French DJ, music producer and two-time Grammy winner David Guetta shows us his side of the world, talks of being a change-maker in his genre, ahead of his show in Delhi. By Jigyasu Joshi
Not long ago, if you were to ask what EDM was, most people wouldn’t have a clue, but there’s one man who’s been coaching the entire world on the breakout of a genre that’s been flourishing in clubs for decades. From his early work at the small clubs in Paris to being one of the most prominent artistes in the industry, the Frenchman David Guetta, unquestionably changed the game for many DJs and producers. For years he has been soaring over the lines once drawn between dance and other styles of music. David Guetta will be performing in Delhi this Sunday.
As one of the most powerful ambassadors between electronic and pop music, what was the turning pointIJ
I started DJing in the Broad Club in Paris. It was the beginning of something beautiful. Shortly after that, I hosted my own club nights. It all evolved naturally. From France, I went to the UK, where the scene was even bigger and then to Ibiza. But I always loved producing music, and when my songs got picked up by mainstream names, things changed fast. But I still love what I do as much as I did years ago. Music is my life.
You used to take your DJ equipment to Ibiza and throw parties when you were 14-years-old. Describe that experience.
My love of Ibiza comes from my upbringing. And representing Ibiza from the very early days has helped me a lot in my DJ career and it’s still a key point of my career. Before I had these hits, I was that guy, the Ibiza DJ. I think the hippy heritage of Ibiza left something that is very unique, I love the fact there’s a hippy heritage. I love that the underground scene is still very strong and I love the fact that there’s still so many different types of music in Ibiza and that people are so open-minded.
Your roots were in vinyl as a club DJ in Paris and then promoter; how has house music developed from where you started to where you are nowIJ
The EDM scene has grown so rapidly that I don’t dare predict what will be next. I never expected it to explode like it did in the first place so the way I think about it, the sky is the limit for dance music. When I started, all dance music was underground. If you were going to play house, you had to be underground because it wasn’t the type of music that was crossing over. My evolution also came with the evolution of the scene in general.
What genres and sounds are you inspired by currentlyIJ
I’ve been listening to all different kinds of music lately. Recently a lot of new music has been released in the electronic music scene and there are some really cool tracks! Other than that I try to listen to as many genres as possible because you never know where inspiration might come from.
What do you look forward to most when performing in India as you have a huge fan base hereIJ
I love the dedication of the Indian crowd and how they embrace the dance music culture. I’m always looking forward to rekindling my relationship with Indian fans.
What other new developments are we going to expect from you in 2017IJ
I would love to release a new album. I’m working on new music, so that will definitely be released in 2017.
Words of encouragement for the aspiring DJ’s and producers.
Talent is what everything else is based upon. Authenticity needs talent. And true creativity also means taking a leap of faith - being unafraid of failure. Once read a quote by Salvador Dali: ‘Have no fear of perfection, you’ll never reach it!’ Well that’s what creativity is about: it’s about daring, being authentic to yourself, trying new things. There will be failures along the way, but if you never dare you can never be truly creative.
That’s what I have always tried to do with my music: bring unexpected combinations together, like when I first brought urban and electro sounds together.
And that’s what I admire the most from other artists or talents.