DJEBALI Being into club music since its tender age, Djebali graced the decks of a club for the first time in 2001 inspired by djs like Dan Ghenacia or Ivan Smagghe. Since then he has been playing alongside D’julz, Chloé, Dan Ghenacia, Guido Schneider, Anthony Collins, Shonky, Paul Ritch, Marc Antona, Dirt Crew, Cyril K, Jerome Pacman to name but a few and in key clubs like London’s TBar, Paris’ Nouveau Casino or Batofar as Resident @ Freak n’Chic Summer 2008 Residency. Graduate first from the infamous SAE Institute of Paris, he is a qualified sound engineer whose sound turns into deep & groovy house always trying to keep the sunshine on the dance floor. Indeed his references are Ricardo Villalobos, Luciano, Samim & Michal, Loco Dice.. Now he is involved in production, it is Jay Haze, totally charmed, who released his first ep in 2008 on Tuning Spork label followed quickly bY LAX (EP) on Freak n’Chic. Four tracks with an impressive originality and smoothness. Let’s bet Djebali stands on the right path to success. DAN GHENACIA 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 parleyed 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 & Freak n’ Chic’s winter season new home at le showcase expect even greater things from Dan as he continues to pursue his unique musical vision. EP COMMENTS It’s almost two years since Freak ‘n Chic main man Dan Ghenacia delivered any of his trademark undulating house for the label so it’s pleasing to see “Eightball Deluxe” where he teams up with Freak n’Chic new talent, Djebali. Ghenacia has little to prove in the house music arena, having carved out a career as true leader in house music, but relative newcomer Djebali has set his bar pretty high too, with his two releases marked as standout output for both Freak n’Chic #36 and Jay Haze’s Tuning Spork #36. With ‘Eightball’, the duo deliver an electro-break fuelled slice of deep house which, for all of its retro stylings, sounds 100% fresh. Filtered and phased chords swirl around the mix creating a blanket of warmth while frantic high hats push the track at pace and, combined, these two elements manage to keep the track deep yet provide more than enough drive for peak time moments. ‘Now You Need’ is an altogether darker affair, with jarring percussive effects and a staccato bassline welded to a clinical drum track to create an austere yet infectiously rolling groove. An old school and raw ethic runs throughout this two tracker, which is yet another unmissable release from Freak ‘n Chic, as well as a welcome return from two of it’s finest artists.