-
I have some great memories of New Year’s Eves spent there. I had my first private jet flight going from Sydney to Melbourne to play NYE in both cities.

You traverse the globe constantly as a DJ – do you have favourite places you try and make time to visit every year-
Absolutely. I always make a point to spend some off time in Bangkok, Tokyo and Hawaii every six months.

Finally, what’s lying ahead in 2009 for you- Grand plans-
I don’t like making plans, but rather try to make the best with what’s happening around me – it’s much more challenging and exciting that way.

WHO: Dimitri From Paris
WHAT: Plays Trademark Hotel and Piano Room
WHEN: Saturday 27 December
MORE: trademarkhotel.com.au

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