Dimitri from Paris

by John Bush
 
Compared to his cohorts in the new wave of French dance music, Dimitri from Paris looks much farther afield for his influences. While both Air and Daft Punk make much of their affection for the music of the 1970s (prog and disco, respectively), Monsieur Dimitris inspiration comes from the Continental jet-setting faux-jazz of the 1950s and early 60s (exemplified by Dick Hyman, John Barry, and Martin Denny), though the whole is updated by his long years of experience as a house DJ.
 
Based in France though he was born in Turkey, Dimitri entered the dance music community during the mid-80s by DJing at the French Radio 7. By 1990, his reputation had allowed him to record soundtracks for fashion barons like Chanel, Lagerfeld, and Gaultier. He released two solo EPs during 1993-1994, plus the mini-LP Esquisses, and contributed to the Yellow Productions compilation La Yellow 357. He also remixed hundreds of artists, including Björk, the Brand New Heavies, New Order, James Brown, and Etienne Daho. Dimitris debut album, Sacrebleu, appeared in late 1996, also on Yellow Productions. Named Album of the Year by MixMag, it sold several hundred thousand copies around the world and finally received an American release in early 1998. The 1997 mix album Monsieur Dimitris De-Luxe House of Funk, however, showed the Frenchman coming back to his house roots. In lieu of a second production album, he mixed several more sets: ICU Session, Vol. 3, A Night at the Playboy Mansion, the BBE box set Disco Forever, and Super Disco Friends.